Today's Pantry Meals Series recipe is focussed on breakfast, Crunchy Cinnamon Raisin Granola. This recipe is an update of the recipe my Dad made for us growing up. For him, the granola was always the same...same ingredients, same quantity of each ingredient. What I've learned since I started cooking and making his recipe, is that a granola recipe is really nothing more than a framework or a formula. My granola batches tend to turn out differently every time I make them, as I don't stick to the same ingredients. I use whatever ingredients are either in season (dried apple slices or dried cranberries) or what I happen to have in abundance in the pantry. Essentially, the ingredients of your granola, if you follow the framework below, will be different from someone else's as you will be guided by what dried fruits and nuts you have in your pantry.
The one thing I don't recommend changing is the main star of the granola, the oats. Oats are very nutritious. Most are gluten-free (check the package though, as some are processed in an area that might contain gluten), and rich in antioxidant properties. Oats are also very high in proteins and fibre, so they keep you feeling filled long into the morning.
All oats are not the same though. Oats differ according to the amount of processing they've undergone.
1. Steel Cut Oats (Irish oatmeal) - are coarse with a nutty flavour and chewy texture due to very little processing - they take the longest to cook
2. Old Fashioned Oats (rolled oats) - have a softer texture & slightly milder nutty flavour - most often used in oatmeal and baking
3. Quick Oats - have been partially cooked during processing and rolled thin to shorten their cooking time - have a soft, sometimes mushy texture and mild flavour
*Instant Oats are a type of Quick Oat that is combined with other ingredients, sometimes losing the nutritional benefits oats offer
Oats are a great pantry item due to their versatility and nutritional content. Packaged properly, they can last for up to 6 months on the shelf.
Granola is a great item to have on hand. It can be used for breakfast, in a parfait (recipe here) or on top of dessert.
I hope you enjoy this family recipe from my house to yours.
Take care and stay safe,
Krista
Cinnamon Raisin Crunchy Granola, adapted from My Dad's Recipe
Makes 8-10 cups (plenty to eat and to share!)
Ingredients
5 cups oats (Old Fashioned, or rolled oats)
2 cups nuts (any combo of almonds, sliced almonds, pecans, sesame seeds or hazlenuts - hopefully local from BC!)
1-2 cups dried fruit (I always used raisins + a combo of craisins, dried blueberries, dried cherries and dried apple slices cut into pieces - I love Triple Jim's from the BC Farmer's Market)
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 c flax seed meal
1/4 cup hemp hearts
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut ribbons
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple sauce
2 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup honey (I love Honeybee Centre's Clover Honey)
1/2 cup maple syrup
Options & Substitutions: my Dad used 3/4 - 1 cup of corn syrup instead of the honey & maple syrup combination
Method
Pre-heat oven to 275 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl combine oats, nuts, dried fruit, wheat germ, flax seed meal, help hearts, granola, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a small sauce pan add vegetable oil, apple sauce, milk, vanilla, honey and maple syrup. Heat over medium heat whisking continuously until ingredients mix. Remove from heat and pour over bowl of dry ingredients. Quickly stir to coat.
Pour granola mixture onto the parchment lined baking sheet and bake in pre-heated oven for 30 - 40 minutes.
Remove granola from the oven when it is still a bit sticky. As the granola cools to room temperature, it will harden.
Break granola into clumps when cooled. Serve immediately with milk (or non-dairy substitute - I'm loving Malk brand Unsweetened Almond Milk at the moment) or store in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe Notes:
Other Uses For Granola
Granola + Yogurt = a parfait! A parfait is an exotic looking meal, that is very quick to put together. It's essentially food items layered in a vessel.
While yogurt is not a pantry staple, it is a nutritious item to keep in your fridge. It has all the health benefits of fermentation and is high in probiotics. I like to keep a container of plain Greek or Skyr yogurt in my fridge at all times, especially now.
My Cinnamon Raisin Granola + Yogurt Parfait recipe can be found here.
*Reference: Oat Nutrition Information from Healthline Magazine online.
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