Nuts about Granola

I have finally found it! The most simple, yummy granola recipe. I have searched, tried and tasted granola for years. Why you may ask - I am nuts about granola. I am very particular about my granola. I like it chewy not crunchy, with lots of different kinds of nuts. maybe a little dried fruit, but no raisins please(just a personal issue). I love to eat granola plain, or with yogurt and fruit. I love it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as a snack. You can also use it in other recipes such as pie crusts, breads, or cookie bars.
Do I need to tell you how good granola is for you and it tastes delicious a win/win situation. This granola is full of fiber, protein, manganese, vitamin E, B vitamins, potassium, and other minerals. Plus a whole lot more that I am not mentioning because I believe you get the point.

Start with the basics:
Preheat oven to 375*

2 C. rolled oats
2 C. spelt flakes
1/2 C. natural bran or bran flakes cereal
1/4 C. wheat germ
Lightly oil a cookie sheet and dump ingredients on it and mix together.



On another lightly oiled cookie sheet mix the following nuts
2/3 C chopped almonds
1/2 C sunflower seeds
3/4 C coconut flakes
1/2 C raw pumpkin seeds
1/3 C sesame seeds
1/3 C slightly ground flax seeds

Of course the best thing about this recipe is that you put in what you like - if you love pecans put them in, or if you do not like coconut leave it out. Go wild!
Next put both cookie sheets in your heated oven for 8 minutes.
Take out the nuts and seeds pan from the oven, stir the oats and leave it in for another 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the following ingredients.
1 C. Honey or agave nectar
2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 C. brown sugar
Heat until simmering - do not let it boil. Turn off heat and keep pan on burner to keep mixture warm.


When oats are browned, put all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and add any dried fruit you enjoy such as:
raisins
dried cranberries
dried pineapple
chopped dried apricots
etc...
Drizzle honey mixture over grains and nuts. Stir lightly to mix and let cool.



I looked up a couple of things before trying this recipe that you might find interesting.
Such as - what is Spelt?
Did you know it is one of the original natural grains known to man.
It contains more protein, good fats and crude fiber then wheat. It is hardier, very resistant to pest and diseases and therefore easier to cultivate. Who knew? Spelt may be tolerated by people with wheat allergies, but be careful try a small amount first to see how you tolerate it. I believe it has a slightly nutter taste then wheat, which I happen to like. You can use it instead of rolled oats in any recipe.
And have you ever heard of agave nectar? This is a recent find for me and I love it. It comes from the Agave plant ( cactus looking plant.) Look for it in a health food store. It is sweeter then honey, so don't use quite a full cup. The best reason to use it is that for a natural sweetener it has a very low glycemic index. I happen to like its taste and texture better.
I found this recipe in the Vegetarian Cook's Bible - then I tweaked it a little.
I am not an original cook by any means, I just happen to be good at following recipes.
Thank you Pat Crocker.
ENJOY FRIENDS!