COLUMN: Making your own granola is easy
I don’t know about you, but every night before I go to bed, I plan to wake up on time the next day, and every morning I still sleep in. It doesn’t seem to matter whether I have to be up at 6:30 or 9, I always snooze until the last possible minute and end up rushing out the door with no time for breakfast, especially if breakfast means anything more than a bowl of cold cereal. Which is pretty unfortunate when I think that I’m missing out on the chance to eat a nice, hot bowl of oatmeal.
Oats are famous for their ability to not only prevent high cholesterol but also decrease cholesterol levels, and that’s just the beginning of what they can do for you. They have tons of fiber, which helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and can make you feel fuller longer (which can help you lose weight). Also, the antioxidants they contain make them comparable to, and some people even argue better than, a lot of fruits and vegetables in keeping you healthy.
There are so many different ways to eat oats, so if the only way you’ve ever tried them is prepackaged and microwaved, you’re in for a treat if you try them any other way, including whole (groats), steel cut, old-fashioned or even as a flour added to oatmeal muffins and breads.
My favorite kind of oat is steel cut oats, which you can get in the bulk section of many grocery stores. They are cut by steel blades (hence the name) that leave them with a unique chewy texture and a tasty nutty flavor.
You can cook them the same way you cook old fashioned oats (2 1/2 cups water, 1 cup oats, pinch of salt, bring to a boil) but they do take a little bit longer. Believe me, it’s worth it.
If you’re like me with my lazy morning problem, you might not have time to make yourself a pot of oatmeal every day. Another good way to get your oats (and get your breakfast) is granola. Most granolas use old-fashioned (also known as rolled) oats as their base.
The pros to making your own granola are endless, but to name a few: it’s way tastier, significantly cheaper than buying it from the box and seriously better for you. Also, you can change it up and make it just how you like it and it’s easy to make. If you make a big batch Sunday night you’ll be set for a week of healthy, delicious and even portable breakfasts.
Granola:
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced or slivered almonds
3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, almonds, coconut and brown sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup or honey, vegetable oil and salt and whisk until combined. Drizzle the oil mixture over the oat mixture and use the wooden spoon or your hands to toss until the oat mixture is completely coated.
Spread the mixture onto two baking sheets and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring once every 15 minutes or so. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature before transferring to a large bowl. Store in a sealed plastic bag or an airtight container in the fridge and this granola will keep for weeks.
Once you have cooked the granola, you can mix in anything from raisins to dried cherries to chocolate candies. The sky’s the limit.
Also, you can play around with the recipe by using maple syrup, honey or a combination of both and by adding cinnamon, maple extract or even a couple tablespoons of peanut butter. You can also substitute some or all of the almonds for any other kind of nut you like.
I like to make parfaits, layering vanilla yogurt and thawed frozen raspberries and topping it with the granola. It’s so good I might even get out of bed on time tomorrow morning.
– jenn.wilson@aggiemail.usu.edu