Can we talk breakfast again?
I know we talked about breakfast not that long ago, and the last thing I want to be is repetitive, but it is that time of year when I start to think about things I can mix into my morning yoghurt. Tasty little morsels that set the day off to a good start. Even if you are so tired from being kept up two nights in a row by a cat with an upset stomach that you accidentally boil the kettle without replacing the lid and then wonder why it is bubbling away for ages and ages, until you spy the lid on the other side of the work-top.
And then burn your hand when you try to replace the lid while it is still boiling instead of turning it off first.
Yep, I did that this morning.
But back to this granola . . .
This is what is in it:
Nuts, chewy coconut chips, crunchy banana chips, slightly sour dried mango and a depth of flavour from the toasted seeds and almonds. I never really understood the whole ‘let’s add seeds to everything’ until I toasted them. Now I sprinkle them liberally on anything from yoghurt to salads.
Combined with the creamy yoghurt, slight sweetness from a swirl of honey and little bursts of fruity freshness from some pomegranate it makes a breakfast that might just be one of my favourites. I think it is the pomegranate that does it. I am all about pomegranates right now.
I took a little trip up the motorway last week to Whole Foods in Cheltenham. I love that place and can happily spend a couple of hours wandering the many aisles looking at things I can’t find anywhere else. One of my favourite sections is the weigh it yourself bit (I don’t know what its actual name is) where they have the trays of spices and wall-mounted dispensers full of glorious things such as every kind of rice known to man and dried fruits and grains. You put as much as you want in a paper bag, weigh it, stick the label on it and off you go. So that’s what I did, put a little bit of each of the above ingredients in a bag – and got a few glares along the way because I had so many bags to weigh and sticker. There should be more than one set of scales – so that all I had to do when I got home was toast the seeds and almonds, a little bit of chopping, tip it all into a bowl and swirl it around a bit.
It could not be easier. Or tastier.
Unless of course you added a few cheeky chocolate chips. Just saying . . .
Disclaimer: Safety googles may be required when toasting the pumpkin seeds. The little blighters can get pretty frisky as they heat up and their skins burst, causing them to attempt a Mexican jumping bean impression.
Summer (No-Grain) Granola
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1 1/2 tbsp flaked almonds
- 1 1/2 tbsp chopped almonds
- 80g banana chips
- 45g dried mango slices
- 40g whole Brazil nuts
- 50g pistachios
- 40g coconut chips
Method:
- Place the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaked almonds and chopped almonds into a large, dry frying pan. Place over a medium heat and toast until they are golden brown, swirling them around in the pan occasionally so that they colour evenly. Don’t let them get too dark as they will continue to toast a little as they cool down. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile chop the Brazil nuts and mango slices into small-ish pieces. Put the banana chips into a bag and bash with a rolling-pin to break them up a little bit (but don’t reduce them to dust).
- Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to distribute.
- Store in an air-tight jar. Use to top . . . whatever you like!
© The Pink Rose Bakery 2014
The Pink Rose Bakery 
Mmm, this sounds delicious. I’m trying to avoid grains at the moment and breakfast feels distinctly eggy, looks like you’ve found the perfect solution! Hope the cats recovered now….
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Ah, yes, as much as eggs are great there are only so many ways you can eat them on their own. This granola is definitely an alternative. In the last week I have swapped the pomegranate for fresh apricots and grated apple – both lovely with it mixed into yoghurt.
What are you going to do with all your lovely cupcake recipes if you are not eating grains?! Are you starting to notice any difference by not eating them?
The cat is more or less back to normal now, thank you. No more vomiting thank goodness. I don’t think the carpet could have taken much more. Think it was something she ate . . .
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Mmm, apricot and grated apple sounds yummy!
The cupcakes are mostly going into work with my boyfriend, or being taken around to the neighbours at the moment! I’m only trying it as a 30 day experiment, i’m doing a whole30 so i’m having a bit of a diet overhaul! I’ll be back to eating the cupcakes myself soon 🙂
I have found so far I feel less bloated without the grains. I don’t have to snack as much either which is quite surprising. I thought replacing grains with more veggies would leave me starving, but I guess my sugar levels are more balanced or something….. i don’t know!
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I know of a couple of other people doing the whole30 programme. I did look at it, but it seemed quite strict! If you’re not snacking as much, that is a good thing. When I gave up sugar for lent I noticed towards the end that I didn’t feel the need to nibble between meals. I’m still trying to avoid it where possible, but we all need a little bit of chocolate every now and again, although I’ll only eat 85% cocoa. I hope you make it to the end 🙂
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Love love love pommegranate! Planted a tree in our backyard last year but still no fruit 😦
Keeping my fingers crossed for the next season!
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I am very jealous. I would love a pomegranate tree but sadly I don’t think the British weather will encourage them to grow. I hope you get some next year.
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I’m a huge fan of meusli and granola, and love the combination you’ve got going here. Some old favourites here mixed with some new flavours – must try!
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Num num, dried mango, my favourite!
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