It’s a coolish October morning. You’re invigorated by your morning run or yoga class – and famished. At home, before dressing for work, you breathe in the heart-gladdening aroma of coffee and then, amazingly, something that’s even better: the seductive, toasty fragrance of roasted grains, seeds, nuts and spices.
Just-baked granola. It’s autumn comfort in a bowl – and high-quality fuel to boot. And easy? Can you measure, stir and spread some stuff on a baking sheet? You’re golden.
There are some foods so elemental, so satisfying, that although they represent an ancient cooking idea, they’re reinvented in each era. The combination of toasted grains and nuts that we call granola (or “grainola” or “grunola” in some old cookbooks), a name that dates from the 1800s, is one such food.
But with each generation’s rediscovery, it seems, this essentially homespun, wholesome food is burdened with unnecessary ingredients that mask its appeal.
Granola’s making a comeback – again. But the tendency is toward a richness achieved with lots of sweeteners and fats.
A great granola has crunch, meltiness, warmth, savory, a bit of spice – it’s all there, not weighed down by sticky or overwhelmed by sweet.
There’s interplay: light, crisp oatmeal flakes and smoky, earthy bits of pecan in one mouthful. Or a chewy, mysteriously sweet tangle of coconut combined with the firm, toasty bite of slivered almond. You just need half a cup per serving it’s so filling, but that half a cup makes for a happy whirligig of flavors and textures.
When the granola’s in the bowl, play the fragrance of toasted grains against fresh fruit – seasonal or tropical. It provides the right note of cool, slightly acidic contrast, as does plain unsweetened yogurt.
Once I figured out how to do it, I got hooked on making a batch of granola once or twice a week, mixing the dry ingredients the night before, then in the morning, simply tossing in the oil, juice, and/or flavorings and baking for the mere 15 or 20 minutes it takes.
For each batch, begin with rolled oats, the signature ingredient of granola. Next add a contrasting textural basic – unsweetened coconut flakes, usually. Follow with smaller amounts of a meal – wheat germ, nut meal, corn meal, ground flax – and small seeds (sesame, sunflower, pine nuts) or chopped nuts.
Add the show-off ingredients: large whole (or halved) nuts or seeds such as cashews, almonds or pumpkin seeds. Add a small amount of canola oil and a touch of liquid – such as prune juice or maple syrup.
Pecan-pepita granola is a wonderful basic granola that has a light, crunchy base of oatmeal, coconut and wheat germ that gains depth with the addition of pecans daintily spiced with cinnamon.
Almond-cashew granola is a bit more luxurious and, depending on the kind of nut meal used, takes on almost creamy notes (with almond or hazelnut meal) or an intriguingly bitter crunch (with flax seed meal).
Once you’ve measured in your chosen ingredients, just toss to combine and coat, then spread the mixture on a baking sheet and bake (now’s the time to grab a shower or check your e-mail).
When the granola’s golden brown, pull it from the oven and allow it to cool. One spoonful will take the edge right off your day.
Savory Granola
Preparation time, 25 minutes. Makes 6 servings.
Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup steel-cut oats
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup raw
sunflower seeds
1/4 cup black or
regular sesame seeds
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup raw
pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the rolled and steel-cut oats, the wheat germ, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, oil and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well.
Spread the mixture on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown, stirring once for even toasting.
Allow the granola to cool on the cookie sheet. It can be stored in an airtight container for no more than one week. For each serving, combine 1/2 cup granola with 1/4 cup each plain yogurt and diced fresh fruit.
Per serving: 360 calories; 11 grams protein; 28 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams fiber; 25 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 61 milligrams sodium.
