Tasty Oat Granola

Here's a granola that's easy to make, and is full of tasty nuts and dried fruit. My favorite dried fruit in this granola is a mixture of equal parts pineapple, mango, and papaya. Enjoy this granola for breakfast with yogurt and fresh berries, or as a trail mix snack.




Ingredients:

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 cup mixed dried fruit, chopped
2 tbs honey
1 cup boiling water
3 cups regular oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Combine dried fruits, honey, and boiling water in a bowl and let sit. Add oats, almonds, seeds, flaxseed meal, and cinnamon to bowl. Stir all ingredients together. Sprinkle granola mixture on a baking pan, and bake at 300 for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes. Cool, then store in an airtight container.

Serves 12

Stealthy Cooking Tip: This granola is different from most store bought granola. It's made without added oil. But, don't think it's totally without fats. There are healthy fats in the almonds and sunflower seeds, both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils. In addition, both the fiber and the polyunsaturated fatty acids found in regular oatmeal have been found to help lower cholesterol. Finally, this granola gets an extra healthy boost with the addition of flaxseed meal. Flaxseeds are an excellent source of omega-3. Wow ... all that and good taste, too!