Morning Delights - Clove Granola

 

Getting bored with the same breakfast?  Spice up your morning with warming spices and a variety of grains.  It's important to vary your foods so as not to develop an allergy to a specific food and to insure a wide range of nutrients so that you are consuming the ones needed for your particular biochemistry.  Rotate your breakfasts with different grains -- including millet, buckwheat, amaranth, steel-cut oats, quinoa, and grits.  In terms of cancer prevention and wellness , eating whole grains such as these will provide you with a good dose of fiber and an array of nutrients to nourish your body without wheat or gluten- an increasingly common agitator and allergen to many unsuspecting people.

Mix your morning grains with berries, coconut oil, your favorite nut-milk, and tasty spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves.  Or whip up a batch of my Festive Granola made with millet and cloves, and greet the day with pizazz!

Take note that cloves have special anti-cancer properties including compounds that help regulate NF-kB -- a protein complex involved in inflammation and immune processes to keep inflammation down and immunity strong. Cloves also contain eugenol oil that helps sheild against digestive cancers, phytochemical rhamnetin with antioxidant qualities that helps manage inflammation, and kaempferol which has been shown in studies to lower ovarian cancer risk. And as a bonus cloves aid in digestion -- a must during chemo treatment.

Don't forget to add extra fruit on top for added fiber and nutrients.

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Festive Granola

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup whole millet
• 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
• 1 cup shelled, raw pistachios
• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 cup date paste, honey, or maple syrup
• 1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2/3 cup dried cranberries (I used Eden Organic cranberries because they are sweetened with apple juice instead of sugar)

Procedure:

1. In a bowl, pour boiling water over millet, cover with a plate, and let sit until softened, 30 minutes.
2. Heat oven to 325 degrees F.  In a large bowl combine drained millet, oats, pistachios, and coconut flakes.
3. Whisk together melted coconut oil, vanilla, sweetner of choice, cloves, and salt in a separate bowl.  If using honey, this process is easier if mix all ingredients together over low heat.
4. Mix wet and dry ingredients together.
5. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet.  Bake about 40 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
6. Remove from oven and stir in cranberries.  Once cool, store in airtight container.  Keeps well for about 2 weeks.