Mixed Grain Granola
With my due date 2 weeks away, I've been busy in the kitchen creating meals and snacks that can be frozen and easily accessed once the baby arrives. That's just the control freak in me coming out. Sometimes I'm grateful for her!
Right now my freezer is filled with homemade marinara sauce, frozen soups (like this Veggie Corn Chowder), cooked beans, chopped fruit, homemade nut milks, and lots of different kind of snack balls.
Yesterday I added some granola to the compilation of freezer treats. Granola is one of my all-time favorite snack foods. Unfortunately, a lot of store-bought granola is loaded with sugar and refined oils. Luckily, it's SO easy to make your own at home. Usually I use rolled oats when making granola, but since they've been giving me wicked heartburn lately, I branched out to other grains. So glad I did, because this mixture was delicious!
I used UNCOOKED grains for this recipe. I know it seems weird, but they will cook in the oven. Also, feel free to use whatever nuts and seeds you have on hand. This blend was tasty, but you can certainly get creative based on what you have on hand. Keep in mind: use raw nuts and seeds, not roasted or salted.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup uncooked buckwheat groats
1/3 cup uncooked quinoa
1/3 cup uncooked millet
2/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup local honey (mine was from Coombs Farm in Fremont, NH!)
2 T chia seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup raisins or dried cranberries (or a combo of the two)
INSTRUCTIONS
Rinse grains (buckwheat, quinoa, millet) well and drain through a fine mesh strainer. No need to dry the grains. Add to a large mixing bowl. Add in the next 4 ingredients (sunflower seeds through almonds) in a large bowl.
Melt coconut oil by placing jar in a small saucepan with a few inches of water set over medium-low heat. Once melted, stir with honey in a small bowl until combined. Pour wet ingredients over grain mixture and toss to coat. Stir in chia seeds, coconut, salt, and cinnamon.
Spread in a single layer over a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 250 degrees for 60 minutes, stirring halfway through cook time. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Mix in raisins, then transfer to storage containers (I use mason jars). Will last for about a week in the cupboard. To extend shelf life, keep in refrigerator or freezer.
Eat straight out of jar, sprinkle on top of oatmeal or yogurt, or eat as cereal with almond milk and chopped fruit!
