I don’t know about you but in spite of my good intentions (mastering the art of watercolour painting, getting to grips with my abysmal French and Spanish language skills, reading improving books), the Coronavirus lock-down has led to me gorging on trashy novels, trashier TV programmes and an awful lot of snack food.
I thought I could at least munch on something nutritious, if not exactly slimming, so I made this savoury granola. Scatter it on salads, on soups, on baked Brie (yum) or just eat it in fistfuls from the jar while watching the aforementioned bad telly. Vacuum the sofa cushions later.
You can vary it according to personal taste and what you have in your cupboard, but keep the ratios roughly the same. It’s so simple it’s something you could make with the kids, if they enjoy non-sugary snacks, though you might want to dial down the chilli.
Savoury Granola
Ingredients:
100g porridge oats (jumbo oats if you have them)
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
50g unsalted nuts (I used cashews)
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp sesame seeds (50:50 black and white if you have them)
1 or 2 tbsp unsweetened desiccated coconut
1 tspn smoked paprika
Up to 1 tspn chilli flakes
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp maple syrup/runny honey/agave syrup
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Method:
Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together.
Line a baking tray with parchment and scatter in the mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes in the centre of the oven, gently stirring the sides to the middle halfway through, without breaking up the clumps. It should look golden, not charred. Keep an eye on it, it can burn easily.
Remove from the oven, cool completely, then seal in an airtight jar. All the little crummy bits that don’t fit in the pot? Chef’s treat.
Now that really does appeal, and I’ve got everything but jumbo oats. Never mind. I have ordinary oats.
I just used porridge oats. No matter. Hope you enjoy it, Margaret, thanks. x
Maybe this afternoon, since the sun’s gone in would be a good chance to try.
Looks utterly delicious. I’ve got everything but pumpkin seeds and coconut. Any thoughts?
The coconut is optional. I suggest you replace the pumpkin seeds with a few more nuts, maybe a different variety, chopped a bit smaller. Thanks for stopping by!
I never need to vacuum. I have dogs! Love this recipe!
Haha, this is where dogs trump cats. A rare event, naturally. 🙂 Thanks a lot, Mimi, stay well. xxx
Glad to see that I’m not alone in my rush to play Minecraft (introduced to it by my son), gorge on Don Winslow novels and binge on Babylon Berlin. Oh – the horror, the horror – my own culinary weakness is an atavistic instinct to add Velveeta to everything. The granola looks great! Ken
Thanks, Ken. Ooh, Don Winslow – a new one to me, what have you started? Loving your lockdown recipes. My best to you both. xx
I guess we’ve got something in common in falling short on all those good intentions for making the most of staying at home. Only I tend mostly to video games, frivolous YouTube videos and endless scrolling through subreddits… Anyway, savory granola rather strikes my fancy. I’m not terribly partial to the sweet variety but this sounds nice, perfect for snacking while playing video games.
I’ve tried to love video games but they just don’t float my boat. I can lose myself in a book though. Glad you like the look of the granola, Frank. Take care. Lx