PLASTIC-FREE BREAKFAST: A PRETTY TASTY DIY GRANOLA

Mmm breakfast...

There are a few things one can usually rustle up for breaky when one is plastic-free person. A few ideas are:

Egg/beans/avocado on toast
Fruit salad
Porridge

Personally, I don't usually have time to faff about in the kitchen cooking in the mornings, especially before work. So recently I've been eating homemade granola, I make it in advance and it lasts me at least a week. I've been lucky enough to source all the ingredients entirely plastic-free, but don't worry if you can't - it should be possible to buy most of the ingredients in bulk, which will at least use less plastic packaging than a box of cereal.

Homemade Granola - Plenty More Plastic in the Sea - Going Plastic-free in NYC

I've found milk harder to find here in New York, so I've also been making almond milk with bulk nuts from my local shop. Served with sliced banana, and any other seasonal fruit on top, this makes a pretty tasty breaky if I do say so myself!

So here is my tried and perfected recipe for granola. It's an adaption of Deliciously Ella's original granola. The measurements are pretty rough, so no need to worry if you don't have official measuring cups.

Raisins and apricots - Plenty More Plastic in the Sea - Going Plastic-free in NYC

Oats, seeds and coconut - Plenty More Plastic in the Sea - Going Plastic-free in NYC

Adding the dried fruit - Plenty More Plastic in the Sea - Going Plastic-free in NYC

A cuppa tea is very integral to this recipe

Ingredients

3 cups oats (I like to use 1 cup of quick oats and 2 cups rolled oats, but it's up to you and what's available)
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup flax seeds, a.k.a. linseeds
1 cup ground almonds (I use the pulp leftover from making almond milk. This is an optional addition, and you can also use chopped up nuts if you prefer the chunky texture)
1/3 cup chia seeds
1/3 cup dessicated coconut
3 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped dried apricots

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, except for the raisins and apricots.

Gently melt the coconut oil in a small pan on a low heat until nice and runny. Add the maple syrup, if using.

Pour the liquid mixture onto the dried ingredients and mix well.

Transfer into a large baking tray, ensuring the contents are quite evenly spread.

Cook in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, stirring often, until it has a slightly golden tint.

Remove from the oven and let the mixture cool. Once cool, sprinkle and mix in the raisins and dried apricots. The apricots can be very sticky so I usually find sprinkling a few, then stirring, then sprinkling more, helps them to stay separate.

Gobble up with your favourite type of milk and some fresh fruit on top (I love a good sliced banana on mine).

Bon appétit!