Affectionately, satirically, inextricably, granola and Moosewood have become metaphors for a culture, a lifestyle, even a worldview. Whatever comes to mind, we are celebrating granola’s enduring popularity and whole-grain goodness.
For a number of years, Moosewood Collective member Tony Del Plato and his partner Gina Nigro have run a bed and breakfast in their beautiful old farmhouse in Interlaken, New York. Tony creates bountiful breakfasts for their guests, often starting with a lovely parfait of granola, yogurt, and fruit. The guests at A Stone’s Throw come from all over the world, and only a few of them are aging hippies … but who doesn’t like granola?
These granolas are gluten-free if you use gluten-free grains, and vegan if you replace the honey with maple syrup or agave syrup.
Yields 4 cups
Prep time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 25 to 30 minutes
2 cups rolled oats
⅓ cup raw sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon unhulled sesame seeds*
¼ cup smooth peanut butter, at room temperature
¼ cup honey or agave or pure maple syrup
¼ cup vegetable oil (sunflower, grapeseed, or olive oil, or other)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt, coarse if you have it
1 cup dried cherries, raisins, currants, or apples, chopped if you like
1 cup chopped roasted salted peanuts
*Unhulled sesame seeds, also called whole sesame seeds, are tan-colored and a significantly better source of iron and calcium than white, or hulled, sesame seeds. Hulled sesame seeds are fine in this recipe, too.
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
In a bowl, combine the oats, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds. In a separate bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, honey, oil, vanilla, and salt. With a rubber spatula, scrape the peanut butter mixture into the oats bowl. Toss until everything is evenly coated. The mixture will be thick.
Spread out the mixture evenly on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the grains are golden brown. The granola may be soft at the end of 30 minutes, but it will crisp up as it cools. Remove from the oven, sprinkle on the dried fruit and roasted peanuts, stir again, and set aside to cool. Store in an airtight container.
Yields 4 cups
Prep time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup puffed whole grain, such as rice, millet, or kamut
1 cup rolled grain, such as barley, spelt, rye, kamut, or wheat
½ cup chopped almonds
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
¼ cup vegetable oil (sunflower, grapeseed, or olive oil, or other)
½ cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
In a bowl, combine the oats, puffed grain, rolled grain, almonds, and sunflower seeds. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, maple syrup, almond and vanilla extracts, cinnamon, and salt. Pour the liquid mixture over the grains, nuts, and seeds. Use a rubber spatula to combine and evenly coat the grain mixture.
Spread the granola evenly over the surface of a large, un-oiled, shallow-sided baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes for even baking. When golden, but not browned, remove from the oven. Once cool, store in an airtight container.
Layer granola with yogurt and fresh berries or sliced peaches in parfait glasses. Or just plop some granola into a cereal bowl with some milk or fruit juice for a quick, nutritious breakfast. Out for a hike, keep a baggie of granola in your pocket to nibble on like gorp.