Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Granola

So I didn't drink the last beer. It will probably remain in the fridge for the whole month next to the can of Sofia that has been there since election day and the Coke Zero from my in-laws visit in March. We will look at it every day, comforted by it's presence, secure in the knowledge that there is a beer to be drank if you really want it.

But I did make granola so we can have it for breakfast. We have various breakfast cereals and some Quaker Oatmeal on-the-go pastry that have been grandfathered in, but I think something home made for the inaugural meal is important. I also love this granola. This is the third time I have made it, so I did not have to make multiple trips to the store in a panic, and it didn't take me three hours. Also, I have significantly adapted the recipe from the original one I found on Epicurious, and I now feel that it is my own.

Some Assembly Required Granola Cereal

3/4 cup pecans
1/2 cup almonds
4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 wheat germ
1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter
1/3 cup honey
1/4 tsp fine salt
2 egg whites
1 cup chopped dried white peaches
1/2 cup golden raisins

Preheat the overn to 375ºF. Line a large shallow baking dish with foil. Spread the pecans and almonds on the sheet and roast for 8-10 minutes, until lightly toasted. Transfer the nuts to a cutting board. Let cool, then chop and set aside.

Reduce the oven temperture to 300ºF. Pour the oats and the wheat germ in a mound on the baking sheet. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over the stove, or in a bowl in the microwave. Stir in the honey, salt and egg whites. Drizzle over the top of the oats, stirring to mix it in as you go with a rubber spatula. Then spread the oats out in an even layer.

Bake the oats for about 30 minutes, stirring once with the spatula halfway through, until the oats are lightly colored. Let cool. The mixture will crisp as it cools. Add the fruit and nuts and toss.

***Notes***
You can use any combination of dried fruit and nuts that you have or like. I love the flavor the peaches give it, especially when eaten with milk. I made this once with peanuts, and that wasn't really a good choice. But another time I used walnuts instead of almonds and that was delicious. Instead of honey you can also use maple syrup or cane syrup. I never have good luck getting the granola to cluster, but I don't really care. I use it mostly as a cereal, so the looseness is fine with me.

Notes on the ingredients and their origins
Pecans - Trader Joes - these were salted, so I guess that is contraband, but I bought them before the deadline. I'm pretty sure they sell unsalted versions
Almonds - These came from backstage at the Flogging Molly show at the Greek Theatre... that is another story, but they were raw and unsalted, and I didn't buy them so that's good all around.
Oats - Trader Joes. Organic Whole Grain Rolled Oats
Wheat Germ - I think I got this at Vons or Pavillions, it was a while ago.
Butter - Organic unsalted butter from Trader Joes. Sweet Cream is the only ingredient.
Honey - 100% local organic honey from Tierra Miguel Farm. I get a CSA box from there. They are wonderful.
Salt - table salt. I have had it for years.
Eggs - I get these from Gammil Farms, which is a lady who keeps chickens in her backyard in Altadena, which is about 9 miles from me. They are free-range and vegetarian fed.
Dried Peaches - Trader Joes. They contain sulfur dioxide. Is that an ingredient? or part of the process of drying fruit? I will have to figure that out.
Golden Raisins - Trader Joes. Same question.

I now have an hour and thirty-two minutes to buy multi-ingredient foods. I'm not worried about my resolve. I'm just going to go to bed.

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