Green Girl Granola #1

Green Girl Goodies, July 2012

Granola is great as a complete meal with milk or soy milk, over yogurt or all alone as a healthy snack.  Creating your own granola is fun because you can experiment with an infinite number of ingredient combinations to produce many different unique flavor profiles of granola.  When Trevor and I first moved to Kansas City we were working a lot and on a tight budget.  This extra large batch of granola helped us stay healthy and fit perfectly with our busy schedule and financial constraints.  Look below the recipe for “Granola Tips”* to help you craft your own recipe and look for more Green Girl Granola’s to come!

Yield approximately 2 quarts (8 cups)

1 ½ qt (6 c) Rolled Oats (preferably Bob’s Red Mill)

2 5 oz bags Slivered Almonds, raw

2 c Coconut Flakes, toasted  **Toast your own!  See below for toasting method**

1 c Ground Flax

6 tb + ½ tsp honey

6 tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 ½ c Cherry Apple Cider

1 1/8 tsp Sea Salt

¼ tsp Cayenne

1 c Buttershots

1 c Dried Cranberries

1 c Dried Cherries

-      Preheat the oven to 325.  In a large bowl combine the oats, flax, 5 tb honey, 5tb oil, cider, 1 tsp salt and cayenne.  Use your hands to mix well.  

-     Spread the oat mixture into a thin layer split on 2 baking sheets and place in the oven.

-     Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Rotate the pans and cook for another 8 minutes.  The granola should be slightly golden brown.  Place the mixture back into the big bowl.  In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 ½ tb honey, 1 tb olive oil and 1/8^th teaspoon of salt and coat the slivered almonds in the mixture.  Add the seasoned almonds and buttershots to the oat mixture and stir well to combine.

-     Spread the mixture evenly back on the baking sheets and place back in the oven.

 -     Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove the pans from the oven and mix well to help with even toasting.

-     Rotate the pans and bake for approximately another 15 minutes or until golden brown.  

-     Let the granola cool to room temperature and add the toasted coconut and dried fruit.

-     Mix well and store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

*Granola Tips:

-  Make sure to stir often so the granola toasts evenly

-  ALWAYS add your dried fruits last.  If they go in the oven they will get hard.

-  Experiment with different juices, sweeteners, nuts and dried fruits to keep your taste buds entertained!

**Toasting Coconut:

-     Preheat the oven to 325.  Place the coconut in a thin layer on a baking sheet and place in the oven.

-     Cook for approximately 6 minutes or until golden brown. 

-     Cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

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