Put the Lime in the Coconut Granola

On one of our recent regular Saturday morning walks to downtown we decided to go into a few stores that we don't normally go in but I often comment that we should.    I think the Galena Garlic Company has been in town for three years so it was about time I darkened their door.  We received a nice tour of the store and taste tested a few oils, vinegars and seasonings but didn't buy anything since my plan did not include carrying bottles of oil for two miles back home.  We did return later in the day and after I was offered a taste of the coconut balsamic oil and the lime olive oil mixed together I decided it tasted like summer and I needed to get it.  I made a good basic oil and vinegar salad dressing for a lettuce and avocado tossed salad that night but wondered what else I could do with it.  I needed a granola jar refill but didn't really think there would be a recipe using the oil and vinegar!  I was pretty surprised that there was a recipe and I was even more surprised I even thought of looking for one. The same basic recipe showed up on a variety of olive oil websites which makes me wonder, are all these oils exactly the same and sold under different names?  Probably. This is a great granola recipe if you are looking for one without refined sugar.  I really liked this recipe so next time I am trying it with raspberry balsamic vinegar and walnut oil. Granola really is my addiction...

Ingredients:

• 4 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup dried cranberries, cherries or blueberries(I think dried tropical fruit would be good in this recipe)
• 1 cup sliced almonds(I think cashews would be good)
• 1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut(I used sweetened :)
• 1/2 cup  Lime Olive Oil
• 2/3 cup Coconut White Balsamic, gently reduced by half and cooled or 1/3 cup honey
• How to reduce balsamic vinegar

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.  In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil and balsamic reduction or honey until thoroughly combined.  In a large bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients except the cranberries.  Pour the olive oil balsamic mixture over the oats and mix very well until all the oats and dry ingredients are completely coated with the mixture.  Spread the granola out on to a baking sheet covered in parchment and bake for approximately 1 hour until golden brown and fragrant, stirring every 15 minutes.  Cool completely and then mix in the dried cranberries.  Store in a sealed container for up to one month.

Adapted from Oliana Oil recipe for Cranberry, Coconut, Cashew Granola with Lime Oil and Coconut

Beth's Best Granola

A friend has been requesting my tried and true granola recipe for about three months so I am finally getting around to fulfilling her request.  She has been using my Beth's Burnt Granola recipe with success and she says she has given a lot of it away to other people.  She is a wonderful homemade baked goods gift giver!  I was the recipient of her wonderful homemade biscotti and breads lovingly given as 'Front Door Deliveries' for many months during my recovery process last year.  If my memory serves me correctly I told her after one such delivery that I was pretty sure I loved her biscotti more than the Good Husband!  I need to tackle making biscotti again.  I made it once but it was not as good as hers.  Back to granola...  The burned granola recipe is actually good as long as you check on it while it is baking in the oven!  I was just mad I burned it so have not used it again. Using the following recipe all the time doesn't really get boring because I always change up the kind of nuts and fruit.  The batch shown has the mixed blueberries and cherries.  You can use golden raisins, dried cranberries, dates, or tropical fruits.  I tend to sprinkle in chia seeds and wheat bran because I always have it on hand.  I use almonds, walnuts, pecans and occasionally sunflower seeds.  I often forget the cinnamon but I think the Good Husband likes it better when I remember it.  I usually eat granola for breakfast but I think I might make this sometime with cashews and chocolate chips for a snacking granola.  That one wouldn't even last the whole week.

 

Next granola posting is a little different from the ordinary but I loved it......stay tuned!  "Put the lime in the coconut..."  

 

 

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup rough chopped walnuts 
• 3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon(optional)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Combine the oats, nuts, coconut, brown sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 parchment covered cookie sheets with rims. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve a nice toasty color.
Remove from oven and transfer back into your large bowl. Add raisins and mix.

Mine never lasts for more than a week but I think it would stay fresh for longer than that.