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This was my second shot at granola. As was true with the first attempt, I want emphasize that this recipe is extremely flexible. If you don’t have enough of one ingredient, substitute more of another. If you can’t find hempseeds, use sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds, etc. Peanut butter or cashew butter will work just as well as almond butter. And so on, so forth.
A note on finding dried fruits: I prefer to use only unsulphered and unsweetened dried fruits, which can be difficult to achieve depending on which fruits you are using. Make sure to read labels. I have a love-hate relationship with Trader Joe’s (love when I hear the total at the cash register/hate when I can’t find what I need there — a common occurrence – and also when rude fellow shoppers bump into me due to extremely poor floor design), BUT I must say that they offer an excellent assortment of dried fruits and raw nuts — some organic — at very reasonable prices. Dried blueberries are often sweetened, but Trader Joe’s and usually Whole Foods offer varieties that are not. Trader Joe’s also offers a product called “Just Bananas, flattened” which consists of nothing but dried bananas. It’s not organic, but it beats those super oily-heavy banana chips, and it’s what I used here. Once I saw a similar dried banana product (nothing added) at a Whole Foods, but this was awhile ago and there have been no subsequent sightings. Trader Joe’s also sells freeze-dried bananas, which contain nothing but bananas. They make you feel kind of like an astronaut, but I think they would work well with granola.
This makes about 12-13 cups.
Ingredients:
- 4 C rolled grains (I used 2 cups oats and 2 cups of Country Corner Organic Hot Cereal, which is contains rolled oats, barley, wheat and rye and nothing else)
- 2/3 C oat flour (can substitute any kind of flour)
- 1/2 C wheat bran
- 1/3 C sunflower seeds
- 1/3 C hemp seeds
- 1 C raw almonds, chopped
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 C almond butter (I used the raw crunchy kind), plus 1-2 T more if desired (see step #4 below)
- 2/3 C (I used half maple syrup and half honey), plus 1-2 T more if desired (see step #4 below)
- 2 T coconut oil (optional)
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups dried blueberries and dried bananas, preferably unsweetened and unsulfured (I also threw in some dried figs).
To make:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Oil well cookie sheets or baking dishes (I find baking dishes to work better because they don’t make such a mess when you stir the granola).
2. Combine all dry ingredients EXCEPT the dried fruit.
3. Whisk together the almond butter and liquid sweetener with 1/3 cup hot water, leaving aside the additional tablespoons of almond butter and sweetener, if using, for step #5.
4. Combine liquid and dry ingredients well; poor into baking dishes and bake until golden brown, about an hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so to make sure granola bakes evenly and does not burn.
5. When granola is a nice golden brown color, remove from the heat and stir in the fruit, and if so desired, the additional almond butter and liquid sweetener. I find that adding a little extra of these helps hold everything together after the baking.
Notes:
Granola has officially joined the list of things I will never buy at a store again. I finally got around to making some, which I’ve been meaning to do for quite some time. I was so happy with the end result that homemade granola is now in competition with my standard breakfast (oatmeal). In fact, I keep finding myself thinking of different ”themes” for future batches of granola.
For this batch, I went with a spiced chai type theme, using cardamom, clove, cinnamon and ginger. I also ground up some orange (actually, clementine) peels to give the granola a hint of citrus. One friend noted that it smells “like Christmas.” Which brings to mind another great thing about homemade granola: it makes for a great inexpensive and edible gift that can be manipulated according to occasion. If you have an inner Martha Stewart, you can package it up in jars or clear bags with ribbon to enhance its aesthetic appeal. But I handed some out to various recipients in plain old zip-lock bags and found it pretty well-received.
The other great thing about this granola is that it is packed full of healthy ingredients. The fabulousness of oats has already been covered in a previous post. And millet, though it sounds kind of medieval, is a cereal grass high in fiber and magnesium. Hemp seeds, besides just sounding cool, are a little known nutrition wonder-seed that contain all nine essential amino acids and all essential fatty acids and are a great source of protein and calcium. (You can find hemp seeds in the refrigerated probiotics section of your health food store, alongside the flax seed oil). Brazil nuts are lauded for their high selenium content, making them a complete protein and with a great anti-oxidant content (they also a good source of zinc, which promotes digestion, metabolism, and immune function). Coconut oil is incredibly high in lauric acid, which also boosts metabolism and immune function. And so on, and so forth.
Now, if you want to make granola but are discouraged by all the fancy ingredients, rest assured that this recipe is incredibly malleable. Simply substitute more of one ingredient for the ones you don’t have, and feel free to use different kinds of grains, nuts, seeds, or dried fruits. Think of this as merely a template.
This recipe makes quite a large batch. Unfortunately, in the height of my granola zeal I starting giving it away (and eating it!) before I remembered to measure it. But the good news is that it should keep for up to several weeks in air-tight containers. If you are hesitant, simply half the quantities.
My favorite way to enjoy the granola is with a little bit of cool soy milk, like a cereal. But it can also be sprinkled on oatmeal or soy yogurt with fresh fruit — or nibbled on plain and dry.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 2 cups millet
- 1/2 cup wheat bran
- 1 cup coconut flakes (unsweetened)
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup hemp seeds
- 2/3 cup spelt flour
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups of chopped nuts (I used walnuts, hazlenuts & brazil nuts)
- the rind (peel) of 2 oranges or 3 to 4 clementines
- 4 inch chunk of ginger root
- 2 heaping tsp cinnamon
- 1 heaping tsp ground clove
- 1 heaping tsp allspice
- 1 heaping tsp cardamom
- 1 cup maple syrup (maybe more if needed)
- 1/4 coconut oil (maybe more if needed)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup dried fruit (or more, if desired; I used figs, raisins, apricots and cherries
To make:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In a food processor, grind up the orange/or clementine peels and the ginger root.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients from oats through cardamom, and stir until everything is well incorporated. You may need to use your fingers to break up clumps of the ginger and orange peel.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, vanilla extract, and coconut oil with one cup of warm water.
- Pour the liquid ingredients over the solid ones and stir until well-combined.
- Bake the granola on well-oiled pans or in shallow baking dishes until it turns golden brown (this took about an hour for me, but could vary). Make sure to stir every 15 minutes or so to prevent burning, break up chunks, and promote even baking.
- When finished baking, stir in the dried fruits while the granola is still warm. You may wish to add a little extra maple syrup or coconut oil at this time, while the granola is still warm. But it’s not necessary — it will just give the granola a denser, sticker texture.
- Allow the granola to cool and then store in air-tight containers at room temperature.
Mornings are my favorite time of the day for two reasons: yoga and breakfast. The oatmeal you see here is my standard post-yoga breakfast, full of healthy carbs and proteins for refueling and long-lasting energy. Some might find it a bit heavy, but it often functions as both breakfast and lunch for me, depending on my schedule. It can easily be made lighter by cutting back on the nuts and seeds.
Oats are a super-healthy cereal grain with a high fiber content and many other nutrients and anti-oxidants to boot. In fact, the specific kind of fiber contained in oats has been shown to significantly lower cholesterol — and this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the fabulousness of oats. (To read more about the health benefits of oats, check out The World’s Healthiest Foods). A great thing about “my” oatmeal is that it is sweetened naturally and healthfully with fresh banana and dried fruits — no need to load up with the brown sugar or honey.
I pretty much have to eat a banana every day, preferably for breakfast. (There is an old Indian folk saying: “Bananas are gold in the morning, silver in the afternoon, and lead at night.”) Rich in potassium, bananas aid the refueling process for those of us with active lifestyles (they can help to alleviate muscle cramps). Their high carbohydrate content makes them perfect for breakfast. I typically warm or cook my banana in one of a number of methods, as this sweetens it (see below). But fresh banana is, of course, just as good, if not better.
This recipe is just for one. The details may sound complicated and perhaps even bit neurotic-obsessive for a bowl of oatmeal, but let me assure you that I’ve been perfecting my oatmeal for months now and this version represents what I’ve determined to be the best.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 C soy milk
- 1 banana
- 2 dried figs, chopped
- 1 heaping T dried blueberries
- 2 T raw nuts of your choice (my go-to’s are cashews, almonds, hazlenuts or pecans)
- 1 T raw seeds o your choice (e.g., sunflower or pumpkin)
- 1/2 T nut butter of your choice (cashew butter is my absolute favorite, but peanut butter, almond butter, or pecan butter work well too).
- pinch of salt
- cinnamon to taste
To make:
- First, make a decision about the banana. I you want to enjoy it fresh atop your oatmeal, then disregard this step and move onto #2. I like to heat the banana in my beloved cast-iron grill pan. I simply cut the banana in four (once lengthwise, once crosswise) and spray each side with canola oil. Then I grill at medium-high heat until the banana is slightly softened, but still somewhat firm (flipping them with a spatula halfway). I also usually cover the grill pan for an added steaming efect. This method works best with bananas that are still yellow (not many brown spots). Alternatively, you can chop up the banana in bitesized pieces and let it cook with the oats. This imparts a nice creamy-sweet quality to the oatmeal, and works especially great if your bananas are really ripe (or if you are in a hurry).
- Place in a small saucepan 1/2 cup water, 1/2 C of the soymilk, the oats, a pinch of salt, the dried blueberries, and the dried figs (and also the banana pieces, if you are using the second aforementioned method). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a medium-low and let cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the oatmeal has a creamy consistency.
- Meanwhile, toast the nuts and seeds in a skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium high heat. You can use a dry skillet, but I typically add just a drop or two of canola oil. Also, allow the nuts to toast for a few minutes before adding the seeds, as the seeds will brown and pop quickly.
- Pour the oatmeal into a bowl. Add the nuts, seeds, and banana, and then top with nut butter, cinnamon and remaining 1/2 cup of soymilk.
Oatmeal cake makes a delightful and hearty breakfast, especially when served warm in a bowl of almond milk. Here, I made the cake with fresh peaches, but any fruit or combination of fruits will do. I have discovered strawberries and blueberries to be a fine pair.
This recipe will satisfy two hungry yogis after a morning practice, or perhaps three or four people with smaller appetites.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 C + 3 T flour (up to half can be whole wheat; the other half should be white whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, or, if you must, all-purpose)
- 1/4 C + 2 T rolled oats
- 1/4 C granulated sugar of choice (e.g., white, brown, palm, raw, turbinado, sucanat, etc. — or any combination of these)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon (or more, to taste)
- 1/4 cup soy milk or almond milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or almond extract
- 2 T applesauce
- 1 T cornstarch
- 1/2 C fruit of your choice (chopped in small pieces, unless it’s something like blueberries)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a standard-sized (8 inch) bread pan.
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, baking power, cinnamon and salt.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the milk, applesauce, cornstarch, and vanilla.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, and stir until the batter is just moistened (lumps are okay).
- Gently fold in the chopped peaches and whatever other fixings you may have selected.
- Pour the batter into the oiled pan and bake 20-25 minutes, or until cake is golden brown on the top. When finished, a toothpick or knife inserted into the cake should come out clean. Note: the batter will only fill up an inch or so of the pan, and when the cake is finished, it will only be about 2 inches tall — not the size of a full loaf of bread. But, the bread pan provides a good shape and size for this cake.
- Allow the cake to cook in the pan for a 5-10 minutes, and then on a rack for at least five minutes more.
- Serve warm, preferably in a bowl of almond milk, and enjoy!
Variations:
- You can substitute 1/2 of a ripe mashed banana for the applesauce — it will give the cake a lovely banana flavor.
- If you want to get fancy, add chopped nuts, chocolate chips, carob chips, coconut flakes, or chopped crystallized ginger.
- Allspice or nutmeg can be used instead of, or in addition to, the cinnamon.
- Experiment with different kinds of flours, such as spelt, instead of the whole wheat.
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