Last summer when Jessie first began working on the Food for Thought team she introduced us to her granola recipe, since then it's been a morning staple for all of us. We are so excited to share this recipe and her story. When Jessie isn't writing up our Food for Thought articles she is running around soho, where she will soon be contributing to the food scene with a meatball restaurant on Greek Street, due to open this summer! For updates on the restaurant and to follow Jessie's story check out her instagram here!
Jessie’s Granola
The below recipe has been adapted from Sarah Wilson’s brilliant Coco-Nutty Granola. Her approach to breakfast has changed the way I start my day and I now couldn’t think of a better way than this. It keeps you happily full for hours, the cinnamon helps stabilize your blood sugar and it is very easy to transport to work, on a plane etc.
The wonderful thing about this recipe is that it is all about how you like it. Nearly everything is optional in this; you can chop the nuts smaller if you like a delicate crunch; throw in every nut and seed under the sun, or only use a couple; triple the amount of coconut flakes; try a different spice; or don’t include the oats; it’s entirely your creation. If you’re a bit unsure, a good place to start is using equal quantities of nuts and oats.
Ingredients:
3-5 tbs coconut oil (depending on how much you make, it does spread further than you think but you can always add more)
2-3 cups jumbo oats
2-3 cups roughly chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pistachios etc., the list is endless! Change it up based on what you’ve got to hand and what flavour you’re going for.)
1/2 cup seeds (a nice combination: chia, sunflower, pumpkin and flax)
1-2 cups coconut flakes (much more fun than desiccated coconut, flakes brown beautifully in the oven)
3 tspns cinnamon (add in a touch of allspice or ground ginger for a different kick)
1-2 tbspns ground flaxseed (can easily be left out, but it does go crunchy during cooking!)
How to:
Preheat the oven to 140°C (285°F) and line a baking tray with grease-proof baking paper.
In a large pot or saucepan melt the coconut oil over a low-medium heat. This only takes a minute or two. Take it off the heat once melted.
Toss in all the ingredients and with a wooden spoon until it’s evenly distributed through the mix.
Spread evenly onto the baking tray and pop in the oven.
Bake for 10-15 minutes before pulling it out and turning the mixture over with your spoon.
Pop it back in for another 10-15 minutes.
Keep an eye on it during this last half. Coconut flakes brown fast so you may think it’s done but check the oats before you make that decision. Leave it in a little longer if you like it brown and crunchy.
Remove from the oven and leave it to cool completely to maintain that crisp texture.
Store in a sealed glass container once completely cooled.
Serve:
With your preferred milk, natural yoghurt and/or fruit.
Try the soft sweetness of stewed fruit against the nutty crunch.
Or you can eat it straight - it’s rather addictive!
Note:
Sarah advocates for activating your nuts and I wholeheartedly agree. The process increases those nutrients available and makes the nuts easier to digest. Below is the simple process.
Rinse your nuts before covering and soaking them in salted water overnight. The following day dehydrate them in the oven at about 45°C (113°F or with the pilot light on for gas ovens) to keep them raw, for 12-24 hours. The timing depends on how many you soaked, but do turn them and keep an eye out. Store in sealed glass containers for up to 4 months, or they also freeze brilliantly.