Not if you have flax.
Obviously, bran cereal is not gluten free. Also, very sweet.
Not that I don’t like it. It’s just, pour a flax/nut mix onto what you’re
eating – yogurt, oatmeal, granola, etc. – and fiber, here we come. It does the
same thing that we all eat bran for (which I don’t need to write here). Yep, a
tablespoon of whole or ground flax seed into muffins and bread, and boom! All
taken care of.
Yet there is something about Raisin Bran, that sweet commercial
bran cereal from childhood that attracts me. Which is why I love this granola
recipe from my sister Rose. It tastes like a somewhat less-sweet version of Raisin Bran.
My other granola recipe is simple and fresh tasting. It
doesn’t clump together like commercial granolas do. If you like clumpy, crunchy
granola, try this.
The reason it clumps is, you don’t add oil. The fat is added
simply by making a paste combining walnuts with dates, grade-B maple syrup and water,
which nutritionists say is a better way to get your fat, rather than oils.
Getting it from the walnut directly provides a higher dose of vitamin E, and heart-healthy
monounsaturated fats and can even decrease cholesterol. You also get
phytonutrients that are lost in the process of extracting oils.
All you need is a Vitamix or other high-powered blender to
make a good paste. Note: When making a paste in one of these blenders, it’s
important not to turn it to high speed until the stuff is pretty well mixed,
maybe use it up to 7 or so, until the paste starts to form.
Rose’s Granola
Ingredients:
For the Granola
1½ lbs. rolled oats (I recommend Cream Hill Estates Lara's Oats)
½ cup hot water
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons almond extract
1 cup pitted dates
¾ cup walnut halves
½ cup dried coconut flakes
Raisins
For the Vegan Rice/Coconut Milk (optional)
4 cups water
1 cup short-grain brown rice
1 cup unsweetened, dried coconut flakes
To make the granola:
1. Preheat oven to 225F. Put 1½ pounds of rolled oats into a
large mixing bowl with ½ cup of chopped raw almonds. (If you can only get
roasted, add them at the end of cooking, do not add them now)
2. Place into Vitamix or other blender in the following
order:
½ cup hot water
¼ cup Grade B maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons almond extract
1 cup pitted dates
¾ cup walnut halves
3. Whiz at a low speed, up to 7, until it forms a paste.
4. With a rubber spatula, mix the paste into the oats/almond
mixture until it is well incorporated.
5. Pour granola onto one or two cookie/jelly roll pans and
bake for 5½ hours. DO NOT EXCEED 6 HOURS! Flip and rotate trays every half hour. Mix with a spoon every two hours. Important:
The last half hour is crucial – do not overcook. (You can add the coconut during the last half hour if you
like it to be a little toasted.)
Let cool. Add raisins and coconut. If you couldn’t find raw
almonds, add chopped roasted almonds at this point as well. Store in tightly
sealed glass jars for best texture.
To make Rose’s Vegan milk:
First, make Rice Milk:
Blend 2 cups water with 1 cup short grain brown rice and
strain twice through fine mesh strainer, discarding the pulp.
Second, make coconut “milk”:
Blend 2 cups water with 1 cup shredded coconut and strain
twice through fine mesh strainer, discarding the pulp.
Third, combine the milks together, and add maple syrup to
taste
