Recipe of the week: Honey and seed granola

Seeing as nobody in JOE Towers had ever heard of this recipe before, we treaded carefully with this one. We need not have worried. It was a winner all round.

When it comes to expanding our pallet, JOE has a lot to learn. We are creatures of habit, so when we saw this recipe come through, we were happy to try something new. Like a kid at Christmas, we were excited and worried in equal measures. Partly as we weren’t entirely sure what granola was.

The finished product was well worth the wait and there was not a dissenting voice in the office. That tells you everything you need to know about the dish.

Honey and seed granola

The Basics:

4 ProPoints per serving

45 ProPoints per recipe

5 minutes preparation, 15 minutes cooking

Serves 10

What you need:

• 3 heaped teaspoons clear honey
• 300g (11oz) porridge oats
• 15g (1/2 oz) sunflower seeds
• 15g (1/2 oz) pumpkin seeds
• 15g (1/2 oz) flaked almonds
• 15g (1/2 oz) dried cranberries, chopped
• 40g (1 ½ oz) sultanas

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6/200°C/fan oven 180°C and line a largw bakng tray with baking parchment or foil.
2. Gently warm the honey until runny, either in a small saucepan or for 30 seconds in the microwave. Mix the oats, seeds and almonds together in a bowl then add the warmed honey and stir well until everything is evenly coated, and beginning to stick together in small clusters.
3. Spread the mixture out on the lined baking tray and cook in the oven for 12-15 minutes, stirring halfway through, until you have a golden toasted cereal mixture.
4. Leave to cool then stir in the cranberries and sultanas. Store in an airtight container. Each serving weighs 40g (1 ½ oz).

Suggestion:

A fruity yogurt granola pot is also not a bad idea. To make a coffee-shop style breakfast  pot that you can prepare the night before, start by slicing 75g (2 ¾ oz) drained canned apricot halves in natural juice (1/3 of a 411g can) and place in the bottom of a lidded container. Add 40g (1 ½ oz) blueberries and a 150g pot of virtually fat free apricot yogurt. Top with 40g (1 ½ oz) honey and seed granola and seal the container. Yes it is effort, but yes, it is worth it.

If you’d like the granola to stay really crunchy, carry it in a separate small container or a plastic food bag, ready to sprinkle on just before you eat. This will be 6 ProPoint values per serving. And worth every single point.

For more delicious Weight Watchers meals, simply click here.

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