Nourish the Budding Lotus

Seed, Nut and Fruit Granola

I have definitely been inspired! The Boulder farmer’s market has come back into season, and I love it. Although the choices for fresh produce are not as abundant as they will be, it is exciting to see the early greens that are for sale at the organic farm stands, and the beautiful flowers blooming. The farmer’s market is also host to some amazing local entrepreneurs who have created delicious (and often healthy) treats.

The one that inspired me this weekend is 2 Mom’s in the Raw. They create amazing raw granolas both gluten-free and not, and the ingredients are beautiful. They also make flax seed crackers which are yummy too, but I guess I am going through a sweet phase, and love that their granola is only sweetened with agave.

I have been wanting to make granola for a while, and this finally pushed me over the edge. Although I am not ready to make a raw granola yet, I thought I would start with an oven recipe to see how it turns out. I checked out a few recipes online, but decided to just make up my own mix and see what happens. I definitely see room for improvement, but for now, it is a tasty mix of goodies.

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Seed, Nut and Fruit Granola

3 c rolled oat
1/3 c toasted buckwheat groats
1 c raw almonds
1/2 c sesame seeds
1/2 c popped amaranth (see instructions below)
3/4 c shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1/3 c dried figs (chopped)
1 c dried apples (chopped
1/2 c raisins
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t cardamom

1/2 lemon (juiced)
1 t lemon zest
1/4 c agave
1/4 c apple juice
1 T coconut oil

Preheat oven to 325 F

Puff the amaranth grains using a medium pan with a tightly fitting lid. You will not need any oils, just heat the pan on high, and test the heat with a few amaranth grains. When they pop (like mini popcorn) pour in a little at a time. Keep the grains moving on the pan by shaking it over the heat. Once the sounds of the popping slows down you can remove the grains and pop another batch. Pour all of the popped amaranth into a large mixing bowl when finished.

Add the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl and stir until all is well mixed.

In a separate bowl combine the liquid ingredients with a wire whisk. Once combined, add the liquid to the dry ingredients. Once everything is moist, spread the mixture over two parchment lined baking sheets and place in the oven.

After 10 minutes stir the granola and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Suggestions: I shortened the cooking time in this recipe because my granola came out a little more toasted than I preferred, so you might want to keep an eye on it towards the end of the cooking time to see how you would like it. The granola was not very sticky, as it can be sometimes, so I am interested to hear other’s suggestions on how to make this recipe more clustered.

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