Easy Winter Peach & Strawberry Crisp

I like a fresh fruit crisp but few ripe fruits come our way to Boston during the winter months.  So I do the next best thing and use frozen organic fruits, which are not too shabby and work very well for baking.  This crisp is made with a gluten-free and vegan granola by purely elizabeth (not capitalized), which is created by Elizabeth Stein, a certified holistic nutritional counselor.  The granola I used here is a cranberry pecan but they have other flavors like pumpkin fig and the original flavor.  This granola is made with quinoa, amaranth and chia and it is sweetened with organic coconut palm sugar.  If you can’t find this granola, Udi’s makes a gluten-free granola but it is not vegan as it contains honey.  Just a disclosure in case honey bothers you and you are not an avid label reader like I am.  Kaia Foods also makes a gluten-free, vegan and raw granola. It is not a traditional type granola and the taste is just as it says: raw.  Use what is good for you and the crisp will work well with any granola.   Simple, quick and delicious.

Peach & Strawberry Crisp

• 10 ounces of granola
• 10 ounce package of frozen sweet peaches (thawed)
• 10 ounce package of frozen sweet strawberries (thawed)
• 5 tablespoons of Earth Balance non-dairy spread (the best and you can get a soy-free version if you are allergic to soy)
• 1/4 cup of agave (if your granola is very sweet than use less of the agave or non at all)

Heat oven to 375 F.  Place frozen strawberries and peaches in a baking dish.  Use a dish where the fruits are covering most of the space and there is just enough room to place a thick layer of the granola.  This is mostly for the sake of aesthetics.  Drizzle half of the agave on the fruits.  Evenly cover the fruits with the granola and drizzle the rest of the agave on top.   With you hand, break off bits of Earth Balance and drop flattened pieces on top of the granola covering the mixture as evenly as possible.  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Uncover the dish and bake for another 20 minutes until the top is a toasty.   Let cool for an hour and serve.  Try it with some coconut milk ice cream in vanilla flavor.  I am eating it right now as I write this!  Serves 4.