Stovetop Granola with Cranberries and Sliced Almonds

I have been wanting to share this recipe for a while now. I love the simplicity of the ingredients and the ease of preparation. I used to bake my granola in the oven up until I discovered this stovetop recipe several years ago. My kids love it (minus the cranberries) and anyone who has tried it, has asked for the recipe.

With summer here, not too many people want to turn on their ovens (even if they have their AC on). If you still want your family to start their day right during the summer months, then making this granola will definitely show them how much you love them. :-)

Homemade granola is a comfort breakfast food in our household. We love to eat ours with homemade greek yogurt (recipe coming soon). We all know that everything tastes better when it's homemade. No preservatives. No additives. Just simple wholesome ingredients that you control and not some massive manufacturer.

I usually make this with dried cranberries and sliced almonds, but the possibilities are endless. My kids pick out the cranberries, so sometimes I add chocolate chips for them. This tastes great even without the dried fruits or nuts. The granola is crunchy and chewy, and the fun part is that you control the size of the clusters. :-)

This is a all-natural, non-processed recipe, but it does call for a 1/3 cup (75 g) of butter. The amount of butter helps form the clusters, but by adding less will give you a 'looser' granola. The choice is really up to you. :-)

There are times when I make this on a weekly basis. The recipe doubles easily and keeps for several weeks when stored in a tight container. Sometimes I'll leave the glass jar on the window sill and the kids will snack on it after they come home from school. It ties them over till dinner time.

Give this recipe a try and it might just become a family favourite! Feel free to switch it up a bit. Add some coconut flakes, cinnamon, wheat germ, or pecans. The possibilities are endless.

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STOVETOP GRANOLA WITH CRANBERRIES AND ALMONDS
(From the Kitchen of For the Love of Italian Cooking)

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 2 cups (180-200 g) rolled oats
• 1/3 cup (75 g) unsalted butter
• 2 heaping tbsp honey
• 1/3 cup (60 g) sugar-in-the-raw
• 1/2 cup (75 g) sliced almonds (or choice of nuts)
• 1/2 cup (50 g) dried cranberries (or choice of dried fruit)

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oats, then cook and stir until it starts to brown and become crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and spread out on a sheet of baking or parchment paper to cool.
2. Melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat. Stir in the honey and sugar-in-the-raw. Continue cooking and constantly stirring until it is bubbly. Continue cooking until the butter/sugar mixture is slightly reduced and has thickened up. Add toasted oats to pan. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes (you may have to reduce the heat to low so it doesn't burn). Pour out onto the baking or parchment paper that you previously used, spread, and allow to cool at room temperature.
3. Once cool, mix in almonds and dried cranberries, breaking up the larger clusters as you go along. (You can transfer the granola to a bowl or mix right on the paper.) Transfer to an airtight container. This will keep for several weeks and the granola will become chewier.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

(Slightly adapted from allrecipes.com)