Granola Your Way

My husband is amazed at all the "junk" e-mail I recieve daily. I admit I do sign up for a lot of newsletters. Some I skim and delete, others I delete pretty much right away, but there are a few of my favorites where I take the time to really read. Culinate and Cookus Interruptus are two that fall in the later category.

Culinate recently highlighted Vanessa Barrington's book DIY Delicious with a fun recipe, Granola Your Way. I love how it was laid out giving the cook the power to be creative and experiment with the ingredients. I am sharing it as 1) I love homemade granola and 2) after many years of following recipes to a T, I am finally enjoying making up my own recipes, adjusting recipes and have accepted that failing is learning. If you still follow recipes to a T, get creative and make some delicious granola!

Granola Your Way from Vanessa Barrington

Ingredients

1/3 to 1/2 Cup fat (butter, coconut oil, olive oil)

1/3 cup Sweetener agave syrup, honey, maple syrup (1/2) or brown sugar (1/2)

Flavorings vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom

4 cups flaked grains (oats, kamut, triticale, spelt, rye)

Mix-ins unsweetened coconut, wheat germ

Seeds pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax, chia

2 cups Nuts (about 8 ounces) lightly chopped (almonds, pecans, walnuts)

1 cup unsulfured and evenly chopped dried fruit (apples, pears, peaches, plums, cranberries, currants, raisins,

Instructions

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter (or, if using oil, warm it) and add the sweetener along with the vanilla, cinnamon, or other spices you’re using. (If using honey, see the variation.)

3.In a large bowl, combine the flaked grains, mix-ins, seeds, and nuts. Toss to mix.

4.Pour the warmed butter or oil and sweetener over the dry ingredients and toss with a large spoon or spatula until evenly and lightly coated.

5.Transfer the mixture to a large baking sheet (you may need to use two baking sheets) and spread it out evenly in a thin layer.

6.Bake until evenly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Stop halfway through and stir the ingredients so that they brown evenly.

7.Remove from the oven, add the dried fruit, and toss to combine. Let cool completely on the baking sheet.

8.Store at room temperature in an airtight container. The granola will stay fresh for up to 3 weeks, stored properly. I store mine in mason jars on the counter. It looks nice and keeps the granola fresh and handy.

Notes

Variation: If using honey, there’s no need to heat the oil first, but you still need to melt the butter (if using). Just whisk the fat together with the vanilla or other spices and pour it over the flakes, nuts, and extras, and toss and bake as directed. When you remove the granola from the oven, add the dried fruit, and drizzle the honey over it while still warm. Toss to coat, and cool and store as directed.

Toasted Multigrain and Seed Cereal

Last summer for our family vacation we spent a week at an organic farm in Canada. The kids fed the chickens, sheep and enjoyed picking vegetables for our dinners. We all loved hiking, canoeing and kayaking - Quadra Island is a beautiful and peaceful part of Canada.

One morning we had a delicious breakfast with the owners. After commenting on the wonderful cooking, Geraldine shared with me one of her cookbooks, Hollyhock Cooks. Hollyhock is a resort on Cortez Island, just north of Quadra. My dear husband gave me a copy of the cookbook for a Christmas gift. One of my favorite recipes from the book is the Toasted Multi-grain cereal.

This recipe has lots of good nutrients and protein. Oatmeal, brown rice cereal and other hot cereals are nutrititious but are lower in protein. This breakfast cereal with the almonds, pumpkin seeds and quinoa has a good amount of protein, giving you a decent balance of protein, carbs, and fats. That balance is important for every meal and snack, but especially for breakfast. You can add some butter, or sliced avocado or a poached egg before serving. Yum!

Toasted Multigrain and Seed Cereal from Hollyhocks Cooks

1/2 C. whole almonds
1/2 C. whole pumpkin seeds
1/2 C. quinoa
1/2 C. millet
1/2 C. brown rice
1/4 C. unhulled sesame seeds
1/4 C. flax seeds

In a large cast-iron skillet, toast the almonds and pumpkin seeds until the seeds begin to brown and pop. Add the remaining whole grains and seeds and continue to toast for another 15 minutes. They should all snap and pop. Continue to stir. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool completely before mixing in a food processor for 20 seconds or so. It’s nice to keep some of the grainy texture, so don’t mix it for too long. This is the base to make your own hot multigrain cereal It will keep in a sealed jar in a cool dry spot for up to 1 month. Any longer and it should be kept in the refrigerator or freezer. To cook the cereal, bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add 1 cup of the dry cereal, cover and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Serve hot.