Breakfast Idea: Crunchy Berry Granola

Shopping for oats.

Oats are the traditional base for muesli, granola and porridge. Even so, you can use many other cereals, such as millet, quinoa and rice. These add taste and texture and can be used to complement or replace oats.

There are many health benefits from eating oats. They reduce cholesterol and are a good source of fiber, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese and magnesium – the list goes on. Oats contain slight traces of gluten and should be avoided by people with a severe gluten allergy. Oats are usually sold as flakes; the oat grains are steamed and flattened.

Porridge oats are best for making smooth, creamy porridge that’s ideal for kids. Small oat flakes can be used for any cereal-based dish; the bigger the flakes, the thicker the porridge. Large oat flakes are less processed and therefore contain more nutrients. They are better for granola and muesli than for porridge as they are usually much firmer. Quick-cook oats only take 2–3 minutes to cook, but they undergo a longer manufacturing process and are less nutritious than other types. Their taste is rather bland and their texture not as appealing as less processed oats.

When you buy oats or any other cereal, always read the label to see whether sugar, salt or artificial flavorings have been added. Go for ‘natural’ products and sweeten them to your own taste.

Granola

No need to be a three-star chef to make granola. It’s very simple. Just be sure not to add the dried fruit to the oats' mixture after you’ve cooked it, otherwise the fruit will burn. Check the oats regularly as they cook as they can burn in a matter of seconds. Let’s start with preparing the oat base.

Ingredients:

6 tbsp mixed buckwheat and large oats

2 tbsp cereal flakes of your choice

200g dried fruit, chopped

1 tbsp hazelnuts, chopped

1 tbsp pecans/walnuts, chopped

1 tbsp flaked almonds

1 tsp pumpkin seeds

1 tsp sunflower seeds

1 tsp sesame seeds

1 tsp flax seeds

1 tbsp desiccated coconut

1/2 cup coconut oil, in liquid form,

1/2 cup honey

Pinch salt

Fresh berries

Greek yogurt

Directions

Step 1.

Toast the oats, nuts and seeds in a dry frying pan for 2–3 minutes or until they turn golden. Leave to cool slightly.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F. Stir all the dry ingredients together, apart from the dried fruit which is added at the end. Stir in all the remaining ingredients. In a glass baking dish greased with coconut oil, mix oatmeal, nuts, flax seeds, and honey.

Step 3

Spread the granola mixture over two baking sheets. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until nice and golden.

Remove the granola from the oven and leave to cool.

Serve with Greek yogurt and berries.

Bon Appétit!