Thursday 16 April 2020

Quarantine Food Diary: Homemade Granola Formula




The food situation during this Quarantine is not ideal for me... I'm unable to go into grocery stores due to being so high risk for complications if I get COVID-19 so I have to depend on the pick-up service and that hasn't gone... smoothly.  No shade to the workers who are doing their best; its just we've had to get creative with meals since we can only get food every 2 and a half weeks.

So naturally, things are going to run out.  Like my favourite granola.  And it's out of stock because the company is having difficulty sourcing ingredients.  So... I made my own.  And its pretty good.

I thought I would share the formula- not a recipe per se as you control everything about this granola.  Don't like it sweet?  You adjust the sweetener. Don't have any almonds?  that's cool, I've made it with every nut on hand- even salted peanuts and it was pretty good.  This is a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure recipe, hence me calling it a formula.

This granola is everything you store bought granola is.  You can eat it with yogurt, milk, other milks... I think you will really like it.  And it's easy to make.


Stephanie's Granola Formula


Ingredients:


  • 3 cups oats (for gluten-free use GF oats, or popped rice cereal, or puffed quinoa.  Most grains will work here)
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds (or pecans pieces; walnuts [but only a 1/4 cup they can be bitter]; peanuts, any nut you have on hand.  I use salted nuts once, just use 1/4 cup and increase the sweetener to compliment the salty.  It good if you like the salty/sweet combo.)
  • 1 cup mixed seeds (I used 1/4 cup flax, 1/4 cup chia, 1/4 cup pepitas/ green pumpkin seeds and 1/4 cup sunflower.  You can use any combination that you have, but I would go too heavy on the flax seeds.)
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup dry sweetener (Your choice.  Brown sugar, white sugar, stevia, What ever.  You can even use liquid sweetener like Maple Syrup, or honey-- just note that your granola will be stickier than if you use a dry sweetener.  Use the amount to your taste.  Or go hardcore and have no sweetener at all!)
  • 1/2 oil (I used coconut oil that I melted in the microwave, but you can use vegetable oil, melted butter/ margarine, flax oil, corn oil, even olive oil but it will have a distinct taste of the oil if you use a heavy oil like that- not bad, just noticeable.)
  • 1 tsp of cinnamon (optional, but nice)
  • 1 cup of any after baking add-ins you might like (raisins, dried fruit, coconut flakes (if using sweetened cut sugar to 1/4 cup) 

Instructions:


  • Heat oven to 350F and line a lasagna pan or 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Or don't line it if you like washing dishes.
  • In a large bowl, add the oats, nuts, seed, sweetener, spices and oil and mix so that the oil coats everything.
  • Spread on the pan(s) and bake for 15-20 mins, then flip and mix with a spatula, and put back in the oven to bak for 10-15 mins more.
  • Take out of the oven, and let cool, stir while cooling to avoid clumps- unless you like clumps, then rock on.
  • Store in air-tight container for up to 3 weeks. 



I really like it and its not too labour intensive so I make it a lot now.  My granola bill has significantly reduced too.  Not like I had a huge granola budget before... ANYWAYS, you should try it.  Its great!

I like my granola with yogurt and bananas.  How do you eat your granola? 


No comments:

Post a Comment

Drop me a line, I love hearing from you!