Coconut Granola

The changes in my diet, like the changes in my body when I lost my plethora of poundage, were slight rather than drastic. But slight change after slight change later, my eating habits between now and 5 years ago are night and day. The biggest thing of course is that I eat virtually no “processed foods”. (I put it in quotes because I know some people get picky over what denotes processing. But I think we all know what I mean.) Know what happens to your body when you stop eating stabilizers, emulsifiers, and preservatives? Fantastic things. You start feeling better because everything in your body starts working better. I’ve always thought of it almost like getting off drugs. Err, not like I’ve ever been on drugs. But basically I weaned my body off of what now feels like substances that were noxious to my inner-workings.

It too started small. I gave up mayonnaise and ice cream to save on calories. I gave up boxed cake and brownie mixes when I started baking from scratch. And I gave up packaged condiments like bbq sauce when I discovered I could make my own (with whiskey!). After a few months of clean living I could never go back. Not because my domestic goddesshood was the ultimate road to enlightenment (well that too), but because my body went on strike whenever I would try to eat the foods I had since cut out. The worst culprit, and thus my favorite example, is mayonnaise. REAL mayo is awesome. Like a whole other substance. It’s a shame Best Foods gets away with calling the slop in their jars, mayonnaise. Store-bought mayo, the stuff that can sit on a shelf for months on end and never grow green chest hair, makes me feel sick. Like it wants to come back up, sick. As if my body is saying “What IS this deluge of non-food substance we have had the misfortune to experience?! Get it out!” It’s so consistent, in fact, that I am now the fake-aioli detector at restaurants. I can tell when a place boasting “roasted red pepper aioli” is really blending together eggs, garlic, and oil with roasted red peppers into creamy deliciousness, or simply opening their Costco-sized jar of white goop and mixing in some jarred red peppers. Unfortunately, I can only tell after I’ve eaten it. And it always involves me wishing I hadn’t.

Some people say, “Well I don’t want to have that kind of reaction to food, so I’ll just keep on eating my processed foods.” And I always say, what you put in your mouth is your business. But personally I’ve never regretted leaving processed foods behind. I like that my digestive system is now so used to real food that it protests the fake. I like knowing that I’m eating real food, all the way down to the condiment. But I was a hold-out on some things. Mostly, my breakfast habit of a bowl of Kashi Go-Lean Crunch cereal (honey almond flax flavor, thankyouverymuch). I thought I was starting my day off right, a great whole grain post-workout nutrient mix of protein, carbs, and fiber. Only I would often get a small upset feeling in my stomach after I finished breakfast, even though I didn’t think I had overeaten.

Then I found an article online. Now, I have searched high and low for this article again. Never found it. But that’s ok. I’m not so much interested in discussing the information in the article, just how it got me thinking. It had said that the way food manufacturers processes grains to “puff” them - which is what they do in all those “healthy” cereals so they taste airy and crunchy, rather than soft and chewy like boiled grains - actually releases or involves some kind of compound that is actually toxic to the body. So the food I ate for breakfast every day was toxic. Perhaps that’s why I was having trouble digesting it. I’m not saying if you eat puffed grain cereals you are poisoning yourself. After all, it was information I got online, from one source, and I couldn’t even find it again. I’m saying that information got me to re-examine my breakfast routine, which gave rise to a new breakfast routine.

GRANOLA!

I wanted something as fast and easy as cereal, and something with a good amount of carbohydrates for recovery after my morning workout, and protein and fiber to keep me full until lunch. And granola fit the bill. I started off by playing around with the ratio of ingredients on Nutrition Data and adjusting the quantity when the sugar was too high or the fiber too low. Then I experimented with batch after batch, tweaking ingredients (soaking/par-boiling and baking barley was a total disaster, coconut flakes were a huge win) and altering cooking temperatures until I finally had the recipe I wanted to use over and over again. And I have been! For several months now. I actually didn’t even think to share the recipe until I started seeing granola recipes popping up left and right. Some even used ingredients eerily similar to mine! That’s the great thing about granola - there are infinite variations to make it your own. This is just the one I prefer.

And for the record, I haven’t gotten a stomach ache after breakfast since I stopped eating the Kashi.

The granola starts out as most do, with oats and nuts. I prefer almonds. The sesame seeds might sound a bit odd, but I love the flavor they add. They are an underrated food in my opinion. I tried to keep the added sugar low, but some is necessary to keep the granola crispy and clumpy, as good granola should be. I decided orange juice was a good way to coat the mixture and add a touch of sweetness without going overboard. It helps that I seem to always have a plethora of oranges from my CSA to use. Definitely don’t leave out the salt, though you can reduce it if you like. Since all the nuts and seeds are unsalted, it’s really needed to make it palatable. Plus electrolytes in the morning is a good thing, right? It might seem strange to use egg whites in granola, but this was a bit of a revelation for me. I could get the right consistency of the granola without adding more sugar than I wanted to. The egg whites were a great help with this, and with a bit more protein as a bonus. I tried this recipe both with coconut oil and olive oil. Both were tasty, but with subtle differences in flavor. Since they are equally healthy in my book, I say use whichever you prefer. I tend to stick with coconut oil. The recipe is so variable, in fact, that I went ahead and made some suggestions at the bottom of the recipe. Followed by the nutritional information. You’re welcome.

One thing to note about this granola is to watch your portion size. It’s much higher in nuts and seeds than regular cereal, and a little nuts and seeds go a long way. If you just dump a bunch in a bowl and fill it up, you’ll be downing quite a few calories needlessly. The fiber and protein in just a small amount will keep you satisfied for longer than you might think. 

 I absolutely love this granola, it has really helped me build a breakfast routine that works for me. And it comes together so fast that I can pop a batch in the oven before dinner on a weeknight.  But it actually plays only half the role in my breakfast. A third of a cup of nuts and oats in a bowl is rather a sad sight, dontcha think? So I’ll go ahead and get super personal and share my full breakfast routine with you. Don’t judge me. Unless you think I’m awesome - then judge away. Loudly.

First off, I always top my morning granola with a scoop of ground flax seeds. Why not just put flax seeds in the granola? Well I’ve read that the body doesn’t break them down so well and whole seeds tend to, well, go right through. Again, not sure if it’s true, but I actually like the flavor and consistency it gives the milk, so I just go with it. Then I slice up a banana. Yes, I’m one of those people who has to eat a banana every morning. I heart them. I get it from my dad, apparently. My mom is decidedly not a fan. Because people who aren’t fans of bananas always seem to be rather decided about it. Have you noticed? When the whole family gets together she is called upon to buy gobs of bananas, since the siblings, spouses, and offspring in my family are all avid banana eaters. Poor woman. And because I’m a fruit pig I like to ensure a bit of variety in my diet, I usually add half (or thereabouts) of another fruit - whatever is in season; apples and pears in winter, mangoes and strawberries in spring, stone fruit in late summer. As much as I love to bake with fruit, usually what I bring home ends up breakfast. I top it off with a healthy splash of 2% milk (I’ve been toying with the idea of switching to whole milk, but I'm still unconvinced), add a cup of coffee on the side, and that’s my post-workout breakfast!

So tell me, what’s your breakfast routine? Spill it! Are you one of those evil people who cooks bacon in the morning, making the neighborhood smell heavenly, and at the same time torturous to those out running, smelling your bacon smells without getting to eat your bacon eats?

Granola

Makes 27 (1/3 cup) servings

5 cups old fashioned oats
½ cup wheat germ
½ cup raw pepitas
⅓ cup roasted & unsalted sunflower seeds
⅓ cup raw sesame seeds
1 cup raw sliced almonds
½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes, crushed
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt
⅓ cup melted coconut oil (or olive oil)
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 TB molasses
3 TB maple syrup
2 egg whites

1. Preheat your oven to 275 degrees.
2. In a very large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (the oats through the salt). In a small bowl combine all the wet ingredients (the coconut oil through the egg whites). Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until everything is well coated.
3. Spread the mixture onto a half sheet pan or two smaller pans lined with foil. Bake for 75-90 minutes total. Remove the pan from the oven after 30 minutes, and using a spatula, flip the granola so it bakes evenly, trying to disturb the clumping as little as possible. Check it again after another 30 minutes and flip again. The granola is done when the oats have turned a golden brown and you are hypnotised by the lovely smell. (Note: If you don’t have 75 minutes and want to speed it up, go ahead and bake it at a higher temp for less time. I wouldn’t go over 350 degrees, and I would check it every 15-20 minutes.)
4. Cool the granola completely then move it to the container of your choice. I use a gallon ziplock bag, but I’m on the lookout for a greener option. It keeps just fine in an airtight container for a few weeks (mine has never lasted more than 2 - as in, I finish it).

Alternative ideas:
Play with the nuts and seeds. Try adding chopped walnuts or cashews; flax, hemp, or chia seeds.
Play with the fat. I tried olive oil and it was delicious. Butter or another oil that can withstand the moderate oven temperature would also work.
Play with the sugar. Try honey, coconut sugar, or brown sugar. Mango nectar would be tasty, I think.
I always eat fresh fruit with my granola, but you could also toss the baked and cooled granola with all sorts of dried fruits like blueberries, cherries, golden raisins, and chopped dates.
If the egg whites skeeve you out but you don’t want to sacrifice the clumps, add more sugar.

Nutrition Information:
1 serving (1/3 cup) 

171 cal
9 fat
4 sat fat
78 mg sodium
17g carbs
3g fiber
4g sugar
6g protein

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Soup

A moment to sit in quiet contemplation and reflection.  What a concept.  Feels like it's been, oh, a month since I've last had the pleasure.  And what do you know?  It's been about that long since my last post.  Spring always seems to be a busy time.  With sunshine and flowers comes holidays, weddings, festivals, parties, and every other fun thing that is supposed to get us through the winter.  Of course, having the means once again to participate the these festivities helps immensely.  I finally found employment, you see.  Ah, the relief of a steady paycheck again.  It took lots of sorting out, getting back into the swing of things.  Not that the work hours was an adjustment,  job hunting was pretty much a full-time gig.  Rather, my life was put on hold for almost a year.  I didn't realize how much until I was employed again.  I can now attend family functions and spring festivals.  I can go to the mall when my belt is hanging together by a thread, or I need shoes fit for a nice evening out.  I can have nice evenings out!  Free time didn't come from my lack of 9 to 5 commitment so much as my self-imposed house arrest weekend after weekend, because let's face it, being social costs money!  I've been reconnecting with some good people who were very over due for some Julie time, getting the household in order, and mostly just running around like a crazy person.  Trying to fit a square day into a round schedule.  Oh, the joys of rejoining society!  For reals, it's great to have my life back.  Unfortunately, things aren't yet sorted enough that I can promise a weekly blog update like I've so enjoyed in the past.  But I'm still in the kitchen, cooking and baking away.  Still writing down my recipes, celebrating my successes and failures.   

This recipe is from a few weeks ago, when the weather was darn right cold and a thick, creamy soup with big bold flavors was needed for comfort.  But of course you know I don't do real big creamy soups.  That's why this soup is so great - it's thick and silky, but still light.  It has a rich, sweet flavor, but you won't feel gross after eating it.  That's just how I roll.  Plus, wait till you get a load of the twist!

This soup is all about the garlic.  6 heads, in fact.  Roasted until they are all mild sweetness, their spicy pungency a victim of the wondrous sugar caramelization process.  It started off a typical Julie soup.  I threw in the usual aromatics, herbs, and spices.  I used cauliflower to lend a sweet and slightly vege-floral flavor (yaknowadimean?) and silky texture.  And of course what's soup without wine and stock?  But I wasn't quite satisfied.   As I said, I was craving comfort - that stick to your ribs kind of soup - but I didn't want it to actually stick to my ribs.  Substance, I craved.  I rummaged in the pantry and pulled out some cashews.  Then I threw them in the food processor...and turned it on.  After making enough racket to send my dog fleeing from the room, the nuts finally resigned to their fate and melted to my will...for nut butter.  Cashew nut butter.  I stirred it into the soup, and all was right in the world.  There was substance, there was sweetness, and there was oh so much lovely roasted garlic.

Husband is really not a soup person.  Especially pureed soups.  Give him a bowl of stew or chili and he's happy, but puree up some vegetables and he doesn't exactly shoot off fireworks.  But he loved this soup.  He ate bowls and bowls of it until it was all gone and we were both sad.  I should make it again.  Or at least go eat dinner.  But I'll be back, hopefully very soon!


In the mood for a more seasonally-appropriate soup?  You can re-acquaint yourself with my very first post.  Mushrooms and asparagus, such a magical combination.

 Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Soup

1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
6 heads garlic, roasted
1 medium onion, chopped
2 shallots, chopped (~1/4 cup)
4-5 stalks celery, chopped (~1 cup)
1 TB olive oil
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp celery salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup whole cashews
5-6 cups chicken stock
fresh chives, chopped finely, for garnish

1. Chop the top off each head of garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap them in foil and roast in a 400 degree oven for about an hour, or until softened. Let cool.
2. In a food processor, grind the cashews until a uniformly-pureed cashew butter forms. It will take a few minutes. Set aside.
3. In a dutch oven over medium heat, saute the onion, shallots, and celery in the olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the black pepper, thyme, celery salt, and cayenne pepper, and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
4. Add the wine to deglaze the pan, scrapping up any browned bits. Simmer the mixture for a few minutes, until the wine has reduced by about half. Add the cashew butter and stir until it is incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Add the chicken stock and cauliflower, bring the mixture back to a simmer and cook at a gentle simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and soft.
5. Remove the soup from the heat and add the roasted garlic, squeezing out each clove like a tube of toothpaste. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. Garnish with the chives.

Edit for SoupaPalooza 2012: Come join SoupaPalooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by KitchenAid, Red Star Yeast and Le Creuset