Grain-Free Granola
In honor of our recent blog post on seed-saving, we bring you our deliciously crunchy and perfectly sweet recipe:
GRAIN FREE GRANOLA:
Preheat oven to 325F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup of each walnuts, pumpkin seeds & shredded coconut; 1/4 cup of each sesame seeds & chia seeds; and 2 tablespoons of fenugreek seed*
Optionally, add or replace any of these ingredients with some of your favorite nuts & seeds (hemp, sunflower, pecans, etc.)
Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, a few dashes of turmeric, and a pinch of cayenne pepper for a metabolism & flavor boost
Stir the mixture so that ingredients are combined evenly and drizzle 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil** and 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup (omit for sugar-free recipe) to coat evenly and stir again.
As an alternative to oil & maple syrup, soak and blend 4-5 pitted dates then stir into the nuts & seeds mixture
Bake at 325F for 10-15 minutes, stirring every 3-5 minutes (stay nearby, it can burn quickly!)
Enjoy atop chia seed pudding, coconut yogurt, in cereal, as a strudel muffin topping, or just as-is!
*Fenugreek seed can be too crunchy for those with sensitive teeth. Pre-soak the seed to aid in chewing. Fenugreek can aid in hormone regulation, blood sugar regulation, cholesterol reduction, and remedy digestive issues! **Heard about the war on coconut oil? Saturated fat should be consumed in moderation, this is true, but your genetics make the decision in the end whether your body can or cannot tolerate high levels of fat in the diet (about 30% of the population cannot without increased weight gain or fatty liver... but again, that is on a very high fat diet). Yet, you might be part of the 70% who can, and whole fat-rich foods like nuts & seeds work for you in abundance (and your brain and hair and skin)! Additionally, fats are not simply saturated or unsaturated. There are many levels of saturation (and coconut oil is barely saturated... just look inside the jar when it is above 75 degrees in your house to see it in liquid form). Coconut oil also contains multi-chain triglycerides which are easier to digest than long-chain triglycerides and can have heart-health, obesity-reduction and brain-health benefits too! Be wise to also consider who tooted the alarm and why (hint: they encourage sugar-rich refined carbohydrate cereals as a part of a healthy breakfast). Nutritionist rant over (at least on your screen).