Citrus Breakfast Salad with Spicy Chile Granola — Photo: Linda Pugliese

Yield:

2 to 4 Serves

This bright and cheery breakfast combines blood oranges, Cara Caras, and satsuma mandarins. Scoop plain yogurt on top and finish with an element of surprise: make-ahead spicy granola, enlivened with a teaspoon of chile-infused oil. This recipe is featured in the cookbook Salad Freak: Recipes to Feed a Healthy Obsession ($26.99, amazon.com).

Ingredients

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 3 tablespoons crushed red-pepper flakes, such as Calabrian
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups old-fashioned oats (not quick-cooking)
½ cup toasted buckwheat groats (kasha)
½ cup seeds (such as flax, hemp, and sesame)
½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup good quality maple syrup
2 teaspoons kosher salt (we use Diamond Crystal)
2 egg whites, beaten
4 to 6 favorite mixed citrus, such as blood oranges, Cara Cara oranges, grapefruits, and satsuma mandarins, sliced and segmented
Sheep's-milk yogurt (plain or maple-flavored), for serving (optional)
Flaky salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small pot over medium heat, bring oil and red-pepper flakes to a simmer, then remove from heat. Swirl in cinnamon and let stand a few minutes (the longer it sits, the spicier it will be). Strain into a large bowl though a fine-mesh sieve; remove 1 tablespoon or so of spicy oil and set aside.
To that same large bowl with spicy oil, add oats, buckwheat, seeds, almonds, maple syrup, kosher salt, and egg whites. Combine with a wooden spoon until everything is mixed and moistened. Transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake, rotating and mixing every 15 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant, 25 to 30 minutes.
Arrange citrus on your plate or plates. Scatter with a handful of granola and top with a spoonful of yogurt (use the back of a spoon to give it a nice swoop), if desired. Drizzle with reserved spicy oil and sprinkle with flaky salt. Save any remaining granola in an airtight container up to 3 weeks.