My deliciously fragrant citrus granola recipe is simple (naturally), economical and supports local growers – oh, and it’s probably a bit healthy too!
We’re empty-nesters now, for the time being, at least. It may be for good – who knows? One of the things I struggle with in our new lifestyle is scaling back shopping and cooking and, after The Bloke came home from the shops with the giant economy box of oats because it was cheaper than the normal size, it became obvious I’m not alone. (We’ve been here before, but with Tim Tams, and serious discussions were had. 🙂 )
So oats have become a fixture on our morning menu. I put oats, water and a pinch of salt in a pot in the slow oven of the combustion stove at night, and in the morning we have a steaming pot of oatmeal for breakfast. What we don’t eat, the hens are very happy to demolish – so that’s a bit of a win/win.
My slow cooked oatmeal breakfast – served with a dash of cream and some left-over saffron syrup it becomes a whole lot more than a bowl of porridge!
I’ve also been making my own granola. I love the commercial brands with lots of nuts, but they are pricey – so when I received a parcel of Singing Magpie Produce pecans and dried fruit in the post last week (thanks so much, Sue!) I was inspired.
We’ve just come back from a gloriously sunny long weekend in the Riverland and I’ve got a kitchen full of their fabulous food products. I’ve combined a few of them in this simple recipe and come up with the perfect way to enjoy that sunny goodness here in the wintry Adelaide Hills by making my own Citrus Granola.
If you’ve got half an hour up your sleeve and a handful of everyday ingredients, there’s no reason why this shouldn’t be on your breakfast menu (or your snacking menu) too. I used Singing Magpie’s sun-dried Smyrna quince, which is available from her online shop. It’s a popular product, so if it’s sold out, just sub chopped dried Riverland apricots.
My citrus granola is so much nicer than any of the commercial products I’ve bought, has less sugar, is heaps cheaper, makes a great snack and supports local growers – all the reasons you need to give this recipe a go.
Citrus Granola
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 2 cups of oats
- 1 cup of roughly chopped Singing Magpie Produce pecans
- 1/2 cup of roughly chopped Singing Magpie Produce dried Smyrna quince
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- zest of one Riverland orange
- Orange essential oil or orange liqueur
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C.
- Spread coconut, oatmeal and nuts on a large, lined tray and toast for approx 10 minutes, stirring them around twice in that time to prevent them burning.
- Cool slightly.
- Combine chia seeds, maple syrup,spices, quince and orange zest in a large bowl, add cooled dried ingredients and mix well. Add a few drops of orange oil or a little orange liqueur and mix that in well.
- Spread mix out evenly on lined tray and toast in oven for 10-15 minutes, again stirring around at least twice to prevent burning. Remove when golden.
- Cool and store in airtight jar.
That bowl of porridge looks delicious-I think it’s the saffron syrup that tips it over the top! 😀
wow, dried quince! I haven’t seen that before – does it have any added sugar?
I’m not sure Beck – you’d have to contact Sue at Singing Magpie.
Homemade granola, there is nothing better. I used to soak my oats in cold water with raisins overnight and then add the rest of the ingredients in the morning.