TROPICAL RAW GRANOLA

I've been experimenting with raw granola recipes for a while now.  Finally, I've come up with one that I'm pleased with!  It has a good balance of oats, seeds, nuts and fruit. I've used natural unrefined ingredients to sweeten it slightly.  This recipe makes a chunky, crunchy granola. Being in Hawaii has inspired me to add coconut and dried mango!  If you don't have all the ingredients just substitute.  That's what I do!  I hope you like it!  Let me know what you think!  

INGREDIENTS: 
6 c whole rolled oats 
1/4 c whole grain wheat or spelt flour (or a gluten-free flour)
1/4 c quinoa or hemp seeds
1/2 c raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 c raw almonds, chopped
1/2 c raw sunflower seeds
1 c unsweetened coconut shreds

1/2 c pitted dates soaked in 1/4 c very warm water
1 medium-sized banana
1/2 c organic unrefined coconut oil
1/4 c rice syrup, honey or agave
1/8 tsp sea salt

1/2 c cacao nibs
1/2 c dried mango, chopped (or another dried fruit)


DIRECTIONS: 
1. Preheat your oven or dehydrator to 170 degrees F.  If you don't have a dehydrator setting on your oven set it to as low as it will go.  
2. In a small bowl, soak the pitted dates in the water.  
3. Measure the first seven ingredients into a large bowl.  With a wooden spoon, mix well until the ingredients are evenly dispersed.  
4. Put the banana, coconut oil, rice syrup (or other liquid sweetener), sea salt and soaked dates into a blender.  Blend until you have a smooth, creamy mixture.  
5. Add the liquid ingredients from the blender to the dry ingredients and stir well.  
6. Scoop big spoons of granola onto dehydrator sheets, parchment lined cookie sheets or rectangular cake pans.  Spread the granola into an even 2-2.5 cm (~1/2 inch) layer and press it together gently.  Pressing it will help create a chunky granola!  

7. Put the trays in your oven or dehydrator.  After the first 45 minutes gently turn the granola over.  

Dehydrate for another 1.5-2 hours depending on how you like it.  
8. Let your granola come to room temperature, add cacao nibs and dried fruit and then store it in the fridge in a large glass jar or ziplock bag.  
9. Try it with a few pieces of cut up fresh fruit (eg. bananas and pineapple) and some homemade almond milk (see another post for directions to make almond milk).  Enjoy!

VEGAN PUMPKIN GINGERSNAPS

I made pumpkin gingersnaps for our annual Thanksgiving weekend reunion.  Everyone LOVED them!  I reduced the sugar, changed a few things and veganized this recipe:

http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/pumpkin-gingersnap-cookies/

If you would like to try my vegan version here it is! 

Vegan Pumpkin Gingersnaps

Ingredients:

1 flax egg
2 1/2 c flour
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt  
1/2 c organic coconut oil (or Earth Balance)
3/4 c coconut sugar
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1/4 c molasses
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp fresh finely grated ginger

Directions:
1.  Preheat your oven to 350 F. 
2.  Make a flax egg.  Put 1 heapingTbsp ground flax and 3 Tbsp warm water in a small bowl.  Set aside for 5 minutes.  Whisk it before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.  
3.  In a medium sized bowl, measure your flour (I used 1 1/2 c organic whole red fife plus 1 c organic white but you could experiment), pumpkin pie spice (buy or make your own-see another post) and sea salt.  Stir everything together and set aside.  
4.  In a blender, add your sugar and coconut oil and blend until smooth.  Add the pumpkin, molasses, whisked flax egg, fresh grated ginger and vanilla and blend until everything is incorporated.  
5.  Pour the wet ingredients into a large bowl and gently mix until just combined.  
6.  Refrigerate for 1 or more hours.  
7.  Roll small balls and put onto a greased or parchment lined cookie sheet.  (Roll in extra sugar if you want!)














8.  Bake for 12-13 minutes or until they start to look dry on top and brown on the edges.

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PIE SPICE

Yesterday I decided that since I'm doing so much pumpkin baking I would make a batch of HOMEMADE PUMPKIN SPICE MIX!  It was really easy.  All I did was put all the spices in my coffee grinder (that I actually only use for grinding flax and spices!) and grind away! 

Here is the mix I made:  2 small cinnamon sticks broken up into pieces or 5 teaspoons (tsp) ground cinnamon
2 small nutmeg seeds or 2 tsp ground nutmeg 
2 tsp ground ginger (or omit ginger if you prefer to use fresh ginger)
1 level tsp ground cloves or 1 rounded tsp cloves
4-5 allspice seeds or 1 tsp ground allspice
Hmmm....perhaps this would smell nice in a bar of homemade soap or a homemade candle?!  I think I may do some testing!  
I think I may sprinkle some of this on a batch of pumpkin seeds before I stick it in the dehydrator!