christmas crunch granola.

6 c. rolled oats
1 c. raw sunflower seeds
1 c. raw pumpkin seeds
1 c. raw almonds, coarsely chopped
1 c. unsweetened coconut
1/4 c. ground flax
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. canola oil
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. pure maple syrup
1 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. unsalted pistachios, shelled + chopped



Preheat oven to 350*.

Mix oats, seeds, almonds, coconut, flax, cinnamon & salt together in a large bowl.

In a saucepan over medium heat, heat oil with brown sugar and maple syrup. Stir to combine, pour over oat mixture, and mix thoroughly. Toast for 20-30 minutes, tossing gently every 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Add cranberries and pistachios. Store in an airtight container.

I made the recipe 3x. I saved a little for myself, of course, to enjoy for our simple Christmas morning meal. It is wonderful accompanied with plain Greek yogurt and a juicy Harry & David pear.

from: Nutrition Nut on the Run
I made 1/3 of the recipe, which made 10 servings (40 grams), each being 211 calories.

Quinoa Granola

½ tablespoon olive oil
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and allowed to dry slightly
1 cup almonds, chopped
2 T Chia Seeds
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp Pure Himalayan Salt
1/2 cup Organic Coconut Palm Sugar
1 T Organic Maple Syrup
1/2 cup applesauce
¼ cup water
1 T vanilla extract
1/2 cup Dried Cranberries or cherries


Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat olive oil over medium heat. 

Add quinoa and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often to avoid burning. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl immediately. 

Add oats, almonds, and chia seeds to the bowl. Stir in cinnamon and sea salt.

In a saucepan combine coconut palm sugar, maple syrup, applesauce and water. Bring to simmer over medium and cook until sugar is melted. Stir in vanilla. The liquid mixture may seem too thin to you. Don’t worry about it – it will absorb into the quinoa mixture.

Pour mixture over quinoa oat mixture and stir until well mixed. 

Place mixture in a single layer a cookie sheet and bake for 30 – 40 minutes, stirring and rotating positions of pan in the oven half way through. 

Watch it closely for the last 10 minutes – you don’t want it to get to brown but if you don’t allow it to cook long enough it will be slightly moist. 

Allow to cool completely before stirring.

Remove from pan and place in a large bowl. Toss with cranberries and serve or store in a sealed container.



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Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
               Cooking time: 40 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 8
                Serving Size: 94 g
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Calories: 274
Fat: 10.7
Protein: 8.7
Carbohydrates: 38.2
Fiber: 6.9

Get the delicious original recipe here

Roasted Coconut Cereal Recipe (vegan)

4 cups of gluten-free rolled oats (I used Bob Red Mill's)
3 cups of unsweetened puffed millet cereal (I used Arrowhead's)
1 cup of raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup of raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup of organic raisins
1/2 cup of organic coconut oil
1/3 cup of coconut palm sugar (you could use a liquid sweetener if you prefer)
1 cup of coconut milk beverage (I used So Delicious)
20-25 drops of pure vanilla stevia liquid (I used NuNatural's)
1/2 ts. to 1 ts. of ground cinnamon
optional: dash of sea salt

In a large mixing bowl mix together the oats, millet and seeds and raisins. 

Then mix the stevia into the milk. 

And melt the coconut oil with the sugar for about 30-40 seconds. 

Then mix the milk and oil mixtures into the dry mix and mix everything else in and well together. 

Make sure to get all the dry covered with the wet ingredients and then let soak for a few minutes so the oats can soak up the milk mixture. 

Pour out the cereal on a baking sheet covered with parchment. You will need either one large sheet (15x20ish) or two (9x13) pans. 

Bake at 350 for between 45 minutes and 1 hour, pull from the oven every 15 minutes to stir the cereal around to mix the crispy with the soft. 

After 3 or 4 times of pulling from the oven to mix you will notice that the cereal is roasted enough and golden brown. 

Pull from oven and let cool for 1-2 hours before packaging up. Keep fresh in mason jars or ziplock bags. 

This cereal makes around 12 cups of cereal. (I fill up 3 mason jars and keep them ready for use.)

Get the original recipe and more Gluten Free Hope here

Whole Lotta Grains Cereal

Yields 13 cups cooked cereal

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c old-fashioned rolled oats- not quick cooking

1 c quick-cooking barley

1 c quick-cooking brown rice

1 c triticale flakes

1/2 c chopped pitted dates

1/2 c dried unsweetened cranberries

1/2 c chopped dried apricots

1/2 c slivered almonds- toasted

1 T ground cinnamon

Pinch nutmeg

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients and place in an airtight container.

This mix can be store for several weeks.

2. Cook 1/2 c cereal with 1 c of water. [You may have to add a bit more water if your porridge is too stiff.]

3. Once the whole grains are soft, remove the porridge from the heat source and serve.

4. Top with fresh berries or unsweetened applesauce.Makes: 13 c cooked cereal

Nutritional Information (1 cup cooked cereal)

242 Calories

3g Fat

7g Protein

7.5g Fiber

10mg Sodium

Source: Tosca Reno's "The Eat-Clean Diet for Family & Kids"

Dutch Muesli

Yields 12 cups, 1-cup per serving

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup barley flakes (any multi-grain flake or oats works)

2 cups large flake rolled oats, not quick or instant

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup oat bran

3 cups boiling water

1/4 cup raw unsalted almonds, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup large raisins

1/2 cup chopped, pitted dates

Juice of one fresh orange (grate/zest rind and reserve)

1/4 cup agave nectar or honey

1 cup plain, nonfat yogurt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 large crisp apple, unpeeled, grated

DIRECTIONS

1. Place barley, oatmeal, flax seed, wheat germ, and oat bran in a medium- sized glass bowl. Mix well to combine.

2. Pour boiling water over all and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, in another glass bowl, measure remaining ingredients. Mix well to combine.

4. Add wet grains to fruit mixture and mix well. Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight. Muesli keeps well for about 4 days (if it lasts that long!).

5. Eat with 4-5 egg whites or stir in 1 scoop vanilla protein powder for a complete meal!

NOTES: Experiment with other (unsweetened) dried fruit such as cherries, cranberries, figs and other nuts such as walnuts, pumpkin, or sunflower seeds!

Source: Tosca Reno's Eating Clean Diet Book for Family & Kids

"...the wet version of museli, which is made with yogurt. The mixture is soaked overnight, allowing the whole grains and dried fruits to plump up nicely by morning. The dry version of museli is called granola."

Nutrition Information (1-cup serving size):

Calories 253

Fat 3g, Saturated Fat 0.6g

Protein 9g

Carbs 47g

Dietary Fiber 7g

Sodium 22mg

***

Dutch Muesli II

This homemade cereal is full of nutrients without a lot of sugar.

In a medium bowl combine:

1/2 cup of barley flakes

1/4 cup of coarsely ground flax seed

1/4 cup of wheat germ

1/4 cup of oat bran.

Next, pour 3 cups of boiling water overnight or until all the water is absorbed.

In another bowl mix together 2 cups of rolled oats, do not use the quick or instant oats for this recipe.
Add:

1/4 cup of unsalted, raw almonds that are coarsely chopped

1/4 cup of raisins

1/2 cup chopped and pitted dates juice of one orange

1/4 cup of honey or agave nectar

1/2 tsp. of ground cinnamon

one large grated apple.

Once the water is adsorbed in the first bowl, combine both bowls and will keep in the refrigerator for four days.

Source: http://www.livestrong.com/article/284357-clean-eating-menu-ideas/#ixzz1rqMzMfnA

How to make Chunky Granola

(1) How To Make Better Granola, 5 Tips & Tricks

(2) How To Make Chunky Granola Clusters

I have been making granola nearly every week, since my husband loves it and it makes great gifts for friends and family. But I've been slightly perplexed, until now, as to how to get the granola to clump up. I love chunky, clumpy sheets of granola that hold together until you chop them up. I finally found two significant elements, however, that will help you get deliciously clustered granola!

What You Need

Ingredients
1 batch homemade granola, not yet baked
1 egg white

Equipment
Large baking pan, lined with baking parchment
Small bowl or ramekin
Whisk

Instructions

1. Mix your batch of granola. (We really like this recipe!)

2. Whisk an egg white in a small cup until it is frothy and foamy.

3. Stir the egg white into the granola. Spread the granola out in an even layer on your prepared baking sheet, and bake the granola according to the instructions in your recipe.

4. Take the granola out of the oven and let it cool COMPLETELY, preferably overnight, uncovered. When it cools completely it will be clumpy. If you pour it off the baking sheet while still hot it will break up into loose granola and not get the chance to clump up.

5. When the granola is completely cool, break up into clumpy chunks, and transfer to an airtight container for storage.

Additional Notes:

• The granola in the photos is from Melissa Clark's recipe for Olive Oil Granola.

SOURCE OF THIS ARTICLE: the kitchn

***

For every 6 cups or so of oat mix, whisk together 1/4 cup of canola or olive oil, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup honey in a small bowl.

Toss this syrup together with the oat mix, spread it out on a sheet pan, and bake at 300° for 45-60 minutes, until the mix is crispy.

Stir occasionally, but delicately - you don't want to break up the granola too much, after all!

We've also noticed that clumpier granola seems to have a higher percentage of oats to other ingredients. Oats stick to each other much easier and more firmly than they do with other, heavier ingredients. If it seems like your mix doesn't have a lot of oats, try adding another cup or two of rolled oats before cooking.

SOURCE: How Can I Create Clusters In My Granola?

***

Yield: about 8 cups

1 lb. (450g) quick oats*
3 cups (750ml/about 300g) coarsely chopped raw nuts and/or seeds (I usually use a mixture of almonds, hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds, but use whatever tickles your fancy)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground mace (or nutmeg)
1 cup, packed (200g) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (115g/1 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup (80ml) water
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
dried fruit, at your discretion

*if you're not familiar with the difference between quick and regular (also called 'old fashioned') rolled oats, take a look at the pictures here

Preheat the oven to 300F/150C. In a food processor, coffee grinder or blender, grindhalf the oats to a fine powder. In a large bowl, combine the whole oats, ground oats, nuts, seeds and spices. In a microwave-safe bowl (or in a saucepan over medium heat), combine the brown sugar, butter and water and heat just until the butter has melted and the mixture is bubbly. Stir the mixture together until smooth, then stir in the salt and vanilla. Pour this mixture over the oats and nuts, stirring well to coat (I usually do this with my hands). It should be uniformly moist - stir in another tablespoon or two of water if it isn't. Let stand for about ten minutes.

Spread the mixture out on a large baking sheet, separating it into irregular clumps with your fingers, and allowing space between the clumps for the hot air to circulate. Slide into the middle of the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and stir, gently breaking up the mixture into small-to-medium sized clumps. Return to the oven and bake another 15 minutes or so before stirring again. Repeat the bake-and-stir until the mixture is a uniform golden brown and completely dry; this usually takes 1-1 1/2 hours. Cool completely, then stir in any dried fruit you want to use.

Store in a covered container at room temperature. Serve with milk or plain yogurt and fresh fruit as desired.

SOURCE: http://www.travelerslunchbox.com/journal/2007/6/9/the-lip-ladys-secret-granola.html