My New Favorite Granola (Vegan) and Some Other Great Recipes I’ve Been Making

Yogurt Parfait with homemade soy yogurt, banana, and homemade granola

I really have been cooking a ton lately; I just have not been posting about it.  I switched to a plant-based/vegan diet in November 2019, and my husband joined me a few months later.  We have found that it is possible to eat out and stick with plant-based eating, but the options are limited.  Now that we are living in the time of the Corona Virus Pandemic, we are making and eating all of our meals at home.  Thankfully, I enjoy cooking and baking as much as I do.

We are making an effort to go to the store as little as possible as the Corona Virus is spreading across Colorado.  Testing has been extremely limited in our town; it’s unsettling to think that the number of people infected is far greater that what the figures on the nightly news are showing.  Staying in is a good idea and I also feel it’s socially responsible.  

So... what have I been making lately?  

Here is a granola recipe I tried recently.  I have actually made it twice because it’s so good.  As you can see in the photos, I am using this granola to make fruit and yogurt parfaits.

GRANOLA:

https://beamingbaker.com/4-ingredient-healthy-homemade-gluten-free-vegan-granola-recipe-dairy-free-v-gf-refined-sugar-free/

I like to make the parfaits with my homemade soy yogurt:

YOGURT:

http://kimscookingfrenzy.blogspot.com/2020/03/homemade-soy-yogurt-slow-cooker-vegan.html

I made some of the parfaits with homemade Crock Pot Applesauce:

http://kimscookingfrenzy.blogspot.com/2017/08/so-easy-crock-pot-applesauce.html

Homemade applesauce, homemade yogurt, and homemade granola.  Yum-o!

Healthy Shamrock Shake

Around St. Patrick’s Day, I kept seeing green smoothies on Facebook and Instagram.  I tried a recipe called “Healthy Shamrock Shake” and I really like it.  I left out the chocolate and I discovered my Peppermint Extract is extremely old, but it still worked.

HEALTHY SHAMROCK SHAKE:

https://fitfoodiefinds.com/healthy-mint-chip-shake/

I am also currently cooking my way through a great cookbook by a local woman, J L Fields.  The cookbook is called “Fast & Easy Vegan Cookbook”.

I am obsessed with this cookbook. The orange tabs mark the recipes I have tried already.  Some of the recipes are so great that I have already made them multiple times.

Let me show you some of the recipes I’ve made from the book. I don’t feel I should share the recipes themselves. I’ve not always been entirely conscientious about that but sharing the recipes directly from the book does violate the rights of the cookbook author. 

Breakfast Smoothie Bowl

Homemade Calzone.  This recipe is actually my creation but the “vegan ricotta cheese” in the calzone is a recipe from the cookbook.  The recipe is called “Ch-ofu Ricotta” because it’s made from chickpeas and ricotta.  In my opinion, it’s WAY better than ricotta cheese.

The pita above is inspired by a recipe in the book.  Homemade pita, homemade jalapeño hummus, and shredded lettuce.  Such a great and easy meal.

Above:  Falafel Burgers and Ranch Dressing (made with soy yogurt)

Spinach-tofu Casserole

Avocado-Black Bean Medley (it’s a massaged kale salad and the toppings are ingredients you’d use to make guacamole... avocado, tomato, lime, onion).  

The cookbook can be found here and other places.  Obviously, I’m a huge fan:

Cookbook Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Fast-Easy-Vegan-Cookbook-Mouth-Watering/dp/1641526238

J L Fields also has a blog and you can find many recipes there as well; here is a link:

https://jlgoesvegan.com/

I hope you and yours are all doing well during this uncertain time.  Stay safe and healthy.

Easy Applesauce Granola (Gluten Free and Vegan)

I make (and EAT!) a lot of granola.  A LOT!  My favorite recipe calls for pumpkin puree.  I love the recipe for the flavors and textures, but also for the ease of preparation.  With the pumpkin granola, the directions specify you bake the granola in the oven for 10 minutes and then turn the oven off.  Leave the granola in the oven all night long... no peeking.  By morning, you have perfectly toasted granola and you don't have to be bothered by stirring and monitoring the granola while baking to ensure the granola does not burn.  

The problem with the pumpkin granola is that it calls for only a small amount of pumpkin puree so I am often left with lots of canned pumpkin and I have to come up with a use for it.  I do love pumpkin muffins and pumpkin cookies and pumpkin pancakes.... you get the idea. But I am not always needing or wanting to bake a gob of other goodies just because I opened up a can of pumpkin.  

The little gears started churning in my brain and I decided to make the pumpkin granola with applesauce instead.  It worked well. I switched up the ingredients based upon things I had on hand. I ordinarily have a drawer in my refrigerator which is pretty much dedicated to granola ingredients.  Flax meal, coconut, raw seeds, and raw nuts.  My drawer is nearly empty so this granola is very basic.  Feel free to swap ingredients as you like.  Use different nuts, leave out the chia or sesame seeds, add in unsweetened coconut.  What you have to keep in mind is that it is a ratio of dry good to wet ingredients.  You are basically giving the dry ingredients a slightly sweet coating and then roasting it all in the oven to dry it out. The recipe calls for pumpkin pie spice.  I've never purchased pumpkin pie spice but I have a container in my pantry where I've combined spices to make up pumpkin pie spice. If you do a Google search, you will find dozens of recipes to make up your own pumpkin pie spice.

Know that this granola is not a sweet granola and the granola is rather loose (it doesn't have clumps or clusters).  If you want your granola to be sweeter, I recommend you add a few tablespoons of brown sugar to the dry ingredients.

EASY APPLESAUCE GRANOLA (Gluten Free and Vegan)

DRY ingredients:

4 1/2 cups old fashioned/rolled oats

2 cups finely sliced almonds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup chia seeds

3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

pinch of salt

WET ingredients:

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

4 ounce cup of unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large cookie tray (17" x 11" x 1") with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (the first 6 ingredients: the oats through the salt).

In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the coconut oil. It should take about 30 seconds on 100 percent (HIGH) power. Add in the applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla to the coconut oil.  Cook an additional 30 seconds in the microwave on 100 percent (HIGH) power. Stir well to combine.

Add the applesauce mixture to the oat mixture and stir well with a big spoon to coat the dry ingredients. Poor the coated oats into the lined cookie tray. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. DO NOT open the oven. Turn oven OFF and leave the granola in the warm oven over night to continue toasting all night long. 

Alternatively, you can do what I did today:  make the granola in the morning, bake for 10 minutes and then let it sit in the oven all day long. 

Store the granola in air tight containers or plastic zip closure bag. 

Granola makes a great gift!

How do you enjoy your granola?

Here is one of my favorites (I have this for breakfast several times of week, but I also enjoy this as a dessert or a snack).  1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese, a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, topped with granola.  Easy and yummy!

Applesauce Granola (Gluten Free)

Applesauce Granola

Yes, your read that right.  APPLESAUCE GRANOLA!  This recipe is so good that I've already made it at least three times in the past few months.  I keep tweaking the ingredients and their proportions.  The recipe is inspired by a recipe on a blog called "Two Healthy Kitchens".  In the original recipe, the recipe creator discusses how you can vary the ingredients; you just basically want to keep the ratio of wet to dry ingredients consistent.

I just baked another batch of this granola and this is what I did.  But first, here is the original recipe so you can see that as well. 

Original Recipe Link:

 https://twohealthykitchens.com/easy-healthy-applesauce-granola/

Applesauce Granola

Dry Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups old fashioned/rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup dried coconut, unsweetened
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
3 tablespoons ground flax seed/flax meal
3 tablespoons chia seeds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Wet ingredients:
4 ounce (1/2 cup) unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup)

In a large bowl, combine all of the "dry" ingredients.  Stir with a large spoon to combine. I also find that kitchen tongs are great for stirring granola.

In a small microwave save bowl or measuring cup, combine the "wet" ingredients.  Cook on HIGH power in a microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.  This will make the wet ingredients a little more liquid or loose.  Stir the warmed applesauce mixture with a spoon to combine and dump into the dry ingredients. Stir well so that all the dry ingredients are coated with the wet ingredients.

Pour oat mixture onto a foil or parchment lined baking sheet with a rim.  Cook in a preheated 300 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and stir well.  You will notice that the granola begins to brown quickly around the edges; move the browned bits from the pan edges into the center of the baking tray and try to move the less browned bits from the center to the edges of the baking tray.  Return to oven and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and stir again.  Return to the oven bake another 4 to 6 minutes, just keep a close eye on it so that it does not burn. Cook a little longer if necessary. Once the granola is all golden brown, allow to cool on the baking sheet on the counter top. Once cooled, store in an air tight container at room temperature.

I have two ways that I really enjoy this granola.

#1:  Thawed berries, plain Greek yogurt, and granola!  So good!



#2:  Cottage cheese topped with applesauce, a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, and granola.  So good!

And finally… a few pretty photos from a drive in the Colorado mountains to see pretty fall colors.

Crunchy Granola: Everything But the Kitchen Sink (Vegan)

Crunchy Granola

Like most recipes, this recipe has a story and I could go on and on about it.  But I'll try to be brief.

Vanilla Chai Chia Granola

Vanilla Chai Chia Granola



I tried a new granola recipe yesterday.  I like it. I think the pecans give the granola a different texture than some of my homemade granolas.  This is adapted from a blog called "Real Food Dietitians".  You can see their website HERE. If you sign up for their notifications from their blog, they send nice "e-booklets" with great recipes.  I've received a nice collection of soup recipes from them for example.  This granola recipe came in an "e-booklet" called "Healthy Holiday Treats: Featuring Ten Giftable Treat Recipes".  The recipe I called for "Made in Nature" brand dried plums.  I omitted the plums.  I added in chia seeds and sesame seeds and used honey in place of the recommended brown rice syrup or maple syrup.  The honey in my cupboard had changed in texture; it was becoming grainy with sugar crystals and very difficult to pour.  This recipe was a great use for my honey since the honey and coconut oil and spices are all simmered a bit together before adding it all to the oat mixture.

Above you can see my breakfast.  I had cottage cheese, unsweetened apple sauce, ground cinnamon, and some granola. Good breakfast and so easy first thing in the morning.

Below... granola toasting away in the oven. Boy, my house sure smelled great yesterday!



Vanilla Chia Chia Granola
Adapted from "Real Food Dietitians"

Ingredients

3 cups old fashioned/rolled oats (gluten free if desired)

1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 cup sliced or slivered almonds

1 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1⁄2 cup honey (may substitute brown rice syrup or maple syrup)
2 to 3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1⁄2 tsp. cloves

1⁄2 tsp. cardamom

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 325 ̊F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl combine the oats, coconut flakes, almonds, pecans, sesame seeds, and chia seeds. Set aside.

3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine honey, coconut oil and spices.

Stir continuously and heat just until warm. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

4. Add the honey mixture to the oat mixture and stir until evenly coated. Transfer

to sheet pan.

5. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring halfway through baking time.

6. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature before packaging up.  Store in an airtight container.  

Make Ahead Yogurt & Fruit Parfaits with Homemade Granola

Make Ahead Yogurt & Fruit Parfaits with Granola

Do you ever find the most perfect food combination and then just keep making it over and over and over?   I have been making these Make Ahead Fruit & Yogurt Parfaits with Homemade Granola the past few weeks and I seriously cannot get enough of them.  They make for a super easy breakfast or a very satisfying afternoon snack.   

I am using frozen berries, plain Greek yogurt, and homemade granola.  At the grocery store just yesterday I noticed the yogurt cups with the clear plastic lids filled with granola in the dairy section and I thought to myself, "that granola looks so sad!"  The fruit, yogurt, and granola I am using have no added sugar; the granola is sweetened with just a touch of maple syrup.  When I first started making these parfaits, I was adding a drizzle of honey to the tart yogurt, but I stopped adding it as I am finding the berries to be sweet enough. If you are watching your sugar intake, be sure to check the label on your frozen fruit because sometimes they sneak in some sugar.  It does seem to take more than 10 hours for the berries to thaw out in the refrigerator so keep that in mind. But when the berries do thaw, there is a wonderful liquid released from the berries and it swirls into the thick yogurt beautifully. 

Here is the frozen fruit I am using; this is from my Kroger Store and the "Cherry Berry Medley" contains cherries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries.

I've posted this granola recipe in the past, but I've tweaked the recipe a bit... so here it is again!
Unlike many granola recipes, this recipe has no added fat (ie. vegetable oil or butter).

ENERGIZED GRANOLA WITH CHIA SEEDS

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups rolled oats 

1/2 cup black chia seeds

1/4 cup sliced almonds or chopped almonds

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Coating:

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Stir together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  In a small bowl or a Pyrex measuring cup with a spout, combine the maple syrup and vanilla; stir with a fork to combine.  Pour the maple syrup mixture over the dry ingredients and stir well until all dry ingredients are moistened.  Pour all onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake, stirring after 15 minutes, until the nuts are golden brown, about 30 minutes total.  Turn the oven off; open the oven door and leave it open. Allow the granola to toast further in the oven as it cools off (about another 30 minutes).

Store the fully cooled granola in a plastic or glass container with a tight fitting lid; store at room temperature.

MAKE AHEAD YOGURT & FRUIT PARFAITS (Make 3)

3 cups frozen berries (Private Selection brand "Cherry Berry Medley")
1 1/2 cups Greek Yogurt plain (Fage brand 2 percent milkfat)
About 9 tablespoons Energized Granola with Chia

Use 3 plastic cups with lids.  In each plastic cup, add 1 cup frozen fruit and about 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (more if desired).  Top the cups with the lids and refrigerate (berries will take more than 10 hours to thaw in the refrigerator).  When ready to serve, top the Yogurt and Fruit Parfait with about 3 tablespoons of Energized Granola with Chia.

Energized Granola with Chia Seeds

Energized Granola with Chia Seeds

I was watching a Food Network show called "The Kitchen" the other day and they showed a few ideas for food gifts that could be given as party favors.  They recipe that stood out to me was a recipe for granola with chia seeds.  I looked up the recipe on line and decided to make it with ingredients I had on hand.  I really like how the granola turned out. 

I am using the granola as a topping on yogurt.  My new favorite brand of yogurt is called "Noosa"; it's made here in Colorado.  Every flavor I have tried is amazing.  I am enjoying it as a sweet treat or dessert; it's THAT good.  So far I've tried flavors including Tart Cherry, Salted Caramel, Lemon, and Strawberry Rhubarb, but they also have flavors such as Blood Orange, Honey, Passion Fruit and Blackberry Serrano (serrano is a hot chili pepper so that should interesting!). 

Here is the granola recipe link on www.foodnetwork.com:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/energized-granola-with-chia-seeds-recipe.html

Here is how I altered the recipe; I made a number of changes (left out ingredients and substituted ingredients based upon what I had on hand).  I love the walnuts in this granola so next time I make this, I will add extra walnuts.  I decided to leave out the dried fruit since I knew I'd be eating this granola and just wanted the crunchy topping.  I also thought it would be kind of weird to bake the dried fruit.  Ordinarily, when I make granola, I add the dried fruit after I bake the nuts and grains.  I also appreciate the fact that this granola has no added fat (butter or oil).

ENERGIZED GRANOLA WITH CHIA SEEDS: my changes in ( ).

1 1/2 cups rolled oats (I added a little extra since I omitted other ingredients)

1/2 cup black chia seeds

1/4 cup sliced almonds (I omitted)

1/4 cup dried cherries (I omitted)

1/4 cup coconut flakes (I used unsweetened coconut)

1/4 cup golden raisins (I omitted)

1/4 cup raisins (I omitted)

1/4 cup sunflower seeds (I used pumpkin seeds instead)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (whoops! I left this out)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Stir together the rolled oats, chia seeds, almonds, cherries, coconut flakes, both types of raisins, the sunflower seeds, walnuts, cinnamon, maple syrup, and vanilla in a large bowl. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and season with salt.

Bake, stirring after 15 minutes, until the nuts are golden brown, about 30 minutes total. Let cool and add to your favorite yogurt!

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Pumpkin Spice Granola

This my new favorite granola. It's the EASIEST granola yet and I LOVE it on Oikos brand yogurt... especially Banana and Apple Pie flavored. 

Ingredients:

7 cups old fashioned oats (not instant or quick oats)

1/2 cup ground flax, optional 

1/2 cup brown sugar, loosely packed

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 to 1 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup maple syrup, the real stuff

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup canned pumpkin purée

2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large cookie tray (17" x 11" x 1") with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (the first 9 ingredients: the oats through the salt).

In a small microwave safe bowl, combine the syrup, pumpkin, and veg. oil.  Heat in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds on HIGH power. Add in the vanilla; stir well to combine. 

Add the syrup mixture to the oat mixture and stir well with a big spoon to coat the dry ingredients. Poor the coated oats into the lined cookie tray. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. DO NOT open the oven. Turn oven OFF and leave the granola in the warm oven over night to continue toasting all night long. 

Alternatively, you can do what I did today:  make the granola in the morning, bake for 10 minutes and then let it sit in the oven all day long. 

Store the granola in air tight containers or plastic zip closure bag. 

Granola makes a great gift!

Adapted from www.sweetpeasandpumpkins.com

Quinoa Flake Granola

 

 

I was starting to think I was the world's biggest fan of quinoa until a few weeks back when I checked out Camilla V. Saulsbury's blog called "Enlightened Cooking".  I've admired this gal for awhile.  She's quite a celebrity in the cooking contest world.  Turns out she's an even bigger fan of quinoa than me. So much so, that she even wrote a book about it!  You can see the book HERE.  She has many, many fantastic looking quinoa recipes on her blog. I was so intrigured to try the recipes that I went to the health food store and stocked up on quinoa flakes and quinoa flour to go along with my stash of quinoa seeds in my pantry. I made the Quinoa Flake Granola from Camilla's blog and it's delicious.  Quinoa flakes look a bit like mashed potato flakes. They made some crunchy granola which resembles "Grapenuts" cereal but the nuggets won't break your teeth like that cereal nearly does.  I made the quinoa flake granola last weekend along with my own recipe for granola and I mixed the two granolas together. Terrific with Greek yogurt and fresh berries.

 

Quinoa Flake Granola

Recipe by Camilla V. Sauslbury

Recipe link is HERE

From www.enlightenedcooking.blogspot.com

Preheat oven to 325°F

Large rimmed baking sheet, lined with parchment paper

2 cups quinoa flakes

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup ground flax seeds (flaxseed meal)

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup pure maple syrup, liquid honey, or brown rice syrup

2 tbsp vegetable oil or unsalted butter, melted (I used 1 tbsp vegetable oil)        

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup dried blueberries, cranberries or cherries, chopped (I omitted)  

 

1. In a large bowl, combine quinoa flakes, pecans, flax seeds and cinnamon.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together maple syrup, oil and vanilla until well blended.

3. Add the maple mixture to the quinoa mixture and stir until well coated. Spread mixture in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 22 to 27 minutes or until quinoa flakes are golden brown. Let cool completely on pan. (I stirred the granola
about once ever 8 to 10 minutes).

 

 

I am still working on this new recipe for granola.

This one contains rolled oats, almonds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds,

sesame seeds, pepita (pumpkin) seeds, maple syrup, brown sugar,

cinnamon, vanilla, and a few other things.