Gratifying Granola
This granola is fabulous!
My son Matthew provided assistance in perfecting the recipe to incorporate many of the essential amino acids that our body needs to build protein, as referenced alongside the ingredients. My son Richard asks for a batch each time he embarks on his fishing excursions. As for my daughter, Jennifer, well she insists that this granola was the reason she won a jackpot at Chumash Casino. (I surprised her and her husband with a batch for their long car ride to the resort.) A point of contention between the three adult children (is that an oxymoron) is they all receive the same amount and sometimes I don’t even tell them that I’ve made a batch. Shhhh…. that’s our secret!
Just a bit of history…
According to Wikipedia, granola is a breakfast and snack food consisting of oats, nuts, and a sweetener, such as brown sugar, agave, or maple syrup, that is usually baked until it is crisp, toasted and golden brown. During the baking process, the mixture is stirred to maintain a loose breakfast cereal consistency. Dried fruit, such as raisins and dates, are sometimes added. Granola is often eaten in combination with yogurt or fresh fruit (such as bananas, strawberries, or blueberries).
Granola is often carried by people who are hiking, camping, or backpacking because it is nutritious, lightweight, calorie dense, and easy to store, properties that make it similar to trail mix and muesli.
You probably knew all of the above information, but did you know that the names Granule and Granola were registered trademarks in the late 19th century United States for foods consisting of whole grain products crumbled and then baked until crisp.
The food and name were revived in the 1960s, and fruits and nuts were added to make it a health food that was popular with the health and nature-oriented hippie movement, my generation. At the time, several people claimed to have re-invented granola. During Woodstock, a soon-to-be hippie icon known as Wavy Gravy popularized granola as a means of feeding large numbers of people during the festival. Who knew? Enjoy…
Ingredients
6 c. rolled oats (methionine/leucine) 2 c. shredded coconut (threonine)
1 c. slivered almonds (leucine) 1 c. unsalted sunflower seeds (tryptophan)
1 c. chopped walnuts (isoleucine) 1 c. coconut oil
1 c. pecans (isoleucine) 1/2 c. maple syrup
1/2 c. sesame seed (tryptophan) 1/2 c. agave nectar
1/3 c. chia seeds (isoleucine/lysine/histidine) 2 Tbsp. molasses
1/4 c. hemp seeds (threonine) 1 c. cranberries (valine)
1 tsp. sea salt 1 c. raisins (phenylalanine)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the first ten ingredients. Set aside. In a small pan over medium heat, combine the coconut oil, maple syrup, and agave. Warm through, stirring to blend. Let cool. Pour over dry ingredients and mix until evenly coated. Spread out in an even layer on 2 parchment lined cookie sheets. For a chunkier texture, eliminate the parchment paper and oil the bottom of two cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 25 minutes in a preheated oven, alternating trays halfway through. Immediately after granola comes out of the oven, stir in the raisins and cranberries. Let stand until cooled. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
Note: This recipe allows the baker to add an assortment of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. Make it your own! Enjoy…