Lemon Ginger Granola
DID YOU KNOW : Ginger has been popular culinary and medicinal herb for centuries.
Ginger root is actually a rhizome of a herb plant known to have originated in the Southeast Asia; ginger root is a rich source of essential vitamins and nutrients such as Vitamin B-6, B-5.
It has anti-inflammatory, anti-nausea, anti-microbial properties, it can serve as a analgesic(painkiller), sedative and antibacterial agent.
Lemon and Honey dissolved in tea are a great way to fight a common cold.
I personally love to munch on ginger cookies and crystallized ginger. Cookies made with crystallized ginger have a nice kick to them.
Today I decided to make ginger lemon granola, since most of the recipes I viewed were lacking in lemon and ginger flavor in their reviews I decided to kick it up a notch with using fresh, ground ginger and crystallized ginger as well as lots of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. I love the results, it is refreshing and smells like lemons.
Lemon Ginger Granola
3 cups oats
1/4cup ground flax seeds
1cup slivered almonds
juice from 3 lemons
lemon zest from 3 lemons
1/2cup to 3/4cup crystallized ginger, chopped into small pieces, about 1/8″ thick
1 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp freshly grated ginger root-use zester
1/2cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
Preheat oven to250F
Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and coat either with oil or spray with a non stick spray, set aside
In a small sauce pan combine lemon juice, lemon zest, ground and freshly grated ginger, honey and sugar, bring to boil and cook until sugar is dissolved, remove from heat. Let cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl, combine oats,flax seeds, almonds, pour liquid mixture over it and stir well with a wooden spoon or mix it with clean hands until all the dry ingredients are well coated, it will look kind of wet.
Spread the mixture evenly onto 2 baking sheet and bake at 250F for about an hour, check on the granola every 15 minutes and stir it with a wooden spoon so it bakes evenly. Baking process make take longer or shorter depending on how wet the granola was before baking, so check on it so it doesn’t burn.
Once it is slightly golden brown and liquid has evaporated(it is not wet to the touch), remove both sheets from the oven, let them cool slightly, then transfer granola into a large bowl. Add crystallized ginger and stir until evenly distributed.You may have to work it with your clean hands to break the bigger pieces that stuck together, but it is not necessary if you like chunky granola.
Store in an airtight container by your desk, for a healthy snack.
