Updated Dark Chocolate Maple-Almond Granola

After messing with this recipe for several years, I realized I had tweaked it without updating the blog. This is still my favorite granola. So decadent!

This is a whole batch in a gallon jar.

If you need to substitute for the almond butter I can only tell you that the chocolate balance and liquids are off if you just use natural peanut butter instead. I would suggest you check out this link for Chocolate-Peanut Butter Granola.

Dark Chocolate Maple-Almond Granola

• 8 c. organic rolled oats
• 3/4 c. organic almond butter
• 1/2-3/4 c. maple syrup
• 1/4 c. water
• 2-3 T. melted organic virgin coconut oil
• 3/4 tsp sea salt or Himalayan pink salt (more if almond butter is unsalted 1 tsp+)
• 1 tsp stevia extract powder (with no other additives) – more if you want super sweet granola
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 c. organic, unsweetened cocoa powder (the better the brand, the tastier the end product) – sift this if it is clumped in any way.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cover a large 17” cookie sheet with unbleached parchment paper. (If you don’t have one this large, maybe spread it between 2 smaller ones and bake it for less time – 10 minutes each round in the oven – and see how that works. I used an enormous pan one time, which spread the mix thin, and baked it for the two 15-minute rounds and it burned the edge pieces despite stirring, so it definitely needed less time when spread thin.)

Place the oats in a large mixing bowl. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the almond butter, maple syrup, water, coconut oil, salt, stevia, and vanilla. Stir the cocoa into the almond butter mixture and whisk. (OR you can mix the almond butter mixture into the oats thoroughly and then toss in the cocoa powder and mix like crazy.) With a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, fold the chocolate mixture into the oats, making sure they are thoroughly mixed.

Spread the oat mixture evenly on the cookie sheet, making sure to not leave the ends thinner than the middle, or they will burn. 

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and stir the granola (I use a metal spatula/pancake turner, flipping it over so that what was against the bottom of the pan isn’t anymore.) Evenly distribute on the pan again, and bake for another 15 minutes.

At this point, if you prefer chewy granola, place the pan on a cooling rack to completely come to room temperature. If you prefer crispier granola, turn the oven off, stir the granola one last time, and return the pan to the oven for 10-15 minutes. (You can test the texture of the granola after the second 15-minute bake by taking a piece and setting it on the counter while you are stirring the rest of it. Taste it and see if you like the texture.)

After completely cooled, place in a glass jar, crock, or other non-plastic container with an air-tight lid to keep moisture out. This will make more than half a gallon.

Dark Chocolate Maple-Almond Granola

I discovered that if I eat peanut butter too often, puffiness occurs. While I am not allergic to peanuts, apparently, they do bother me some. I decided that my chocolate-pb granola was out, sadly. With a few modifications to that recipe, however, I quickly fell even more in love with this one instead.

When I first created it, I didn’t add the coconut oil, but something was definitely missing. I accidentally left it out in my last batch, and I will try never to do that again. It just isn’t as good. I realize I gave a wide option for how much oil to add, but measuring it accurately before you melt it can be a lazy woman’s challenge. I mean, who wants another measuring cup to wash? I happen to love my glass Pyrex liquid measuring cups and I use them carefully for everything, even dry items, but it does keep you from having that even measure in the smaller plastic ones that you scrape off the excess with a knife edge. So, don’t fret it too much and see how much you get after you melt it in the microwave in a glass measuring cup. Use what you have as long as it is at least 2 tablespoons. I’ve used as much as 1/3 c. before and still had excellent results.

This is wonderful with chopped berries or banana slices, walnut pieces, cacao nibs, or mini chocolate chips.  It also is good on non-dairy yogurt or smoothies, or just by the handful as a snack. 

Dark Chocolate Maple-Almond Granola

• 6 c. organic rolled oats
• 3/4 c. organic almond butter
• 1 c. maple syrup
• 2-6 T. melted organic virgin coconut oil
• 3/4 tsp sea salt or Himalayan pink salt
• 1/2 tsp stevia extract powder (with no other additives)
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 c. organic, unsweetened cocoa powder (the better the brand, the tastier the end product)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Cover a large 17” cookie sheet with unbleached parchment paper.  (If you don’t have one this large, maybe spread it between 2 smaller ones and bake it for less time – 10 minutes each round in the oven – and see how that works.  I used an enormous pan one time, which spread the mix thin, and baked it for the two 15-minute rounds and it burned the edge pieces despite stirring, so it definitely needed less time when spread thin.)

Place the oats in a large mixing bowl.  In a small mixing bowl, whisk the almond butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, salt, stevia, and vanilla.  Sift the cocoa powder through a wire mesh strainer into the almond butter mixture and whisk.  With a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, fold the chocolate mixture into the oats, making sure they are thoroughly mixed.

Spread the oat mixture evenly on the cookie sheet, making sure to not leave the ends thinner than the middle, or they will burn. 

Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and stir the granola (I use a metal spatula/pancake turner, flipping it over so that what was against the bottom of the pan isn’t anymore.)  Evenly distribute on the pan again, and bake for another 15 minutes.

At this point, if you prefer chewy granola, place the pan on a cooling rack to completely come to room temperature.  If you prefer crispier granola, turn the oven off, stir the granola one last time, and return the pan to the oven for 10-15 minutes.  (You can test the texture of the granola after the second 15-minute bake by taking a piece and setting it on the counter while you are stirring the rest of it.  Taste it and see if you like the texture.)

Place in a glass jar, crock, or other non-plastic container with an air-tight lid to keep moisture out.  This will make around half a gallon or so. 

Cilantro-Lime Brown Rice

After listening to Dr. Hans Diehl (creator of the CHIP program) speak this weekend, I am once again tweaking our vegan diet.  We already have been consuming vasts quantities of fruits and veggies, including for juicing.  Now we’re ncreasing whole grains (I’m not talking about the flour, but the actual grains) while keeping out the sneaky processed flours that show up when your guard is down and you buy packaged things; cutting back – to the point of eliminating – processed sweeteners (this is my biggest difficulty); and decreasing oils (it’s recommended to not use any added oils, but I’m not sure about that one for me with my mega-dry skin and hair.)  Not only is this a way to maximize health long-term, but in the short term (less than 1 week), I’ve lost pounds!  And I’m eating way more than I was.  Win, win!

BUT!  If my family is going to tolerate me messing with their food – again – it had better be tasty stuff that I fix them, or there will be a revolt against lots of grain, especially plain old rice, showing up on their plates.  While I love the stuff, most of them have never been fans.  Surprisingly, I have a lot of recipes for main dishes using whole grains that we’ve tried.  It’s time to dust off some of the tried-and-true recipes, as well as invent some new ones.

Last night, my son-in-law showed up with a brown bag from Chipotle.  It smelled so good!  Short of putting on my coat and driving to Chipotle, I decided right then that the next day I would make up a really big batch of cilantro-lime rice to split up into smaller amounts for the freezer so that on short notice, I could make something wonderful when tantalizing food teases me.

I’ve tried to make this before, but it fell short.  This time, I thought some onion, garlic, and lime zest would help things along.  And how!!  What a difference.  I had a healthy scoop with some black beans and tomatoes for lunch – yum.

Freeze the extra amounts in meal-sized packages for later use unless you have a large family.

Cilantro-Lime Brown Rice 

• 3 c. long brown rice (basmati or jasmine is nice, but not imperative)
• 8 1/2-9 c. water (or whatever your container of rice indicates is needed)
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• zest of 1 lime, microplaned (this really makes it shine)

• juice from 1 lime
• 1 c. loosely packed cilantro leaves, minced

Bring the first 6 ingredients to a boil in a heavy-duty 3-qt. pan, and then cook over medium-low heat until the water is absorbed (or a little tiny bit is left in the bottom of the pan.)  Taste test it to make sure the rice is soft.  If needed, add a little water and continue cooking.  When it is finished, stir it well and replace the lid, leaving it to rest for at least 15 minutes to steam and get fluffier.  Meanwhile, juice the lime and toss it with the cilantro leaves.

Once the rice is finished steaming, toss it with the lime juice and cilantro.  Serve with any Mexican-style meal, or just with some beans for a quick meal.

Creamy Sweet Rice Salad (formerly known as Rosa Marina Salad)

I promised a short series on breakfasts several months ago…and then I dropped off the face of the planet again.  Sorry.  Life has changed once again and I should be posting more often now.

Preparing fun breakfasts has kinda dropped off around here, too.  I loved eating them, perhaps too much, because I gained weight!  Eating great breakfasts was supposed to help balance the rest of the day and help me eat less, but, apparently, I just love food so much that it didn’t work that way for me.  So, I’ve gone back to a nutrient-packed green smoothie most mornings and save the special breakfasts for special treats.

This salad certainly works for a breakfast treat, or for a healthy dessert!  My preparation of it has changed over the years.  When I first made it, we were vegetarian, but not necessarily healthy ones ~ and it contained eggs, Cool Whip, white sugar, maraschino cherries….obviously, things were going to have to change in the salad when we became vegan and also gave up so many chemicals in our foods!  I finally nailed a tasty version of the salad without maraschino cherries (one of my childhood favorites.)  It still did contain the very small pasta called rosa marina or orzo, which helped the dressing to firm up into a nice, thick creamy dream.

Then…dun, dun, dun…enter gluten issues for me.  This salad was just one of the many casualties of my new way of eating.  It broke my heart (all of the situation, not just losing this salad.)  I tried and tried to come up with suitable replacements, but everything I replaced just failed.  Quinoa was too chewy; long-grained rice’s texture was off; the creamy dressing never set up.  It was very disappointing.  And my family was starting to make disparaging comments about the versions I created, because nothing was as good to them as the orzo!  (Never mind that white flour pasta isn’t good for you and nobody seems to make whole grain orzo.)

This time, I succeeded.  I adjusted the dressing to have less liquid.  I used short grain brown rice to give a better texture and since it is somewhat sticky, it allowed the creamy dressing to thicken properly.  Granted, my family still is a little on the fence about it, because they remember the pasta version and textures are a big deal to them.  Personally, I love it and am so happy to have it back in my life that I fix it despite their opinions.

I’ve been known to add sliced strawberries, fresh or frozen cherries, or blueberries to change things up a bit ~ although they can really change the color of the cream.  (I can guarantee the whole salad to myself this way, because of my fussy eaters, so adding it to individual bowls may work better.)  I have also been toying with the idea of using fresh pineapple, but I’m wondering if that would curdle the cream.  Let me know what adaptations you come up with to try!

Creamy Sweet Rice Salad

• 1 c. short brown rice
• 3/8 tsp. salt
• 1 3/4 c. water (or according to rice package)

• 2 20-oz cans unsweetened pineapple tidbits, drained (reserve 1 c. of the juice!)
• 3 11-oz. cans of mandarin orange segments, drained (do NOT reserve the liquid)

• 1 12-oz pkg. Morinu extra-firm tofu
• 3/4 c. raw cashews (soak these for 4 hours or so if you don’t have a strong blender)
• 1 c. reserved pineapple juice
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/3 c. evaporated cane juice crystals OR 1/4 tsp.+ pure stevia OR other equivalent dry sweetener

Cook rice according to package directions, but make sure it is quite well done so that it isn’t too chewy.  Meanwhile, place fruit into a large mixing bowl.  Blend the last 6 ingredients until very smooth and pour over the fruit.  When the rice is ready, mix it into the fruit and cream.  Refrigerate until cold and the cream sets up nicely.

Traditional and Radical Breakfast Ideas

To really give a kick my breakfast series, I thought I’d list some links to previous posts that are breakfast worthy.  Some are traditional items, but some are a little outside that box.  Remember, the point is to eat at least as healthfully as your box of cereal has allowed you to do.  Hopefully, a better goal is to eat more healthfully and to actually look forward to breakfast when you wake up!

Some of these recipes are gluten-free and some are not.  I am in process of recreating some of my old wheat-filled stand-bys into gluten-free versions.  I’ll post them as I have success.  I’ve marked (gf) beside the recipes that you might wonder about, but left it off of things like smoothies, which are a little more obvious that they already are gluten-free.

Meanwhile, dig in to some great breakfasts!

Cocoa-Banana Breakfast Cake (or Muffins)

Breakfast.  It can be so boring ~ so unhealthy ~ and so expensive.  Are you stuck in a rut?  Are you tired of paying an arm and a leg for boxed cereal that has little staying power and often little true nutrition?  I am going to start a series on make-ahead breakfast recipes to take the ho-hum out of mornings.  You’ll find yourself looking forward to breakfast!  You might even want to take a look at some of your current recipes and rethink the possibility of using them for a morning meal.  Of course, I always add some fresh fruit to the meal to round it out nutritionally.

Whether you have to eat gluten-free, or not, this breakfast cake will please you!  It was so exciting to put the first forkful into my mouth and taste how delicious it was.  The texture is moist and heavy like some decadent muffin that you might buy.  Mmmm.  In fact,

Fiesta Quinoa

Ah, the plans I make and the menus I create….only to be dashed to pieces the first night!  Grocery day can be crazy in our household, with stops at several stores, since no single one of them carries everything with which I cook.  Today (actually, several months ago, since I found this post hiding in my draft folder) was no different ~ except a couple of extra errands were tossed in for good measure.  This meant I didn’t have the needed time to make the do-ahead items on my menu for the week.  Which also meant that when I got home late, there was no instant supper to put on the table.

Coconut Cream Topping

If you are not happy with the vegan options for a whipped-type topping (cashew creme, tofu-based items, etc.) because they add a funny taste or texture, then this is the recipe for you!  As long as you like coconut flavor, that is.  🙂  I find it accompanies just about any dessert well, with the mild coconut flavor melding seamlessly.

These days I couldn’t be happier about eating coconut in any way possible with all the health benefits of coconut being touted.  My two favorite coconutty things to consume are

Gluten-free Pie Crust

I have been very lazy where pie crusts are concerned.  In the past, I have resorted to press-in types, because I didn’t like fussing with rolling them out.  For health’s sake, I also tried whole wheat versions with oil rather than shortening.  No one gave rave reviews over those.  Then during the low-fat craze, my crusts became even less tasty and harder to get out of the pie plate.  Rarely were there pies coming out of my kitchen.  Then I had to give up wheat and figured that completed the demise of pies for me.

If any of this sounds familiar, I want to jump up and down and shout that it doesn’t have to end this way for you!  I have found the solutions to my problems.

First of all, let me just say that organic virgin coconut oil is the biggest answer to all of your crust problems, whether wheat or gluten-free.  This stuff is amazing and has many health benefits.  Even though you start with solid coconut oil, as you work the crust you do not have to worry about the warming from your hands melting it and causing it to destroy the crust.  It actually makes it easier to work with the crust!

The second answer to crust problems for those with gluten-free needs is a product called Orgran gluten substitute.  This is made in Australia, but is available through Amazon I am told.  A friend shared a box with me and I was hooked.  PLEASE note, that you do not have to use this in this recipe, as I’ve given another option, but it is the easiest to make when you do.  It is primarily starch-based with some “-oses” and guar gum.  If you do not like to use those things, I’ll tell you how to skip it.

When I used the Orgran product, I both pressed in a crust and rolled out a crust.  (Pictured above are both – the press-in in the foreground with no edging and the rolled out in the background with a crinkled edge.)  The crust was so pliable and workable, that rolling it out was easy!  If I tore the crust, it easily patched with a little pressing and rolling.  Warming the ball of dough and kneading it a bit allowed for the best workability.  When baked into a pumpkin pie, it was flaky, tender, and the best crust I had tasted in a long time!  Everyone liked it.  Success!  And it popped out of the pie plate without sticking, making for a pretty piece of pie on each plate.

The next time I did not use the Orgran and substituted more oat flour.  The crust still worked, but it was not as pliable and tended to want to stick to my rolling pin.  With some patience and extra warmth/kneading, it still worked well.  When baked into a pumpkin pie, it came out of the pan easily and was tasty, but it wasn’t as flaky and tender.  It had a tendency to crumb a little more.  The crust in this picture of pie is using the extra oat flour, as is the whole pie pictured below.  You can see that it doesn’t fall apart.  I think it is a viable option, and definitely a cheaper one.  I am wondering as I write this if I used melted coconut oil whisked with the water if that wouldn’t help even more with the texture of the finished product and the pliability of the dough.  I will have to continue experimenting.

Another great thing about this crust is that if you want a fancy edge, it will handle the extra grief needed to produce one.  On the other hand, if you want to just bring the crust up even to the edge of your pie plate and hack it off there, smoothing the edge, it works, too!  How can you not love such a versatile crust?  🙂

I have only worked this into a single crust pie.  I do not know how the more fragile no-Orgran crust will behave in a top-crust situation, but the one with the Orgran should be fine.

This makes 3, 9″ deep-dish single crusts with a little left over when you trim the crusts.  (If you saw my pumpkin pie recipe, you know that I have 3 pie plates to accommodate that recipe.  Thus the strange number of crusts.)  You can decrease the recipe to make a smaller amount if you have smaller pans or want fewer pies.

Gluten-free Pie Crust

• 1 c. almond meal
• 1 c. brown rice flour
• 1/4 c. arrowroot
• 1/4 c. tapioca flour
• 1/2 c. Orgran gluten substitute or oat flour
• 1 c. oat flour
• 1 1/2 – 2 tsp. salt (with a sweet pie the 2 tsp. seemed a little too much)
• 1 c. solid coconut oil (measure and refrigerate if necessary during the summer heat)
• 10 T. cold water

Mix dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Cut in the coconut oil until it is well mixed into the flour.  There should be smaller-than-pea-sized pieces formed when you are done.  Quickly stir in the cold water and knead/squeeze until the dough becomes well formed.  Divide into 3 equal balls of dough.  Onto waxed paper, roll out each circle of dough*.  If using the oat-flour-only option and it sticks to the rolling pin, use a lighter touch and be patient.  Transfer the crust to each pie pan by inverting the waxed paper over the pan.  Carefully peel off the waxed paper and fit the crust into the pan.  If there are splits or tears, just press the crust together.  Trim the top edge, finishing it as you would like.  Fill and bake according to pie’s directions.

*Another option would be to press the dough into each pan evenly and proceed with filling.

Garbanzo Melt Open-faced Sandwiches

For some reason I had not made garbanzo melts in a long time.  When J and R asked what was for supper and heard this was it, they made the kind of loud, growly “OOOOHH’s” only teen boys tend to make.  I had no idea of the popularity of these, or I would have been making them more often!

The great thing about these is that any leftover filling works for a cold sandwich, too.  You can use your favorite bread, including an artisan variety, which will make these even more amazing!  Gluten-free bread will suffice here, too, as long as you have a tasty one.  The best thing is that these are simple to make, you probably have all of the ingredients in your cupboard already, and they can be quickly thrown together.  Win!

Another option for these is to make them into regular grilled sandwiches on a griddle, rather than open-faced.  They just tend to squish out when you bite them!

As usual, organic ingredients will give you the best flavor and nutrition.

This recipe uses 10-12 slices of bread, but you can easily cut it in half if you want to make less.  Remember ~ any extra filling keeps well in the refrigerator.

Garbanzo Melt Open-faced Sandwiches

• 1/2 of an onion (red is best, but any will do)
• 2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 T. +/- Veganaise non-dairy mayo
• 1 1/2 – 2 tsp. mustard (yellow will work, but spicy brown is great)
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• salt to taste
• 3-4 T. relish
• 10-12 slices of bread
• extra virgin olive oil in mist-er, or non-dairy butter
• 15-18 slices of Tofutti vegan cheese or more (how many slices will depend on how big your bread is)

Preheat oven to 400°.

Mince the onion in a food processor.  Add the beans, mayo, mustard, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Pulse the food processor until the ingredients are well mixed and the beans are roughly ground.  The texture can be fairly rough to as smooth as hummus depending on your preference.  I like somewhere in between.

Remove mixture to a bowl.  Add 3 T. of relish.  Taste and add more relish and salt to taste.  Your brand of garbanzo bean will make the difference of how much salt needs to be added.

Spray one side of each slice of bread (or lightly “butter” it), placing it oil-side down on a cookie sheet.  Spread garbanzo bean mixture onto each slice.  Lay slices of cheese on top of the open-faced sandwiches, breaking slices in half or thirds if necessary to add enough to completely cover each piece of bread.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is soft and melty looking.  The bottom of the bread will be toasted and crispy.