by Sharon Niederman
With the advent of fall bringing hopes for cooler temperatures – someday- I felt a sudden urge to make my own granola, a long-held ambition.
I researched recipes and watched YouTube videos, until I found a recipe that spoke to me: celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s method. I’d heard the procedure was elaborate, requiring the separate roasting of each ingredient. Not so, Ramsay demonstrated. He added a couple of secret ingredients, though, goji berries, a pretty, dry, nutrient-packed crimson berry the size of a coffee bean.
While I felt the quest for goji berries might prove challenging, I had good luck at my first stop, Natural Grocers, where I bought not only goji berries but all my required nuts and seeds. They also stock the requisite dry fruits. I supplemented Ramsay’s directions with my own assortment of dry fruits and additional nuts and seeds – but that is the beauty of making your own granola. It is a forgiving concoction that you can adapt however you like.
While many recipes call for olive oil, I made mine without the addition of oil of any kind.
Another wonderful component of Ramsay’s recipe is the honey roasting process. This step adds a level of deliciousness that cannot be found in commercial, long shelf-life granola. His additions of a scraped vanilla bean and a dash of sea salt added at the last moment are small yet meaningful steps toward producing the best granola you have ever tasted. My husband ate three bowls for breakfast. “It’s too good,” he said. I have to agree. His love for the cereal led me to make another batch immediately. A Mason jar full of your homemade granola, with a red ribbon or piece of twine around the lid, will always make a welcome gift to friends, and I can see that I will be very busy with perpetually sticky hands making granola for holiday gifts.
Be sure to mix well after each addition.
Gordon Ramsay Inspired Honey Roasted Granola with Goji Berries
Ingredients:
• 1 and 1/2 cups thick-rolled organic oats (I prefer Bob’s Red Mill)
• 3 tablespoons chia seeds
• 3 tablespoons ground hemp hearts
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup each pecan or walnut pieces, cashews
• Scrapings of a vanilla bean
• 1/2 cup honey – I prefer mesquite.
Directions:
• Pre-heat oven to 350
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Heat honey to boil, cool slightly. Drizzle over oat, nut and seed mixture. Mix very well to coat oat mixture.
• Spread honey-oat mixture over baking sheet as evenly as you can. Salt lightly with sea salt.
• Bake 10 minutes until mixture starts to become fragrant. Remove from oven and turn, so browning continues on all parts of mixture. Do this about three times, until mixture is evenly toasted golden brown
• Remove from oven. Let cool completely.
• Pour toasted mixture into large bowl. Add the equivalent of two cups dried goji berries, dried cranberries, dried apricots, dried tart cherries, dried apples, mangoes, bananas, pineapple, or whatever is your preference. Mix very well.
• Decant into mason jars. Refrigerate.
Makes delicious breakfast cereal, topping for yogurt or ice cream, or snack anytime.
