Orange Cinnamon Granola Cereal (nut-free)

My goal for this recipe was to make a “cereal”.   And I accomplished just that!  This is not like my typical granola that can be carried around as a snack as well, this one is looser and needs to be eaten in a bowl with nut milk  or….  by the way of “hand-to-mouth” technique.  Eating with the hands evokes great emotion.  It kindles something very warm and gentle and caressing.

Etiquette, as a matter of fact, is central to most traditions of hand-to-mouth eating; the artfulness and ritual of the practice is part of what people love about it.  Some cultures eat only with their right hand, or their left hand, there are so many traditions.

Remembering all the proper eating etiquette’s that come into play when using utensils can be downright exhausting:

• Don’t let the spoon clatter on the bowl.
• Don’t scrap the utensil on your teeth.
• Make sure you use the right spoon for the right dish.
• Don’t make a slurping soup when eating cereal.
• But do slurp when eating soup!
• Always scoop food, using the proper utensil, away from you.

I mean come on… really?!  The list goes on and on.  How is one to remember all of that when all you really want to do is devour eat your food!?  It’s up to you, you can decide if you want to abide by all the rules of using utensils or you can  practice the “hand-to-mouth” technique. :)

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 cups gluten-free, rolled oats (soaked and dehydrated)
• 1 cups raisins
• 1/2 cup hemp seeds
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds (soaked)
• 1/4 cup flax seeds (soak for 10 mins. in just enough water to cover them)
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (soaked)
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened

Wet Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (1 orange)
• 2 Tbsp orange zest (1 orange worth, use organic!)
• 1/4 cup raw agave nectar or raw honey
• 3 Tbsp cold-pressed coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp Stevia Powder (I use NuNaturals White)
• 1/4 tsp orange extract
• 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Preparation:

1. Read up on the importance of soaking the oats and seeds.  If you are short on time, you can skip this process.  Make the best decision for you!
2. Place dry ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl and mix.
3. Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well.
4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until everything is well coated.
5. Transfer to non-stick dehydrator sheets and dry at 105 degrees for 16-24 hours.
6. Store in an airtight glass container.

Posted on Sunday, March 4th, 2012 at 8:45 am. Filed under: Breakfast Tags: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan RSS 2.0 feed.