Granola
Thursday June 3rd
Make your own Breakfast Cereals
My ‘Eat Real Food this Summer’ campaign is in full swing and people are starting to get their heads around the fact that they don’t always need to buy their meals prepared. We have been told for a number of years now that convenience food is more convenient than making your own, yet it seems that this message is not true. Making your own meals works out cheaper and often a lot easier than people imagine.
It’s actually very straightforward to go out every week with a shopping list, plan for the week and buy your ingredients. When I run my cookery classes, people look in disbelief at how quick and easy many meals are to cook. It seems its people perceptions that are preventing them from cooking, not the actually cooking itself.
There is an ongoing concern about what is being put into our breakfast cereals. Most breakfast cereals on the shelves, whether marketed as helping with weight loss or being full of fibre, are high in salt, sugar and fat (consuming these are linked to serious diseases).
Most cereal pa
ckets are also made with refined grains, such white rice or processed corn or wheat, making them low in nutrients and low in fibre. This results in feeling hungry again quickly and reaching for the mid morning muffin or scone and will result in sugar cravings later on in the day. Choose whole grain cereals instead or make your own!
The great thing about this granola is lasts you the week. If you didn’t toast the oats, you could call this muesli (take out the oil for toasting).
Homemade Granola
2 cups of oat flakes (120 grams)
1 dessert spoon oil
1 teaspoon of runny honey or maple syrup
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
2 tbsp linseeds
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
2 tbsp chopped nuts (cashews are lovely)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Heat oven to 150oc
Mix the oat flakes, oil and honey/maple well in a bowl and spread evenly on a baking tray. Place in oven for 10 mins, shaking occasionally.
Add the other ingredients and toast for another 5-10 mins.
Serve with chopped fruit and a good dollop of yogurt.
9 Responses to “Granola”
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Hurraahhh, nice timing. I was only thinking about looking for a Granola recipe this week. I can’t wait to try it. I may ditch the cinnamon though ;0)
Thanks Lucy!!
Hi Lucy, will any oil do for this? Going to try and be good for the next couple of weeks!
Ruth xx
Thanks for the question Ruth. My advice with all of the oils that I cook with, is that you try to a minimum amount of oil in your cooking. I have now stopped using any oil in frying and use oven baking or water sautéing for everything else. I think this recipe is nice with a little crunchiness so I add a little oil. I would use only extra virgin olive oil or peanut oil or coconut oil for cooking. I would always ensure that the olive oil and peanut oil are purchased in a dark air tight bottle and stored in a cool dark cupboard.
The main reason that I do not use much oil in cooking is that oils are highly susceptible to rancidity or the changing of their chemical structure when they are heated. This processing or heating of oils is linked to heart disease, obesity and inflammation within the body. Keep oil to a minimum. Happy cooking!!!!
I must say you have a cool post. This hit the spot and then some! Thanks for posting this and sharing it with the world. I’ve just bookmarked your site. And I will check back soon to read your other articles. Keep up your awesome work.
Thanks for the blog loaded with so many information. Stopping by your blog helped me to get what I was looking for.
Going to make a batch of it today! thanks Lucy!
Really enjoyed your class last night – love granola always wanted to make my own so will definately give this a shot ! Any suggestions what I could use instead of bannanas in your muffins please ?
Hey Sandra, Glad you enjoyed them. The great thing about the ripe bananas is that they are both sweet and moist, so you don’t have to add extra sugar. I have stewed apples in a little cinnamon and nutmeg (sweet and eating apples) and used them instead. Or you could stew some pear in a little ginger. Of course, we are starting to get some nice plums so that is also a great idea. Let me know how you go. Lucy @ http://www.foodforliving.ie
Always wanted to try making my own granola, at last an easy to follow recipie, THANK YOU!
Added some raises and stewed apple as well, delish.