- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup wheat germ or wheat bran
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup raisins (optional)
- Chopped almonds (optional)
- Chocolate chips (optional)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.
I’ve had to alter this recipe a bit since moving to Nicaragua. I still want my daily homemade granola but need to work with what’s available. Many of the ingredients listed above are either too expensive to buy on a regular basis or just not found in country. However, the biggest complication is the oven. We don’t have one! Ovens are uncommon around these parts, and on the rare occasion one has one, they are largely used as storage space. This is mainly due to the high cost of gas; what powers the stoves and ovens.
So, I have found a new granola recipe.
· 1 lb. toasted peanuts (I buy these from a guy at the market for 30 cords, a little over $1)
· 1 cup of raisins (I but these at the local grocery store, Pali. A bag lasts me two batches, and costs 49 cord, $2)
· ½ cup or so of banana chips (I also buy these at Pali and the bag lasts two batches. It costs 10 cords, about 40 cents.)
· ½ cup of oatmeal toasted with honey (I but the oatmeal from the same guy at the market where I get the peanuts and the honey I get at Pali. A bag of oatmeal is 30 cords, over $1 and a honey bear is about 50 cords, about $2)
Directions:
1. Toast the oats over the stove with some honey.
2. Wait for the oats to cool.
3. Mix peanuts, raisins, banana chips, and coated oats in a bag.
4. Eat.
One batch lasts me a week. I typically eat about a handful in the afternoons. I'm enjoying my new Nica style granola! -Caressa