Make breakfast a breeze with ‘on-the-go’ granola…
Granola is a great breakfast to make a home. Bake up a batch at the weekend when you have a little spare time and set yourself up for a week’s worth of simple brekkies.
Liz Meredith from Deli Kitchen, Dorchester, knows a thing or two when it comes to great granola. We asked Liz to share her favourite granola secrets…
“I am a self-confessed fussy eater, so for me to get a perfect granola, I had to make my own. Here at Deli Kitchen our concept is to make healthy, organic, moreish food. It has to look good, taste good, and be kind to our body.
Let’s start with oats – I use jumbo, rolled, gluten-free organic oats, British of course. Next I make an apple puree from English eating apples. I poach apples gently in a small amount of water until I have the perfect consistency. I then add apple syrup to the puree, made by Liberty Fields – this acts as a natural sweetener. I add a little cinnamon to this, it is the perfect accompaniment to apples, though of course you can add any spice that is your personal favourite.
Combine the oats with the puree mixture and lightly bake for 15–20 minutes at a low temperature. I will then add my choice of nuts and seeds, and bake again for another 5 minutes just to toast. You can then get inventive adding your choice of dried fruit – I personally like apricots and raisins. Sometimes I like to add cranberries or sour cherries as they have a jewel-like colour and make a very pleasing colour combination.
I must confess, I do like a little salt in with my granola and I have recently discovered Portland sea salt made by The Dorset Sea Salt Company. I will sprinkle a few flakes over my bowl of granola, and their saltiness enlivens your taste buds beautifully.
To serve your granola, add yogurt from Dorset Dairy Co. and a spoon full of lemon curd from Dorset With Love. If you have a sweet tooth, you could make your own fruit compote and add this instead of the lemon curd.”