Granola

Granola is such a versatile food. It's good with yogurt, fruit, parfaits or to eat on it's own. This recipe is fantastic once it comes out of the oven, but also freezes well for up to 6 months.  

What you need:

3 cups rolled oats
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla

Make it:

In a large bowl, stir together the rolled oats, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon.



In another bowl, stir together the honey, oil, and vanilla. Pour this over the oat mixture and combine thoroughly. Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty. I prefer to use my hands to mix the granola at this stage.

Heat the oven to 300 degrees F.



Spread the mixture in a thin layer on a baking sheet and place on the centre rack of the heated oven. Bake for 15 minutes and then stir the mixture up. Continue to bake for another 10 - 20 minutes or until the granola is beginning to brown. Don't let it get too brown or it will taste burnt.



As the granola is cooling off, mix it up so it doesn't harden into one chunk.

Once the mixture is cool, add whatever you like to it. I like to add slivered almonds and other nuts, coconut or dried berries (raisins, blueberries, cherries, strawberries). I have even used spelt flakes instead of rolled oats before. Be creative and use your favourite ingredients. I promise, you will not be disappointed.



Like I mentioned earlier, you can freeze the granola in Ziploc bags or mason jars. I prefer mason jars mostly because I dislike using plastic. If you are making a large batch, freeze the granola that you know will not get eaten within a few weeks. This keeps the granola tasting fresh.