Home Cooks Online

Healthy, homemade breakfast recipe from guest author, Heather Forsyth.

I admit, I sometimes go through stages with granola: I'll eat it every day for months, then refuse to look at it for a year.  But something keeps bringing me back.  It takes about an hour to make a batch, but invest in the time on Sunday and reap the rewards with a quick, healthy and tasty breakfast all week long.  I've developed this recipe over years of trial and error.  The basics are simple, and the variations are endless.  And for goodness sake don't worry about the amount of oil!  Spread out over several days, it's less than a tablespoon per serving and is much more wholesome than that packaged low fat muffin full of high fructose corn syrup and unpronounceable chemicals at your local coffee shop.

Fruit and Nut Granola

• 6 c. old fashioned oats
  
• 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
  
• 1 c. oil (I usually use safflower or sunflower)
  
• 1 c. honey (try to get your honey locally)
  
• 1/4 t. salt
  
• 1 t. cinnamon
  
• 1 T. vanilla
  
• 2 c. total nuts and dried fruits, your choice

Preheat oven to 325.  Combine oats, flour, cinnamon and salt in large bowl.  Add oil, honey and vanilla.  Mix well.  Spread out in large shallow baking pan (I've used everything from cookie sheets to turkey roasters!).  Bake for 50-60 minutes, stirring every 12-15 minutes or so.  It will start out looking pale and soggy, but keep the faith.  As it bakes, it becomes golden and fragrant and a little stickier.  Meanwhile, wash out your large bowl and put in whatever combo of nuts and fruits that you like.  I usually include at least 1/2 c. sunflower seeds because of their protein, and another 1/2 c. of raisins, but the other cup is whatever I have on hand: usually peanuts and/or pecans.  At the end of the hour, or when brown to your liking, dump the oat mixture into the bowl with the nuts and fruit, and stir to combine.  Press the mixture down firmly into the bowl, cover with parchment paper and a clean dish towel, and leave it alone for an hour or so until cool.  When you come back to it, it will be in one big, cruncy piece.  Break it up and put it into a big jar or similar container with a tight fitting lid.  This makes enough for generous 1 c. servings for a week's worth of breakfast.  Good with milk, hot or cold, yogurt and fruit, or stirred into pancakes.  Eat this for breakfast and the rest of the day will look much better, even on Mondays!