As I start preparation for a yoga retreat my first recipe to bake off is this delicious granola. Everyone loves it!
It’s crunchy and not too sweet like many packaged or other home-made granola’s. It keeps for weeks and is a perfect breakfast staple. Sprinkle it over yoghurt or snack on it with fruit – Autumn offers us local pomegranate, toad skin melon, citrus fruits, figs and grapes, or stew up some apples or pears for a warm breakfast.
This is protein rich from almonds and walnuts, oat based (gluten-free if you prefer), plenty of crunchy seeds and flavours of bananas, tahini (sesame) and maple syrup.
Ingredients:
3 cups oats, gluten free
1 cup blanched almonds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
½ cup raw walnuts
⅓ cup flaxseeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 bananas, very spotted and ripe
3 tablespoons of maple or agave syrup
2 tablespoons of tahini paste
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Method:
Preheat oven to 175C
Mix all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl
Combine bananas, maple syrup, coconut oil, and tahini into a food processor – whizz
Take the banana mixture and pour into bowl with the dry ingredients
Stir until everything is well coated and spread evenly over baking sheet lined with baking paper (or that is well-greased)
Bake for 10 minutes and stir very well (if you don’t you’ll have large clusters)
Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown
Let it cool completely
Store the granola in an air-tight container at room temperature
Enjoy. It will keep for weeks!
Nutrient Information:
Bananas: Rich in tryptophan,an amino acid that converts to serotonin in the brain regulating sleep patterns. High in Potassium, that helps buffer the effect of salt in the body, giving good sodium-potassium balance,regulating blood pressure.
Tahini: Sesame seed paste is rich in calcium for bone health and nails strength. Protein and B vitamins. Vitamin E for skin health and reducing aging in the cells.
Almonds: Reduce LDL cholesterol levels. Protects the LDL from oxidation (preventing heart disease). Rich in magnesium that reduces blood pressure, supports bone health, assists in blood sugar control, relaxes muscles. Boost metabolism, can be effective in weight loss, reduces hunger. Rich in protein & essential fats, antioxidant Vitamin E protecting cell membranes. The almond skin is antioxidant rich.
Cinnamon: Rich in antioxidants, helps balance blood sugar, supporting diabetes. Immune booster. Relieves bad breath, anti-fungal used for candida, anti-microbial. The bark and oil is anti-inflammatory.