Get it done: SUPER SHINY AMAZING GRANOLA

I'm seriously always making granola now. I don't even use a recipe anymore. Junk in a bowl, make it wet, cook it. Done. It's that easy.

I did happen to write this particular concoction down, and it was pretty popular around here...  sooo I thought sharing is caring.

This granola will literally lift you up and take you flying ever so effortlessly through the clouds. It will do your laundry, pay your bills and find the missing socks for you. Forget meditation and warm lemon water... This stuff is amazing and so good for you, it's illegal.

SUPER POWERS GRANOLA

Preheat: 325 degrees

1 cup Oats
1 cup Quinoa Flakes
1/2 cup Buckwheat Flour
1/2 cup Hemp Seed Hearts
1/2 cup Hazelnut Meal
1/3 cup ground flax seed
1 cup Almonds
1 cup unsweetened Coconut flakes
1/4 Chia seeds
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/4 Tbsp Truvia powder (Please feel free to substitute with 1/2 cup brown sugar or honey)
3/4 cup melted Coconut oil
1/3 cup water
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Throw it all in a bowl and mix it up really well.

Separate ingredients onto 2 large cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake and watch and turn. Bake and watch and turn. I set my timer for every 10 minutes and that seemed too little, then i tried 15 and that was too much. Basically when the edges of the mixture start to brown you need to mix and turn it again. After turning it 3 times, take it out and let it cool before placing in an airtight container.

Makes enough for 12 1/2 cup servings, But in my house it doesn't last that long.

IMPORTANT NOTE: my 11-year-old non granola eater eats this. Super weird. 

First and Foremost: QUINOA BUCKWHEAT POWER GRANOLA

GRANOLA POWER: First and Foremost

I know...  crappy weird picture with indescribably dirty granola container. I know. Frankly in person it just doesn't look that dirty. Mea Culpa.

Anyhoo, the granola is delicious and super good for you. But I've been making a lot of granola lately, So this is only the beginning. I need to get back on the blogging horse, and this sub-par picture is what I had today in the middle of endless snow pant donning, writing assignment and trying to meditate once and for all.

 

QUINOA BUCKWHEAT POWER GRANOLA

•  3 cups quinoa flakes
• 1 cup buckwheat groats
• 2 tbsp each ground flax, chia seeds and sesame seeds (optional)
• 1/2 cup each pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, chopped almonds and chopped hazelnuts (or any combination of what you have on hand)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 Tbsp vanilla

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Mix the oil, honey and vanilla together. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until the flakes and groats are well coated. Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 baking tray. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

If you’d like to add dried fruit, you can do so at the end. I chose to add 1 cup of coconut flakes at the end. I love the crisp white curls in this otherwise monochromatic granola.

WORK FOR IT: Cauliflower Pizza Crust (LOW CARB)

Before I launch into my tale, let me preface by saying there is an extremely delicious, low carb end to this story, lest you be put off by my next few paragraphs.

Like all things in life,this seemed endless overly complicated and stressful.... 

I did't think i was going to get through it.

I regretted even starting it.

1.I had already made several other 'regular' pizzas for the fam. They had moved on and were happily enjoying their saturday night while i slaved over this bad boy.

2.I have a very small kitchen which was already a complete wreck when i started. AND my busted oven was turning on and off the whole time, making things indescribably difficult. 

4.Plus, I was really hungry.

As I was making it I really thought, 

OK NO. This is too much.

Now, that I am on the other side of it, I think making a second one would be 1000x easier. I urge you to try it when you have time and energy to get through the virgin crust.

Plus it was absolutely delicious. EVERYONE went nuts for it. Trust me, it does NOT taste like some fakey vegetarian version of a food we adore. It's super! It's low carb!

I confess, I WILL make it again, knowing what i know now.

WORK FOR IT: Low Carb Cauliflower Pizza Crust
makes 1 large crust

Ingredients:

4 cups raw cauliflower rice

1 egg, beaten

1 cup mozzarella 

1/2 cup cheddar

(Use whatever spices you think will work. I used...)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 t oregano 

1 t basil 

2 t chopped garlic

pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400F, and start your crust.

To make the cauliflower "rice": pulse batches of raw cauliflower florets in a food processor, until a rice-like texture is achieved. Ours came out even finer than rice and worked just wonderfully. It's just too easy.

Microwave the cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl, for 8 minutes, stirring to vent steam every 2 minutes. When it's done, Let it sit and cool, folding it over with a spoon every so often. I put it onto a flatter plate to allow more steam to come out.

Once you've cooled the "rice", transfer it to a clean, thin dishtowel.  In the dishtowel, twist it up, then SQUEEZE all the excess moisture out! It should make the cauliflower into a sort of mashed potato like ball inside the towel. ALOT of extra water will be released, which is important! 

In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower ball, egg, cheeses and spices. Transfer onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread/shape/flatten into a rectangular crust like thing. It WON'T feel like regular dough, but don't worry. (1/4 inch?...our was even thinner i think) Now,continue to blot the whole thing several times with paper towels when you are fashioning it into the crust. 

(Yes, it takes alot to get the moisture out, But if you don't do it, the crust will be soggy and not like a crust at all.)

Bake it until it starts to turn golden. Then, VERY IMPORTANT, CAREFULLY invert it onto a new cookie sheet by placing another parchment on top and flipping. It's not as hard as it seems, but be careful. Let's be honest, it's hot and not cooked completely yet. (If you made two smaller crusts this whole shindig would be easier....)

Peel the old parchment off the back and then bake the other side till it is also golden. You could even broil it a little to speed up the process! 

Take it out and  top it with whatever the heck you want! (Yes, we used pepperoni on half or it...But thats entirely optional -duh.)
BROIL the toppings everything is browned and melted the way you like. Let it cool for 5 or 10 minutes,If you want cut it perfectly, But we devoured it right away and it was just glorious.

I think making a double batch of this and freezing one seems like a delightful option.

FAMILY TALLY: A+++. SERIOUSLY.

I was inspired by this recipe and the comments that were made regarding it. http://detoxinista.com/2012/01/the-secret-to-perfect-cauliflower-pizza-crust/

BEST BITE: Frozen Raw Brownie Bites

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  Ok I am obviously romanced by the weird new health things like Quinoa flakes, Hemp and the like. My cupboard is filling up and I feel like I should be wearing John Lennon glasses and a moo moo. I don't know what's happening to me. I have been known to chow down on McDonalds back in the day, I confess.

I also feel a strange urge to bake all the time. I HATE baking. I'm talking card carrying, cake from a box tastes better and is a F*** lot easier than a homemade cake kinda baker. Die Hard.

...hated.

A change has come, I guess. Go figure. I'm going with it for now, even though the dishes are getting me down and our tiny kitchen is starting to explode...

Anyway- THESE ARE AMAZING. To the point Very VERY chocolaty. A HUGE HIT.

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• BEAUTIFUL BITE: Frozen Raw Brownie Bites

• ¼ cup raw shelled hemp seeds or fine add in of your choice 
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 3 tbsp chia seeds or ground flax seeds
• ½ cup unsweetened vanilla non dairy milk
• 1 tsp agave
• ⅔ cup + 2 tbsp bittersweet chocolate chips
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tsp natural vanilla extract
• ¼ cup coconut flour

1. 
   
2. 
   
3. Combine hemp seeds with 1 tsp sugar & maple syrup in a non stick pan. Cook at LOW heat for about 5 minutes, until they start to brown, stirring often so they don’t burn. Set aside to cool.
4. 
   
5. Mix milk and chia/ground flax seeds in a small bowl and set aside
6. 
   
7. In a large microwave safe bowl, melt together ⅔ cup chocolate chips, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa powder, agave and coconut oil on the 50% setting for 90 seconds at a time. Stir and repeat till everything is melted.
8. 
   
9. Once it’s completely melted, add vanilla extract, chia mixture, coconut flour, hemp seeds and 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips. Mix until all the ingredients together. THIS WILL BE VERY VERY GOOEY.
10. 
    
11. Spoon mixture into paper liners in a cupcake or muffin pan and freeze until they harden (this usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour). I used mini cupcake liners, for the small bites...But you could use any size really.
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13. Thaw for a few minutes to serve!