Ginger Please (Ginger Granola Recipe)

virginia 911

God, food, family, and travel.  Those are the things I want in life.  The things that I am passionate about and love dearly.  They are why I do what I do.  But lately I have all these feelings and thoughts swirling around inside me and I cannot seem to get my hold on them.  If what I am doing is the best.  If I should be doing something else.  If it is time for something new.  Or for something old.  I tend to question those things.  Constantly.  Mornings like this morning rock me.  To stir those doubts and cause me to look back and look forward and to feel unsettled.

But those questions won’t be answered today.  Today I will focus on sharing my latest granola recipe (and latest addiction).  Pretty much you can expect to find a steady supply of this in my house.  I go through phases but right now I am not even tempted to make any other granola.

Hands down, ginger. Every time.  Everything and anything with ginger.  Like the ginger sausage at Austin’s Elizabeth Street Cafe or the Pimms Cup at Holland House in Nashville.  So, when we were in England and I had ginger granola for the very first time, I could not contain myself.  All I wanted was to go home to my kitchen and whip up my own version.  And that is exactly what I did.  Ginger Coconut Granola to be exact.

virginia 896

 

Ginger Coconut Granola: 

Ingredients:

  • 3 cup oats
  • 1 1/2 cup shaved coconut, unsweetened
  • 1 cup buckwheat
  • 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 cup fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 Tbs pumpkin seeds
  • 2 Tbs chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup succanat
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, plus extra for baking sheet
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 Tbs whole milk

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly oil rimmed baking sheet with extra coconut oil.  Combine oats, coconut, buckwheat, pecans, ginger, ground ginger, pumpkin seeds, chia seed, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.   Set aside.  In a small saucepan over low heat, whisk together honey, oil, milk, and vanilla until mixture is completely melted and combined.  Pour over oat mixture and coat well.   Spread out on baking sheet.  Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring often.  Let cool on baking sheet on wire rack for 1 ½ hours undisturbed.  Break up and store.  (I like to keep it in the freezer.)  Makes a little over 4 cups.

 

Want other granola recipes?  Check out the previous one here.

 

Advertisement

Best thing in the world…at this moment

The best thing in the world….well, maybe not quite.  I tend to be over exaggerative with the things I love.  I have a lot of “favorite” things based on a surge of emotion at a specific moment.  For anyone who has seen “Larkrise to Candleford” I am a bit like Ms. Lane.  Her “one weakness” tends to be like what I love most.  I have a lot of things I love “most”.

This morning I fell in love with overnight oatmeal.  I LOVE it!  Not that it is a new concept, as I make it on a regular basis, but I was just hit with how it really was the best thing in the world at that moment.  It is so easy to make…nothing more than measuring and mixing…but the best part, besides how good it tastes, is how amazingly wonderful it is to be able to pull it out of the fridge in the morning and just add some fresh organic berries to it.

Here is my go to recipe.  I use crystalized ginger, unsweetened coconut, and pecans and omit the black pepper and maple syrup.  As for the milk, I just use whatever happens to be in the fridge…cow, soy, or any other non-diary milk.  That is the beauty of this recipe…you can really put in anything you like.

923w