June 12, 2013

Easy homemade granola

“Eat your breakfast alone, share your lunch with a friend, and give your dinner to your enemy.”  This old saying in Romanian culture still rings so true today.  In a nutshell, you have to eat a generous breakfast, a small lunch, and an even smaller dinner, or skip dinner entirely to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  So, we’re talking about breakfast again, a meal I was never fond of yet steadily grew to appreciate.  But, stay with me, it’s worth it!  Breakfast today includes a very easy and lip-smacking granola!       





I have to tell you that Romania doesn’t really do granola.  In fact, it’s only been a few years since we started incorporating cereal into our daily breakfast.  Traditionally, breakfast in Romania is substantial and comprised of bread; eggs turned into omelettes, scrambled, fried or hard-boiled; cheese, butter, cold cuts, fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, jams, coffee and tea.  Frequently and mostly in the countryside, Romanians still prepare with great pride the country’s national breakfast called mămăligă or polenta, a rich and filling cornmeal dish served with cheese.  These days, in our house this type of breakfast has evolved into a brunch, which we fully relish on the weekend.  On weekdays, though, this Easy Homemade Granola has breakfast written all over it!  





Truth be told, I used to purchase my fair share of sickly pale store-bought granola, but now the search has ceased.  I’ve found a recipe that makes me look forward to breakfast every morning.  It’s my go-to invigorating breakfast (and late night guilty sweet snack).  This granola has it all; it’s simple but rich in flavor, crisp and crunchy, nutty and nicely spiced, packed with the usual suspects – oats, nuts, seeds and sweet accompaniments – freckled with colorful chewy raisins and dried cranberries, and lacquered with a healthy dose of olive oil.  And that pinch of salt in a sea of crackly deliciousness binds everything together and nails the faint savory component.  All there’s left to do is sprinkle a couple of spoonfuls of granola over creamy plain yogurt, and toss in a few slices of apple or your favorite fruit while you’re at it, simply douse it in milk, or use it to make this bad boy.  Enjoy!    
    




Easy Homemade Granola
Adapted from Bon Appétit (February 2013)

Makes: 12+ servings

Ingredients:

·         1 large egg white, beaten
·         3 cups old-fashioned oats
·         ½ cup whole raw almonds
·         ½ cup whole raw cashews
·         ½ cup whole raw walnuts
·         1 ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut
·         ¼ cup agave nectar
·         ¼ cup maple syrup
·         ¼ cup olive oil
·         ¼ cup sesame seeds
·         2 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar
·         1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
·         ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
·         ½ cup golden raisins
·         ½ cup dried cranberries





Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Spread out the almonds, cashews and walnuts on a baking sheet and toast them for 10 minutes.  Take them out of the oven and let them cool completely.  Once cooled, chop the nuts and set them aside.  Lower the oven temperature to 300°F. 





In a large bowl, combine the egg white, old-fashioned oats, nuts, coconut shavings, agave nectar, maple syrup olive oil, sesame seeds, light brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon.  Toss well to combine.  Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake the granola, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden brown and dry, about 40-45 minutes.  Once out of the oven, mix in the golden raisins and dried cranberries.  Allow the granola to cool on the baking sheet (it will crisp as it cools).  





Do ahead:  The granola can be made 2 weeks ahead.  Store airtight at room temperature.

Note:  Feel free to tweak this recipe as you wish – you can swap honey for maple syrup and agave; you can play around with the dried fruit or add chocolate chips at the end if you wish.  There’s plenty of room for negotiation!





Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

33 comments:

  1. Arata foarte bine.Excelent Dana. Tata

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  2. It's like you knew I've had a craving for golden raisins and a recipe that uses them. Can't wait to make this to enjoy for a cool, no cook breakfast with some yogurt. Thank you! :)

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    1. Thank you, Katy! I love golden raisins, too, and they go so well in this granola :) I hope you enjoy it!

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    1. Thank you so much, Jenny! It's also really tasty :)

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  4. Este excelenta combinatia!
    Sanda F.

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  5. I love making granola, and my recipe features agave nectar, too! Super easy and such a big payoff.

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    1. Thank you so much, Ashley! Granola is always such a great treat especially in the morning :)

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  6. This granola looks so good!

    When I was visiting Mexico, I heard a very similar saying - "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen, dinner like a pauper." It makes so much sense!

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    1. Thank you, Alex! Wow, that's so funny. I'm not familiar with the Mexican saying but it sounds just like the Romanian saying :)

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  7. Granola is one of my favorite snacks...but I tend to eat it all in one sitting! Your recipe looks terrific...and perfectly irresistible!

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    1. Thanks so much, Liz! This granola is really delicious and unfortunately you could easily eat it all in one sitting :)

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  8. What an interesting saying about food-similar to the eat dinner like a pauper one but much more colourful! I'm not a huge breakfast eater-I usually just skip it but I'd love this for supper! :)

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    1. Thank you so much, Lorraine! I think that this granola would be just fine for supper, too :)

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  9. I don´t do breakfast, at least not at breakfast time, but I love granola in the middle of the day... Such a healthy and crunchy recipe! And I love your bowls too btw!

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    1. Thank you, Paula! Granola in the middle of the day makes for a great snack and I think you would love this granola :) Btw – the bowls are from Anthropologie. I'm always mesmerized by their home section!

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    1. Thanks so much! It is indeed really tasty :)

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  11. Totally irresistible recipe. This will make me not skip breakfast. Healthy and delicious food.

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    1. Thank you so much! You'll stop skipping breakfast after trying this granola recipe! :) Thank you for stopping by!

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  12. what a fantastic granola! such a delicious breakfast Dana!

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    1. Thank you so much, Jenn! This granola makes for a delicious breakfast every morning :)

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  13. Hi Dana! I'll try your easy homemade granola recipe this weekend :) My husband loves granola so I can't wait to try this version! Laura

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  14. This would even brighten up monday morning :D

    Cheers
    CCU

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    1. Thanks so much, Uru! This granola definitely brightens up my Monday morning :D

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  15. Hi Dana,

    I can totally relate to this Romanian saying. Breakfast means everything to me too. Your homemade granola looks great!

    Zoe

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    1. Thanks so much, Zoe! Thanks to this granola, breakfast has become important in my eating regime :)

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  16. My family loved your homemade granola recipe. It was so easy to make and absolutely delicious! Laura

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    1. Yaayyy! So happy to hear that your family loved this granola recipe! It's definitely easy to make and it's utterly delicious :)

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  17. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day :) Ever since I learned how to make my granola, I haven't bought any of the store brands! This looks great, and it's inspiring me to make my own batch again this weekend!

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    1. Thank you so much, Bianca! Totally agree – once you make your own granola you stop buying the store varieties. Homemade granola is so much better :)

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