Crunchy granola

We've made this a couple of times in a couple of different ways. The first time I followed the recipe as is, and it turned out just fine. The second time I made it using extra cinnamon pureed dates as a sweetener instead of honey. We all liked the second version better, plus it's lower on the glycemic index, so that makes it better for you.

Crunchy granola

Origin: New York Times
Yield: 8 cups
Prep/cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
  ● 6 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking or instant)
  ● 2 cups mixed nuts and seeds: I used sunflower seeds, chopped pecans and almonds, and ground flaxseed and wheat germ.
  ● 1 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut
  ● 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, or to taste
  ● Dash of salt
  ● 1/2 to 1 cup honey or similar sweetener (I used pureed dates), or to taste
  ● 1 cup raisins or dried fruit

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine oats, nuts and seeds, coconut, cinnamon, salt and sweetener. Place on a sheet pan and put in oven. Bake for 30 minutes or a little longer, stirring occasionally. Mixture should brown evenly; the browner it gets without burning, the crunchier the granola will be.

2. Remove pan from oven and add raisins or dried fruit. Cool on a rack, stirring once in a while until granola reaches room temperature. Transfer to a sealed container and store in refrigerator; it will keep indefinitely.

To make the pureed dates I took a handful of dates, removed the seeds, and put them in the food processor along with about a half cup water to start, adding more as needed to achieve a honey-like consistency (if you have it, a blender would work better).

Another note—Into this base of rolled oats you can stir just about any dry ingredient imaginable: other grains, like flakes of rye or wheat; dried fruit; spices, from cinnamon to vanilla to nutmeg to cardamom; orange zest, crystallized ginger, peanut butter, even chocolate chips. And of course, any nut or seed you can think of: I favor a combination of cashews, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and pecans.

Pumpkin pecan muffins

Another pumpkin recipe in celebration of fall! I adapted the muffin recipe from one that was intended for bread. The final muffin product was very moist, and received the Jon seal of approval.

Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

Ingredients:
  ● 1/2 cup butter, softened
  ● 1/2 cup sugar
  ● 2 eggs
  ● 1 cup pumpkin puree
  ● 2 cups flour (I used 1 1/2 cups whole wheat and 1/2 cup all purpose)
  ● 2 tsp. baking powder
  ● 1/4 tsp. salt
  ● 2 tsp. cinnamon
  ● 1 tsp. nutmeg
  ● 1 cup milk
  ● 1/2-1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
Cream butter, then gradually add sugar and beat well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add pumpkin and beat well. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and spices; mix well. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating well after each addition. Fold pecans into batter. Spoon batter into greased muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until golden.

Granola topping

I can never quite get rid of the snack urge.  I love crunchy things, or sweet things, or salty things...you name it.  I've done a pretty good job of eliminating junk from our diets, and our cupboards, but that doesn't mean that every day, shortly after Calvin slips into nap time sleep land, I don't get that sudden desire to start munching.  So my goal has been to find things to munch on that satisfy those cravings without blowing the day's sugar or sodium intake right off the chart (aside from carrot or celery sticks, which just don't do it).  I know I've also mentioned, umpteen times before, my complete aversion to pre-processed over-packaged foods, and I think that we belong to a society that supports the notion that many foods are a mystery and are not creatable in our own kitchens.  So much the better for companies like Kraft and Keebler (or are they the same company?).  But a quick and simple search on the internet, and a relatively short amount of time, is all it takes to break through the unfair force shield protecting those commercial interestes; we can make just about anythign we need in life with a handful of naturl and basic ingredients.

But that's a big topic.  For the moment, let's just start with granola.  What I really wanted to make was a crunchy snack, and this most certainly was not it, but this version, which is soft and sweet, does make a great topping for Greek yoghurt!  And it was a lot of fun for Calvin to help cook and then eat with lunch.  Down side?  Way too much sugar, as far as I'm concerned.  Back to the drawing board.

Granola topping

Dry Ingredients:
  ● 5 cups rolled oats  (you can also use a combination of rolled grains)
  ● 2-3 cups of raw almond halves or slivers
  ● 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
  ● ¾ cup sesame seeds
  ● ½ cup wheat germ or ground flax seed (I used flax)
  ● 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  ● 1 tsp ground ginger
  ● 1 tsp salt

Optional
  ● 1/2 - 1 cup unsweetened coconut
  ● ½ cup dried fruit—(add after cooked)(I used raisins)

Wet Ingredients:
  ● ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
  ● 1/3 cup agave nectar, brown rice syrup, honey or maple syrup (I used honey)
  ● 2 Tbsp canola oil

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 300°F.

2.  Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix the wet ingredients together, and then stir into dry ingredients.  Stir well to mix thoroughly.

3.  Spread the mixture into two baking dishes. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or until evenly golden brown.  Stir every 10 minutes to ensure even browning.  Stir again when removed from oven to keep it from cooling into a solid mass.  The granola will crisp as it cools.  If you use fruit, stir once it is cooled.

Yield: 10 cups
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.