The Brown Bag Lunch #4: Granola for Chris

My friend Chris recently asked me if making granola was hard. I told her no, and to prove it, I’m posting a recipe here for her to try.

But first, let me ask you all this: have you ever looked at the nutritional label on a box of standard granola? Loaded with fat and sugar, right? No wonder you feel like a lead weight after eating a bowl of it. I make mine a bit different. While most recipes I’ve seen call for butter and brown sugar, I use olive oil and honey. The key to these two ingredients is quality. You don’t want to use a bitter or rancid tasting olive oil. Most standard supermarket brands are, in my opinion, inadvisable, but maybe you have one that you can recommend to me. Personally, I buy my olive oil from Trader Joes. I like their Extra Virgin Kalamata, as well as the Extra Virgin Santini’s. Both have a very clean, fresh flavor. I’m not an expert on olive oil by any means, but I do know that it’s heart healthy, and extra virgin is the best. Extra virgin is like the green tea of olive oil, which means that it undergoes very little processing. Also, you used to always hear that Italian olive oil was the way to go. That’s not so true now. Many fine olive oils are being produced all over the world, including Spain, Greece, and California. Don’t rule them out.

Now, for a short bit about honey. More and more, honey is being touted for its health benefits. Again, I like to use my ingredients in their purest form, which in this case is raw honey. I’m not sure if you can buy raw honey at your supermarket, but a health food store or a farmer’s market might carry it. If not, and you don’t know of a specialty store, or a beekeeper in your area, the usual pasteurized will do.

So, what about those health benefits? Honey is loaded with antioxidants. What does that mean? Antioxidants protect your cells from damage by free radicals. Free radicals are created when molecules split—during normal metabolic processes, or precipitated from environmental pollutants–leaving an unpaired electron. That odd electron goes searching for another electron to gain stability. This process leads to cell damage, which plays a role in diseases like cancer, and aging. Antioxidants lend those free radials an electron, so they don’t steal one from elsewhere in your body. I’m not a doctor, so don’t quote me on that, but that’s my understanding anyway. Pretty cool, huh? In this capacity, honey has been shown to possess cancer-preventing and anti-tumor properties.

Honey has also been shown to lower cholesterol, help in the absorption of calcium, and nourish the skin and hair. And that’s just to get started. But this is becoming long, so if you’re interested, I encourage you to do some research on your own.

I’ve read that honey is sweeter than sugar, and to use less, about half, what you would sugar. I find this untrue. To me, honey tastes less sweet than sugar, which is part of what I like about it. Or maybe it’s just a different sweetness? In any event, I substitute straight across–one for one. But, obviously, do what you like.

And now for that recipe!

Dried Fruit and Almond Granola

Ingredients:
3 cups old-fashioned oats
½ cup sliced raw almonds
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup dried apricots, diced
1/3 cup honey
¼ cup olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Mix first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Toss well.

3. In a small saucepan, warm olive oil and honey until liquid. Pour over ingredients in bowl, and toss to coat.

4. Spread mixture on a cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Add dried fruit to mixture on cookie sheet, mix well, then bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown. Watch carefully and stir often during this last process.

6. Remove from oven. Let cool thoroughly. Store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

My husband takes this in his lunch every day and puts it in his yogurt. You could, of course, eat it as cereal, or straight out of the container. Another idea? Try it on salads! It adds a nice crunch and a slight sweetness. Experiment with different fruit and nut combinations, too. Option: dried blueberries, cherries and cashews.

Now tell me, how easy is that?