Tag

granola

Breakfast Low-Carb Quick and Easy Snacks

Easy Low Carb Granola

written by Ali

This post is sponsored by Steviva. All opinions are mine alone.

This easy low carb granola is going to be your go-to breakfast recipe for 2019. If you are following a keto diet, you’ll definitely want to check this out. I partnered with Steviva for this recipe, using both their Ketose Sweet Liquid and Ketose Sweet Clean Natural Sweetener. This lends just the right amount of sweetness to my easy low carb granola.

With just seven ingredients, this easy low carb granola can be made in under half an hour. I love adding it to my unsweetened Greek yogurt for breakfast. The combination of nuts is a great pick me up right after a workout and on my way out the door in the morning.

I’m not exactly setting New Year’s resolutions this year. I do, however, have a couple of goals for my health. One is to be fit enough to finish a very hilly marathon course here in my beach town. I have months to train, but also recognize that there needs to be a lot of healthy eating going on to get me to my goal. Easy low carb granola is one recipe I’ll be making quite a bit this year.

I’ve really enjoyed using Steviva products. If you are looking for ways to incorporate natural sweeteners into your recipes, check out Steviva’s website. You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Yum

Easy Low Carb Granola

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons KetoseSweet+ Liquid
1 teaspoon KetoseSweet+ Clean Natural Sweetener
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Spread the granola out on the parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Serves 8. Enjoy!

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by Yummly Rich Recipes

https://fixmealittlelunch.com/easy-low-carb-granola/

December 29, 2018 0 comment

Breakfast Quick and Easy

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola

written by Ali

I recently got involved with the Recipe Swap Club on Facebook. This is a great group of food bloggers that are assigned another blogger’s blog each month and we get to re-create a recipe from the other blog and post about it. This month, I was assigned Sarah from Cook at Home. Sarah has great gluten and mostly dairy-free recipes, and I can’t wait to cook more from her blog.

The other great part of the group is that we are encouraged to get to know more about our fellow food bloggers. Sarah and I exchanged an email interview, which I’ve included below:

Where do you live? And does it influence your cooking?

Currently I live in Salt Lake City, but grew up in Australia and also lived in Chile for two years. It definitely influences what I make – sometimes I get nostalgic for Australian stuff (like lamingtons) so I’ll have a go at making them. Other times, I’ll see something at a local restaurant and try to make it at home.

How long have you been blogging and what inspired you to start?

When I discovered I was gluten intolerant in 2014 and started making stuff that I could eat without getting sick, we often had people ask me for the recipe. Instead of just giving out recipes all the time, I put all of them on a website and directed people there. And it’s grown from there. And now that I have found I’m lactose intolerant as well as have issues with a number of other foods, I’m focusing more on the Paleo style cooking and baking, just because my stomach appreciates those foods more.

What do you do outside of cooking/blogging?

I work full-time in the mining industry. But being in the kitchen is my happy place – it’s where I relax. I also try to make exercise a priority – and my husband and I often go for walks around the block to have quality time together.

What are your favorite foods to cook? What inspires your recipes?

I am a baker at heart (my internal cookie monster is often being suppressed!), but I’m getting more interested in curries and casseroles these days. I love getting inspiration from other food bloggers and my brain often comes up with some weird and wonderful ingredient combinations! Often when I have a pile of leftover ingredients in the fridge or the cupboard, I try to incorporate as much of them as possible. And I’m going through a phase of making over a lot of my sweet recipes into more of a grain-free, refined sugar-free focus.

Who is your favorite celebrity chef?

Jamie Oliver. He just seems to be a pretty cool chef to hang out with and learn lots from!

What is your favorite recipe on your blog?

For savory it would be peanut satay chicken. Sweets – chocolate crackle cookies, or monster cookies. Or my ‘best ever’ chocolate peanut butter cream pie.

I have to say that I can’t wait to try out the peanut satay chicken and the chocolate peanut butter cream pie recipe is going on my must make holiday recipe list. In the meantime, one of the recipes that caught my attention from Sarah’s blog is her chocolate peanut butter granola. I love granola – it’s something I can’t live without in the mornings with my yogurt. Sarah’s chocolate peanut butter granola is so yummy! I did adapt it just a touch – leaving out the walnuts, as hubby is allergic and sometimes munches on granola, too. I added in several cups of oats. I also cooked it in my slow-granola way with a lower temperature and longer baking time. Old habits are hard to break. This chocolate peanut butter granola has totally made my week better.

Do take a look at Sarah’s blog – she posted a great version of my twice baked samosa style potatoes. And here’s a link to her Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola.

Yum

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tbs vanilla extract
1/2 cup flax seeds
1 cup cranberries
1 cup shredded coconut

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Spread the granola mixture onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Let cool and then break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.
Enjoy!
Recipe is adapted from Cook at Home

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by Yummly Rich Recipes

https://fixmealittlelunch.com/chocolate-peanut-butter-granola/

September 20, 2017 10 comments

Breakfast Quick and Easy Snacks

Tropical Granola with Apricots and Ginger

written by Ali

I made tropical granola today, because it rained all day today, and I’ve been having dreams of traveling to the tropics. Instead, I have two full weeks of travel on my schedule – with one trip to the Midwest and one to the South and both because I’m presenting at conferences in my field. I’ve been absent from the blog because of this (follow me on Instagram to see photos of my travels and, more importantly, my food on my travels). I’ll be posting a foodie travel update in a couple of weeks to share and review some of the restaurants I’ve been to and the food I’ve eaten.

In the meantime, I have a few days between trips and decided to make some granola, which makes a great travel snack. I used a combination of almonds, coconut, dried apricots, and chocolate covered ginger to spice things up. It’s also a quick recipe to make – thirty-five minutes from start to finish.

Tropical Granola
Serves 10

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup whole almonds
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup chopped candied ginger (chocolate covered ginger is optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the oats, almonds, coconut flakes, olive oil, honey, and maple syrup in a medium sized bowl. Make sure the oats are fully covered with the oil, honey, and syrup. Pour the oat mixture onto a parchment covered baking sheet and spread so that it covers the sheet. Bake for 10 minutes and stir. Bake another 10 minutes and stir again. Bake for a final 10 minutes and then set the granola aside to cool. Add the apricots and ginger when the granola is cool to the touch. Store in an airtight container.

October 10, 2016 0 comment

Breakfast

Almond and Mixed Berry Granola

written by Ali

I’ve gotten into a rhythm finally of making granola every other week now that we’ve moved into our new place. I’m always trying new combinations, though now that Clay also eats granola with his yogurt, I’m a little limited on my options for nuts, as he’s allergic to walnuts, pecans, and a few others. Almonds are a safe bet, so I’ll likely be posting more recipes that include these. I’m finding that I especially like slivered almonds or chopped almonds in my granola as these cuts of almonds get golden brown and crispy (in a good way).

I’m also always on the lookout for interesting variations of dried fruit and tend to find the most interesting at one of our local discount grocery chains here in the PNW – Grocery Outlet. In addition to having a great wine selection, they tend to carry some interesting organics. The mixed dried berries I used in this granola are from Patience Fruit & Co and included dried cranberries, wild blueberries, goldenberries and tart cherries.

They add a nice chewy element to the granola and don’t compete too much with fresh berries, since we are in the midst of berry season already.

Almond and Mixed Berry Granola
Serves 8-10

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
½ cup olive oil
½ cup honey
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup dried mixed berries

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the oats, olive oil, honey and chopped almonds. Spread on the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cook for 10 minutes at a time for a total of 30 minutes. Stir between each 10 minute interval.

Let cool and then add the dried mixed berries. Store in an airtight container.

June 9, 2016 0 comment

Breakfast

Dried Blueberry Granola

written by Ali

Who knew that making granola could make a person so happy? I’ve been about two months now without making my own granola for breakfast. We broke down and bought granola when we first moved. We tried to stick to the all-natural and (theoretically) healthier granolas, but the taste just wasn’t right to me. I’m not sure, especially in the last batch we bought, if there were actually oats in the granola, which leads me to wonder if no oats, then what was it exactly? I cook because I don’t like having to wonder what’s in my food, so having the time to prepare my own granola again this weekend was wonderful.

I stuck to a simple combination of oats, nuts, dried fruit, honey and olive oil. The one thing I did a little differently this time was to drizzle a little additional honey over the mixture before it went in the oven, which I think led to an additional crispiness. It’s strawberry season in the PNW, so it made my Monday morning to have yogurt, strawberries and granola. I meant to take a picture of this, but I’m just barely functional before coffee and completely forgot to.

Dried Blueberry Granola
Serves 10

4 cups oats
1/3 cup honey + 1 tablespoon to drizzle
1/3 cup olive oil or other oil
¼ cup dried coconut flakes
1 cup cashew pieces
½ cup dried blueberries

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine the oats, 1/3 cup honey, oil, nuts and coconut flakes. Spread the oat mixture on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Drizzle with the remaining honey. Bake in ten minute increments for thirty minutes. Let cool and then stir in dried blueberries.

April 13, 2016 0 comment

Breakfast

Tropical Granola

written by Ali

It is that time of year when the daffodils start blooming in the PNW, which also means it’s the time of year when even I, a devout rain worshiper, starts to long for sunshine. I went out for a run this morning and got soaked. Fortunately, I had this granola on hand to add to my yogurt when I got back, and as I ate my yogurt after drying off, I longed for sunny shores.

Clay and I did the obligatory Dole Plantation tour in Oahu a number of years ago. Every time I have dried pineapple, I’m transported back to that place in time with very lush gardens and pineapples everywhere. I also used coconut sugar in this recipe: last time we were in Portland at Fubonn, I picked up coconut sugar for Pad Thai. The sugar came in hard, compacted blocks, and after doing a bit of research, I found that the best way to use this sugar is to actually grate it. The scant tablespoon of grated coconut sugar in this granola lends a nutty, coconut undertone.

Tropical Granola (AKA I Can’t Wait For Spring Granola)
Serves 10

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup cashew pieces
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup agave syrup
¼ cup honey
1 tablespoon coconut sugar (optional)
½ cup dried pineapple
½ cup dried Bing cherries

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine the oats, cashews, olive oil, agave syrup, honey, and coconut sugar in a bowl. Spread the granola mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 10-minute intervals for a total of 30 minutes. Stir between each interval.

Remove the granola from the oven and let cool. Add the dried pineapple and dried cherries to the granola once cool.

Store in an airtight container.

February 24, 2016 0 comment

Breakfast Holiday Recipes

Valentine’s Day Granola

written by Ali

I feel a bit like Valentine’s Day the past few years has not treated me kindly. Several years ago, Clay asked me what I wanted for Valentine’s Day and I told him I wanted to go to my favorite winery here in the PNW, Brandborg Winery, to taste wine and to have lunch at Tomaselli’s, both of which are in the tiny town of Elkton in Southern Oregon. That year, I caught a cold right before Valentine’s Day and there was no hope of me tasting anything. Last year, I had to go to Baltimore for a work conference right around Valentine’s Day, which resulted in a harrowing plane ride and taxi ride to get to my conference hotel in the middle of one of the many nasty snowstorms the East coast has had these past few years. This year, I don’t trust my back to make the nearly ninety minute round-trip drive it takes to get to Elkton and back.

I’ll console myself with a Valentine’s Day breakfast of Greek yogurt and this granola. As you can tell, I’m a fan of any granola that includes dark chocolate as one of the ingredients. I also picked up a bottle of agave syrup in the organic aisle at one of our markets this past weekend. I think I like the combination of agave and honey – it doesn’t make the granola overly sweet. And this may be a bit of an obvious hack, but if you pour the olive oil first and then use the same measuring cup to measure out the honey and agave, both pour out very, very easily.

Valentine’s Day Granola
Serves 10

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup dried quinoa
1 cup pecan pieces
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ cup agave syrup
¼ cup honey
½ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
½ cup dried Bing cherries

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine the oats, dried quinoa, pecans, olive oil, agave syrup, and honey in a bowl. Spread the granola mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 10-minute intervals for a total of 30 minutes. Stir between each interval.

Remove the granola from the oven and let cool. I sprinkle the chocolate chips and dried cherries over the granola as soon as it’s removed from the oven. However, if you prefer that your chocolate doesn’t melt, wait until the granola is fully cooled to add the chocolate and dried cherries.

Store in an airtight container.

February 11, 2016 1 comment

Breakfast

Mulberry, Pecan, and Dark Chocolate Granola

written by Ali

I’ve posted before that we have some quirky markets here in my part of the PNW. One of my favorites is a regional chain called Grocery Outlet, largely because it has, hands down, the best selection of wine in our town. It also has a fascinating organic aisle – the selection changes from week to week and you never know what you might find, including the dried mulberries I used in this week’s granola.

I grew up with only one association with mulberries – a childhood song that starts “all around the mulberry bush…” and ends with “pop goes the weasel”. I also distinctly remember a jack in the box toy that played this as I wound it up and then terrified me when it popped open. I didn’t have a clue what a mulberry bush was until I moved to New Mexico, where there was a mulberry bush across the street overhanging the parking lot of the local bank. I’d go out late at night and gather mulberries. I believe that, technically, these mulberries were fair game, since they did overhang the sidewalk and the road, but I enjoy clandestine foraging. I’d eat handfuls of the mulberries for lunch and even went so far to make a pavlova with mulberries one time

When we moved to the PNW, no more mulberries. I have encountered them once at the farmers market, so I’m sure they grow here, but I also think they may have a reputation as an invasive species (or at least they did in New Mexico).

Imagine my surprise (and delight) to find dried mulberries at Grocery Outlet. They taste a little like a raisin with a bit more of a seeded crunch. They are sweet, so a lovely counter to pecans and dark chocolate. I don’t recall seeing these at other groceries, but they are available via Amazon.

Dried Mulberries, Pecan, Dark Chocolate Granola
Serves 10 – 12

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
½ cup honey
1/3 cup olive oil
¾ cup pecans, broken into pieces
¾ cup dried mulberries
½ cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the oats, honey, olive oil, and pecans. Spread the mixture on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Add the dried mulberries and the chocolate chips after taking the granola out of the oven. The chocolate chips will melt a bit – this is the way I prefer them in my granola. You can wait to add them until the granola is fully cool.

Cool and then store in an airtight container.

January 27, 2016 0 comment