Get Your Grains

Sunday evening I baked up a batch of low-fat granola to enjoy with my vanilla yogurt this week. This granola is great because it is so darn easy to make, and as opposed to most store bought granolas it isn't laden with fat and sugar. I like it with yogurt, but I also like to use it to top a slice of whole wheat toast with peanut butter & banana too. This would be great to use in parfaits and to delude yourself into thinking that bowl of ice cream is healthy, once you sprinkle this on top of course! This picture is courtesy of Martha Stewart, just as the recipe is.

Low-Fat Granola
Recipe from Martha Stewart; Makes 8 cups
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 cup flax seed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1 cup chopped walnuts
5 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
1/3 cup canola oil

• Heat oven to 300 degrees.with rack in center. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, wheat germ, flax seed, cinnamon, ginger, sunflower seeds, and walnuts. In a small bowl, combine molasses, oil, and 1/3 cup water, and pour over the oat mixture; stir until well coated. Spread evenly in two baking pans.
• Bake, stirring every 20 minutes or so for even cooking, until dry and lightly browned, about 45 minutes. Let granola cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

My notes: I usually make a half-batch, cause it really would take the two of us a while to eat our way through 8 cups. I have to be very careful to not over-bake this, because without sugar it is a fine line between sweetly toasted and crisply burned.