About Me

Monday, March 28, 2011

What's For Breakfast?

When you’re first diagnosed with food allergies, the Doctor usually recommends doing an Elimination Diet which requires eliminating all the foods you are ‘sensitive’ to and then adding them back in one at time to determine which foods cause symptoms.  However, it’s not enough to just eliminate the sensitive foods, the diet also emphasizes rotating consumption of the same food types each day.  For me, this was one of the hardest parts of the Elimination Diet.  First I had to cut out 40 of my favorite foods and then I had to figure out how to somehow vary the remaining foods I could eat.  This was especially difficult for breakfast.  Without dairy, gluten or eggs, how do you find multiple breakfast options to vary every day?

After a lot of searching and more than a few hungry mornings, I have found some great breakfast options.  If you read my last blog post, you already know about the wonders of goat yogurt.  Other options include corn cereal, buckwheat cereal, gluten free oats, and granola.

I love that Chex has multiple gluten free cereals, including Rice, Corn and, my personal favorite, Honey Nut Chex.  These are great when you’re on the go and need something fast. For a more hearty option, try Bob’s Red Mill Organic Creamy Buckwheat or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Quick Cooking Oats which make for filling and fast breakfasts.  I make a big batch on Sunday night and bring to work a few times a week.  Throw some Agave, cinnamon and dried or fresh fruit on top and it makes a great breakfast that keeps me full until at least 12:30 which is unheard of, as I’m usually chewing my arm off by 10:30.

But, my favorite breakfast is granola with goat yogurt.  I used to buy gluten free granola from Rose’s Bakery, but it’s pretty expensive and also has cranberries which, I am very sad to say, is on the No List.  So, I made my own recipe.  I usually throw in whatever I have lying in the cabinet - you can add any nuts or dried fruits that you like.  Here’s what I like:

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Granola:
2 cups Gluten Free Oats
¼ cup Flax Seed
¼ cup shredded coconut
¼ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup cut up dried prunes
½ cup dried raisons
½ cup dried cherry
½ cup Agave Nectar (Costco sells Organic Blue Agave in pairs)
5 Tbsp Coconut Oil

Mix oats, flax seed, coconut, almonds, walnuts and prunes together in large bowl. 

Heat agave and coconut oil over high heat until oil is completely melted.  Slowly pour oil / agave mixture into oat mixture, stirring constantly.  Stir until oat mixture is completely coated.  Spread onto greased baking tin

Bake:  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
10 minutes @ 350 degree
20 minutes @ 300 degree

Remove from oven after 10 minutes and mix granola so it does not clump together or stick to pan.  Remove from oven after 20 minutes, mix and add raisons and cherries to cook for last 10 minutes.  If you add earlier, the dried fruit burns and dries out.  (Prunes have a lot of moisture, so need to go in with the oats / nuts or they will be too moist)


When done, mixture should look darker (nice roasted brown), but should still be slightly soft.  Let cool in pan for 1 hour and once completely cool, mixture will be crispy.

I like to eat it with goat yogurt, but you can serve with any type of milk (goat, almond, soy, etc).   Feel free to comment with your favorite uses for granola or any ideas for different nut / fruit options to add!

5 comments:

  1. Had granola and yogurt for breakfast this morning. Love this recipe!

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  2. Thanks for the post. I will definitely be trying this recipe soon.

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  3. Love the coconut concept but will skip the prunes.! Looking forward to Last Quiche book.

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  4. Kendy and Mary,
    Thanks for your comments! Please send your mailing address to GlutenFreeGoat(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll send you your copy of THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE.

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  5. Hi Nicole! Homemade granola is the best, and I like the idea of the coconut and cherries together. Keep up the good work. I wonder if flax meal would work instead of the seeds, and if there would be a loss of nutrition by heating the ground meal.

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