Granola goodness, sans Birkenstocks
I know, liberals and granola go together like, soy and latte. But my supply of cold cereal is running low, I can't face another bowl of cooked oatmeal, and there's nothing like the smell of warm granola to make you glad you're a Birkenstock wearing liberal.
Why bother to make your own, when Wild Oats stocks a dozen different blends in the bulk section alone? Because you can. It takes 15 minutes to dig the ingredients out of the cupboard and toss them together, another five to clean up. In that time I'd barely have found my shoes, keys, and reusable bags.
(Of course, it's a moot point for me. Nothing even close to a Wild Oats or Whole Foods here, much less Vitamin Cottage. Yeah, I miss the States sometimes, usually when I'm in my kitchen looking for an ingredient like nutritional yeast.)
Here's how to feed your inner liberal:
Baked Granola
3 cups old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup sliced almonds or chopped pecans
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated margarine
6 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup dried fruit such as raisins, cherries, or cranberries
Preheat oven to 325° F.
In a large bowl stir together oats, almonds, coconut, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, and salt. In a small saucepan melt margarine with maple syrup, add vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over oat mixture and combine.
Spread granola evenly on two baking sheets (or one large one, if you're in the US and have a large oven). Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. Cool, and stir in dried fruits. (I forgot and added them earlier; they ended up a bit crunchy.) Granola may be kept in an airtight container up to two weeks, at room temperature.
Serve with fresh fruit, yogurt, or eat plain while on the trail marching for your favorite liberal cause.
Note on ingredients: I used Smart Balance margarine. (Earth Balance is nice too, if you have access to an American-style HFS.) You're on your own if you want to try butter. I used Quaker five-minute oats, and both almonds and pecans, because I can. I used both raisins and cranberries, again, add these AFTER you've baked the granola.
