Tropical “Beet” Granola (nut-free)

I can see you wrinkling your nose… yes, you! I see you!  Can I ask for a favor?  Can you just trust me on this and give it a try?  Even if you don’t care for beets, please try it.  I don’t ask for much from you do I?  The reason I feel so confident in asking a non-beet-eater to try this is… Bob, my loving husband hates, despises, loathes… dislikes beets, putting it mildly and he ended up really enjoying this granola.  I was sneaky when I presented it to him, I didn’t tell the name of the recipe nor did I explain what was in it.  I just asked if he would try it, he tilted his head back and opened his mouth… I dropped in a cluster of granola mixed with a few  dried fruits.  He chewed and swallowed.  I sat there starring at him, but trying not to be obvious about it.  I wanted to catch his unedited facial expression after tasting it.  That often tells me more than any words could.  He nodded his head up and down (always a good sign), his eyebrows lifted (another positive reaction), he gently moved his mouth around as if savoring and thinking about the flavor (I held my breath) and he didn’t go running to the kitchen to wash the taste out of his mouth.  That right there said everything I needed.  Then to confirm my thoughts, he nodded at me and said that he really liked it.  He still doesn’t know that I made it with beets and that will remain our little secret, well until he reads this post. haha

When working with red and pink beets, be prepared for beet-red stains on your hands and countertops. Because the color is difficult to remove from wood or plastic surfaces, you may want to work on waxed paper and wear gloves.  Choose small to medium beets for a sweeter flavor, and look for those with fresh looking green tops. When you get them home, store beets and greens separately.  Use the greens within two days, but you can refrigerate the beets in a plastic bag for up to two weeks.

So why use beets?  Well for starters I needed some color in my life!  Most granola mixes are in the natural tan and brown colors, which I thoroughly enjoy, but sometimes I just crave color.  I knew that I didn’t want to use any food coloring chemical so beets came to mind.  I have been making beet juice for the past week and the color always leaves me amazed just how gorgeous it is.  This recipe is a great way to use left over pulp from making beet juice, such as my  Sweet & Spicy Detox Juice.

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled, gluten-free oats, soaked
• 1 cup buckwheat, soaked
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked

Wet Ingredients:

• 1 medium red beet (92 g), rough chopped or beet pulp
• 6 large, pitted medjool dates, soaked  in 1/2 cup  hot water
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp raw agave nectar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 20 drops liquid stevia

Mix ins:

• 2 cups coconut flakes
• 2 cups dried pineapple, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preparation:

1. Soak the oats, sunflower seeds and buckwheat.  I soaked them all together in a bowl overnight.  Drain and rinse well.  Place a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
2. Remove the pits from the dates and place them in 1/2 cup of hot water.  Measure out 1 Tbsp coconut oil and place the measuring spoon in the water along with the dates.  Soaking the dates will soften them which will make it easier for blending.  And placing the the measuring spoon of coconut oil along with them will melt it, just saving a step and dishes. :) Soak for 15 minutes.
3. Rough chop the beet and place in the food processor, fitted with the “S” blade.  Add the dates, coconut oil, soak water, agave, cinnamon, salt and stevia.  Process until it becomes a sauce.
4. Pour the red sauce over the oats, sunflower seeds and buckwheat.  Mix well.  Spread out on the teflex sheets that come with the dehydrator and dry at 115 degrees for 8 hours.  This mix dries quicker than most granolas.
5. Once dry, place in a large bowl and hand mix in the coconut flakes, pineapple and cranberries.  I chose to mix these in afterward to avoid everything turning a reddish / pink color.  I wanted a variety of color.
6. Store in an airtight glass container on your counter for several weeks.  Enjoy with nut milk, yogurt, or just as a snack by the handful.

Posted on Thursday, February 7th, 2013 at 8:44 pm. Filed under: Granola Tags: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, sugar-free, Vegan RSS 2.0 feed.