Meet the Jewish Food Society’s First Cook in Residence (+ Granola Recipe)

Every week, the Jewish Food Society introduces you to one talented home cook and a beloved family recipe. Now, we’re taking it up a notch. Rinat Tzadok, the creative director of Lehamim Bakery in Tel Aviv, will be sharing a series of dishes inspired by her Moroccan-Yemenite roots as the Jewish Food Society’s first Cook in Residence. The pastry chef’s love of food started when she was a child, when she experimented (often unsuccessfully) with cookies, cakes, Moroccan doughnuts called sfinge and French pâte à choux. “It was like a stone,” laughs Rinat. She’s long since perfected her baking, though in addition to making some of the best sweets in Israel, Rinat is an incredible home cook. Whether it’s her stuffed grape leaves, spicy fish stew or her crispy “cigars,” Rinat draws heavily upon her Yemenite-Moroccan heritage in her everyday food. We’ll be sharing these recipes and more in the coming weeks, but for now, we’ll leave you with something sweet--Rinat’s easy Israel-style granola made with tahini, silan (date honey), and lots of nuts and seeds. 
 

Rinat’s Israeli Granola

Makes: about 8 cups
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
½ cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
½ cup raw pecans, roughly chopped
½ cup raw hazelnuts, roughly chopped
¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup silan (natural date syrup) or honey
3 tablespoons tahini
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup of dried fruits (any combination of dried cranberries, raisins, goji berries, or other favorite)
1 cup unsweetened coconut chips

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 300°. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts and sesame seeds in a large bowl and mix well to combine.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, coconut oil, maple syrup, silan and tahini and add to dry ingredients. Add cinnamon, salt, and lemon zest and mix until combined well.
4. Spread granola mixture evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, stirring every 15 minutes until granola is toasted and golden brown, about 45 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and let cool. Transfer to large bowl and mix in dried fruits and coconut chips. Store in airtight container for up to 1 month.