Hello all! As you know, Garlic, My Soul, has gone bi-coastal this past month, which obviously has led to ups, downs, and in-betweens. Because of the road trip and following separate, our April Cucina Fresca recipes were not posted. But I assure you they were made, and I’m here to tell you about them!
The Best Granola
Granola was what we made first. We headed to Trader Joe’s to get the appropriate items to make the granola, searching high and low for some kind of corn chip (frito-like chip) to add to the Granola.
“OH!” I screamed in the chip aisle, so loudly that the man next to me jumped. “Sorry, sorry. I just…the chips!” I said. Corelyn and I just laughed, which I am sure made us look crazier than we already did…
Then, as we checked out, the check-out man asked, “What are you doing with this?” as he bagged our groceries. Mango, peanuts, cranberries, sunflowers seeds…
“We’re making granola,” I said.
He then proceeded to pull EVERYTHING out of the bag and scrutinize the ingredients. Looking from the ingredients, to us, back to the ingredients, and to us again, he seemed perplexed.
“You know how there is always one thing in pre-mixed granola you don’t like?” I said. “Well…this one won’t have that thing! It’s only things you like! It’s for our cooking blog…” I said.
“OHHH,” he said, “Right on.” He then re-bagged the groceries, and let us go on our way.
The recipe we ended up with played off of a recipe I had made in the past from Real Simple. It’s just such an easy recipe that it was a good basis for us to use.
You start the same way:
A bunch of oats. 2 cups, to be exact.
Then you add to the mix flax seed (1/4 cup) and almonds (1/2 cup).
Then you add 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 cup of maple syrup…
…and a tablespoon of grapeseed oil (or whatever oil you have laying around, but maybe not olive because that might taste weird.)
Then you use your hands to mix it all together…
So now, you let that roast at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. While you’re doing that, go paint some chairs in the garage or repot your plants or do whatever moves you. Read a mag, sit back and watch the Office reruns, whatever.
After about 10-15 minutes, give it a good stir up.
Then, after 30, take it out and pour it into a bowl. Let it cool about ten minutes (and cut up about 1/3 cup of mango whilst waiting) and now here’s where it gets good:
Add the mango.
Add 1/4 cup sunflower seeds.
Add a cup of peanuts. You know you want to. We used salted ones.
Now add 1/2 cup raisins and 1/2 cup cranberries.
Now, if you want, you can add some chocolate to the mix. We added it to some of the granola, and it really was quite delicious.
And now, you have the best granola.
[addtoany] Yum