Breakfast!

And a healthy chocolate & ginger granola

I’m obsessed with breakfast. I’ve tried intermittent fasting, but I’ve decided this kind of torture isn’t for me. So, no, breakfast is definitely not a meal I’d be likely to skip. In fact, I’m not likely to skip any meals. Is it because food is constantly on my mind? Well, yes. I do admit to daydreaming about dinner while having my cappuccino in the morning, and I often fall asleep reading cookbooks on my eReader. Or wake up in the middle of the night thinking about a new recipe. This time, breakfast inspiration struck while making a chocolate cake. I needed to put the leftover applesauce to good use, and that’s how my chocolate & ginger granola was born!

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My obsession with breakfast has a lot to do with my sanity. I simply can’t function properly on an empty stomach. My productivity plummets, and my mood doesn’t benefit either. How could I possibly work if the only thing on my mind is food! Starting every day with a proper breakfast is essential to my well-being and truly a joy. On weekdays, I usually opt for healthy choices like smoothies, green juices, overnight oats, whole-wheat Dutch rusks (beschuit) topped with almond or peanut butter and sliced banana, or a fruit salad topped with flax, wheatgerm, cinnamon and ginger. During the weekend, I love making tofu scrambles with sautéd tomatoes (either served on tortillas or with a side of beans in tomato sauce), bagels with vegan cream cheese or smashed avocado, chickpea omelets, or homemade bread. At times, I go the French route and take great delight in a buttery vegan croissant or piece of toasted baguette slathered with good salted, plant-based butter. In that case, the coffee comes from a French-press and is enjoyed in an antique bowl (I have a beautiful collection from vide-greniers). Weekends at my house will always mean lazy mornings with plenty of time to lounge in my kimono, listen to French radio and welcome the day with coffee and happy thought, all while basking in the gentle sunlight streaming through the French windows.

But now about that granola. We always have an evening snack, and believe it or not, that snack is usually chocolate cake. “Cake? Everyday?” I hear you wonder. Yes, because that  cake is made with whole-wheat flour, oat flour, good cacao powder, just a few tablespoons of coconut sugar and no oils—just mashed bananas, applesauce and two flax ‘eggs’ (1 tbsp ground flaxseed, mixed with 3 tbsps water replaces one egg).* I buy sugar-free applesauce, which needs to be quickly used up. When I opened the fridge yesterday morning, I noticed the half-full jar of applesauce, and this recipe for chocolate granola was how I finished it up. Unlike its lackluster store-bought counterparts, which are full of sugar and fats, this homemade granola is made with only good ingredients. Trust me, once you’ve tasted it, you’ll never settle for anything less.

*I’ll post the recipe for the chocolate cake soon.

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Chocolate & ginger granola
Perfect for quick breakfast with some plant-based yogurt and chopped fruit of your choice.

Makes approx. 3 cups

Ingredients:
150g unsweetened applesauce
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp coconut sugar
2 tbsps quality cacao powder
1 ½ tsp ground ginger
200g oats
100g walnuts, roughly chopped
50g dried cranberries
4 tbsps pumpkin seeds
4 tbsps flaxseed

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan). In a large bowl, whisk the applesauce, tahini, coconut sugar, cacao powder and ginger. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Line a baking sheet with baking paper and spread the mix on the sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Take the tray out of the oven and give everything a good stir. Continue baking for 7 minutes. Allow the granola to cool on the baking sheet. Transfer to a large jar. The granola keeps for a few weeks in an airtight container.