Raw, Grain Free Granola

I am riding an inspiration train of making my own food lately. What if I could make/grow/forage most things rather than the grocery store? Sometimes I take this to more extreme imaginings than others, but right now I am experimenting with direct farm purchased raw milk to make yogurt, and raw cream for my morning tea. Next up will be to try making butter, and then cheese from raw goat milk. 

Raw milk has lots of great benefits, and in MN the only legal way to purchase it is direct from the farm, in my case Humble Beginnings Family Farm. They are lovely - I held a baby goat that snuggled into my arms, met the baby turkeys and ducks, and 2 of the 7 human kids, both of whom were so great, and one who is also a redhead. :)

I also got some raw yogurt from the farm so that I have a culture to make more with (it is delicious). All to say, I am about to be flush in some yogurt, so I decided to make some granola (which is um, decidedly not local and requires the import purchasing of nuts, but I'm moving in stages here). Because it is hot, I decided to make it in the dehydrator, which then meant I might as well soak them first and get all the benefits of such a thing. Maybe I will feel totally amazing after some weeks of raw cultured dairy products and nuts free of phytic acid and increased nutrient availability? We will see!

I used these guidelines for nut and seed soaking, basically you soak in water and salt overnight, and then dehydrate at a low temp for 12 hours. 

I then riffed on this recipe for my granola, which turned out great. I used very little sweetener, so it is minimally sweet except for whatever dried fruit you add. Dehydrating the granola means it is less toasted, but still crispy, with all of the enzymes and nutrients intact.

• 1 c sesame seeds
• 1 c pumpkin seeds
• 1 c walnuts
• 1 c almonds
• 1 1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut 
• 2 T maple syrup (or more if you want a sweet taste)
  
• 1/3 c coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
• splash of vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 c craisins or other dried fruit (opt)

1. Mix the nuts and seeds together. I opted to chop the walnuts and almonds up a bit (I just did it by hand), you could leave them whole or pulse them and the seeds in a food processor for a more crumbly granola.
2. Stir in the maple syrup, coconut oil, salt, cinnamon and vanilla until everything is coated.
3. Spread on dehydrator sheets (I used those tray sheets so as to not lose any bits through the mesh) and dehydrate at 115 degrees for 10-12 hours, until crunchy.
4. Mix in craisins (or dried fruit) if using. Keeps in the fridge for up to 6 weeks, or you can freeze. (Or keep in a cool dry place, likely for a month? Maybe more?)
   

Paleo Granola

Peaches, granola, and coconut milk!

This summer brought my first attempt at paleo granola - I just love fresh berries or fruit with granola on top, and I hadn't had anything like in a couple of years. So when I got a bounty of juneberries from my neighbor's tree this year (she went out of town right at peak juneberry time), it inspired some granola making. I tried a few recipes, including one from the 21 Day Sugar Detox lady that was sweetened only with a not-yet-ripe banana. I liked that one, but found I preferred a moderately (as in not-very-sweet) honey-sweetened version better. The "banola" recipe was also a little chewy, and I wanted crunchier granola.

The basic concept of paleo granola is pretty simple: combine nuts, seeds, coconut flakes, some fat and sweetener and bake. Some folks use an egg or egg white to help with the crunch, and I preferred that in my two comparison recipes. The one with egg white was a little drier and more crisp in the end product, but also a little bit less clumpy. The nuts are also interchangable for whatever you have handy.

Paleo Granola
1 c. almonds
1 c. cashews
1 c. pecans
1 c. unsweetened coconut flakes
1 c. pepitas
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1 egg white
1 T water
1/4 - 1/3 c. honey*
1/4 c. coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon (opt)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 c. raisins or dried fruit

*I use 1/4 c plus 6 drops stevia

1. Put nuts and coconut flakes in food processor and pulse/process until chopped up so there are still some good size pieces - some of it will be pretty chopped, just stop before the whole thing turns to a nut flour consistency.
2. Empty nuts and coconut into large bowl, and add pepitas and sunflower seeds.
3. In smaller bowl, whisk egg white and water. Add honey/stevia, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. I needed to heat my honey/coconut oil so they would be liquid.
4. Stir wet ingredients into nut and seed mix and coat. It will look fairly wet and be a bit clumpy.
5. Spread granola onto a cookie sheet or baking pan. Bake at 300 degrees for about 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Take the granola out when the mix is nicely browned. Add your raisins and and let sit for another 15-20 minutes to cool and harden.
6. Spoon into a bowl, top with some fruit and/or coconut milk, and eat! This stores well in a sealed jar (wait til it's all the way cooled first). I had no problem storing it for a couple of weeks, and it could likely go longer.

This is the 21DSD "banola" for comparison: more clumpy, less crisp. Still delicious though.