My sister-in-law Mirna continues to fuel my inspiration when it comes to food. Over Thanksgiving, she whipped out a warm fruit and berry oatmeal breakfast that I fell in love with. It’s so easy, is gluten-free and has little or no sugar depending on the topping you use. You can make it in a large pan or a small pan. Just adjust fruit and oatmeal amounts accordingly. This is perfect for a breakfast with company or for a brunch. It looks like a fruit cobbler but the only sweetness is from the fruit.
For 6 servingsuse a deep dish pie pan like I did or a 8.5” x 11” baking pan. A springform pan would be great too.
2.5lbs.fresh or frozen mixed fruit. I used what I had in my freezer and leftover from summer. Feel free to improvise with your favorite fruits.
My combination consisted of:
1bag of cubed mango
1bag of frozen mixed berries
1bag of frozen cherries
1bag of frozen raspberries
1fresh bananasliced thinly
1/2 - 1tsp.cinnamondepending on how spicy you like it
1cupof my homemade granolasee this website for recipe. Mirna used about a cup of plain oatmeal instead of the granola, which makes a thicker mixture that cooks into the fruit.
Yogurt and honeyoptional
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together in the baking dish.
Bake for 20 minutes or until fruit is bubbly.
Remove from heat and sprinkle granola or oatmeal on top. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes.
Cool slightly.
I emptied my freezer and created a tasty breakfast.Ready to dig in.
I love this warm but it is still delicious after being refrigerated for several days. Serve with a dollop of yogurt and a drizzle of honey.
Today’s breakfast! Granola topped fruit and yogurt.
Olive oil? In granola? Certo! (Certainly!) This idea offered to me by my sister-in-law Mirna, was worth exploring. I’ve made plenty of granola in the past and recently started craving it with my morning yogurt and fruit. A quick label read at the local healthy grocery store revealed that every single brand on the shelf from medium-priced to expensive all contained canola oil. As a canola oil rebel, I was disgusted that all these companies creating so-called nutritious and healthy cereals would be reluctant to add anything other than canola! Yes, I realize that canola oil has its benefits for some but I choose to eliminate it from my diet – GMO’s, pesticides, high heat processing – you get the picture. When the suggestion was made to substitute olive oil for canola oil, at first I suspected it might have a flavor incongruent to the cinnamon and maple syrup in the granola. I took the chance anyway. The results – the best granola I have ever made. I used my Galantino medium fruity EVOO but think it would be extraordinary with lemon or mandarin oil as well. The granola cooks at a very low temperature so the oil remains stable and holds onto all its health benefits. Because the ingredients in granola are personal, feel free to substitute your own favorite nuts or fruits. I love coconut and feel this adds the amount of sweetness I like. One trick I’ve learned over the years is to add the nuts and coconut nearing the end of the baking time so they do not over-toast. I stir in the dried fruit when the granola has cooled. So for you brave hearts that try this delicious snack, please send me a comment and let me know how you liked it. I think it will make a great nibble at work!
1Tablespooncinnamon I used a bit more and love King Arthur’s Vietnamese Cinnamon
3/4teaspoonsalt
1/2cupextra virgin olive oil
1/2cupmaple syrup
1cupnuts: I used 1/2 cup slivered almonds and 1/2 cup pecans
3/4cupdried fruit of your choice: I used dried cherriesgolden raisins, dried cranberries, and dried blueberries
3/4cupsweetened or unsweetened coconut or as I just discoveredcoconut chips
A sprinkling of chia or flax seeds is nice too.
Method
Mix together the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Combine the olive oil and maple syrup.
Pour olive oil/syrup mixture over oats and stir to combine well.
Pour out onto a 13 X 18 baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I do this so the pan stays cleaner! You can also use two smaller cookie sheets. If you use two cookie sheets, the layers are thinner so watch carefully as it will cook faster.
Bake for about 2 hours or until desired crunchiness and well-browned. Stir every 20 minutes to evenly brown.
Just before the granola is finished, stir in the coconut and nuts and cook just until browned.
Cool and stir in the dried fruit of your choice.
This granola is not clumpy. If you prefer it clumpy, give it a gentle stir in the beginning and then allow pieces to stick together.
A word of caution: Do not be tempted to increase the heat to cook the granola faster. I did this the last time I made it and it burned very quickly!
“The olive tree is such a beautiful reminder that this isn’t how it’s going to be forever. On the other side of the harsh wind is fruit. On the other side of the process of being broken and waiting is a useful heart free of bitterness. On the other side of being pressed and crushed is oil . . . the most valuable part of me set free to emerge.”
