Homemade Granola

Making homemade granola is so simple...why wouldn't you? Here is a basic recipe but feel free to add at the end any variation of dried fruits and toasted nuts.

Cranberry Almond Granola
yield 10 cups

4 cups rolled oats
2 cups unsweetened coconut
2 cups sliced almonds
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup vegetable or grape seed oil
2 cups dried cranberries ( any other toasted nuts or dried fruit or combination of)

Mix oats, coconut and almonds in a bowl. Toss with oil and honey and cinnamon. Spread out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Bake 30 mins until toasted stirring occasionally. Allow to cool. Scrape into a large bowl and break apart by hand. Add cranberries and any other dried fruits or nuts that you would like. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. I will post my favourite banana granola recipe for the occasion when it doesn't all get eaten in time!

Back to School Idea 2

The chocolate chip cookies (with chickpeas) were a huge after school hit yesterday. I felt great when she gobbled down four knowing that I had cut back the sugar and added the chickpeas...a sweet treat loaded with protein!! The trick this time was chopping up the chickpeas in the food processor first. The last time I made them I had kept them whole and she just picked them out!

A friend and avid foody, Lisa posted on facebook yesterday that she had made this vegan chocolate pudding with avocado that I just had to try. My daughter is the perfect tester for this as she has disliked avocado since she was a baby...could I fool her. I played with the recipe, brought it home and then offered her some for dessert. She ate half a bowl raving and then went and got some strawberries to dip in the second half.....and did not notice the avocado. The pudding is so creamy and delicious and takes all of about 3 minutes to make, no cooking or chilling required!!! However I will have to continue making this recipe at the kitchen and bringing it home...because is she found out there was avocado.... game over!!!

Chocolate (Avocado) Pudding

2 ripe avocados, peeled and seed removed
1/2 cup agave syrup ( or honey) or to taste but start here
2 tsp vanilla, mint or desired extract
5 tbsp good quality cocoa powder (fair trade if possible)

other options 1 tsp of cinnamon or cardamom

Place avocado in the food processor and mix until smooth. Add the rest of your ingredients and mix until incorporated. Thin with water if desired.

Serve as a pudding or with sliced fruits as a fondue!
Enjoy.

Back to School Ideas

It has been a crazy summer and a long time since I have updated my blog. I hope everyone had a fantastic summer. My daughter started grade 1 and of course this made me think about ideas for recess and after school snacks. Kids love cookies but do we really want to load them with just sugar?? Why not add a great protein that is nut free and school yard friendly.??? What I like to do when I make cookies is to line a large cookie tray with parchment, then scoop the cookies with an ice cream scoop, placing close together but not touching. Then you can put them in the freezer. Once frozen transfer to a Ziploc bag. Now you can bake the cookies as needed keeping them fresh and tasty. Just increase baking time by about 5 mins and lower temperature to 325'F when backing from frozen.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Chickpeas
makes about 2 dz cookies

3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed (can replace here with 1/2 cup agave syrup)
3/4 cup butter (or margarine if you prefer)
1 egg or 2 egg whites
2 tsp pure vanilla (always use the real stuff!!)
1 15oz can of chickpeas, drained, rinsed and finally chopped
2 cups semi or bitter sweet chocolate chips
2 cups flour(can substitute with spelt for wheat allergies)
1/2 cup oats (optional)or chopped nuts could be added here as well if desired
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt

Cream butter and sugar.
Add eggs, vanilla, chickpeas and chocolate chips
In a separate bowl sift flour, baking soda and salt.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture, mixing until just combined.
Scoop on parchment lined cookie sheet
Bake at 350'F for 10-12 mins
Allow to cool and enjoy!