The Vegan Omnivore: Granola that makes Nigella wink
Dec 19, 2009
3 Comments
"Oh, how they COURT me!" - Nigella Lawson, cooing over her homemade holiday potato skins while wearing her trademark skin-tight cashmere sweater.It is the season for sharing good times and food--or staring at Nigella again as she enchants you with her holiday recipes. She makes everything appear so sensuously magical and easy, including running to the local coffee shop to order 10 cups of espresso to go for her Sunday holiday brunch--though with all those endorsements, you'd think she'd have a machine at home so she can make her own espresso for her coffee martinis!
Well, I won't promise my granola will COURT you, but you can play with this recipe, and stop paying $7 for a tiny bag of granola while reducing waste and depleting your pantry at the same time. My granola isn't sugary--there's just enough maple syrup to let the ingredients stick together--because I figure people can sweeten their own cereal. It's a great holiday gift, a nice gesture for a dinner party host so they have an easy breakfast the next morning, and it ships well. I'm doing the ginger & cranberry combination for our vet, who's currently taking car of Cosmo the shih-tzu for 2 days while the little guy convalesces.
Preparing and presenting the finished product while wearing your favorite skin-tight cashmere sweater is optional.
Leon's UltraHealthy Yet Tasty Granola
2 cups organic oats (Coach's Oats work well!)
1/2 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup almond meal -OR- oat bran
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg (you can play around with the spices, too!)
a loving dash or two of cardamom (optional)
1 cup water
1/4 cup maple syrup (yes, the real stuff from Vermont or Eastern Canada)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
1 cup raw nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts - you can mix and match
1 cup dried fruit, chopped (again, mix and match--and no, you don't have to chop the raisins or dried cranberries)
i.e. 1/2 cup dried candied ginger and 1/2 cup cranberries -OR-
1/2 cup raisins and 1/2 cup dried apples -OR-
1/2 cup dried mango and 1/2 cup dried coconut -OR-
1/2 cup golden raisins and 1/2 cup dried blueberries -OR-
1/2 cup dried pears and 1/2 cup dried apricots
1) In a large mixing bowl, mix the oats, flax, sunflower seeds, salt, and spices. Be sure to mix well. 2) Add the water, maple syrup, and extracts. Mix well. All the ingredients should stick together, but the mixture should be far from runny.
3) Divide this mixture evenly between 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Use a rubber spatula to spread the mixture as thinly as possible. This is what will allow the ingredients to cluster.
4) Bake at 275 degrees (F) for 35 minutes. You do this slowly at a low temperature to dry out the mixture.
5) Remove the trays. Turn the mixture over as best you can with a spatula (yes, it will crumble a bit--that's okay.) Add the nuts, dividing between the two trays.
6) Place the trays back in the oven, baking at 275 degrees for another 35 minutes.
7) Remove the trays. Add the dried fruit, dividing equally between the two trays. Place them back in the oven, baking for only 3 minutes (so the fruit does not dry out).
8) Allow to cool, or enjoy warm immediately with cold milk, Greek yogurt, or vanilla bean ice cream. Or let it cool overnight for breakfast, and ship to a loved one.
This may seem like a long time, but you would spend even more time running to Old Navy buying stuff people just do not need.
When I ship the granola, or give it to a friend, I like to add a couple cinnamon sticks to the package to add a little more fragrance.
Nigella, if you're out there, wink at me, and I'll send some by post.
Happy Holidays!
LK
Oooh! Hey, you remember those chocolaty – coconuty cookies you made for the tree trimming party? Were those vegan??? And, can I have the recipe? Pretty please with raw sugar on top?
Looks great, will have to try this. Thanks for being a fan!
Lizzy:
I’m not one to be overly commercial on this site, but I am a huge fan of Coach’s Oats. Thank you for the comment! LK