EASY VEGAN GRANOLA WITH POACHED RHUBARB + A COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY!
What makes a good cookbook? It’s the question I asked on my instagram a few weeks ago as well as inside my creative community and it was so interesting to hear everyone’s thoughts. Some people felt that it’s all about the recipes which need to be delicious, easy and creative. Others believed that engaging writing was what set a good cookbook apart from a mediocre one, and yet others thought it was all about the food photography.
I believe a great cookbook should have all three - photos that make me WANT to cook, recipes that sound delicious, yet achievable and writing that warms my heart. Ryan and Adam, also known as Husbands That Cook, have just released their debut cookbook and it has everything a wonderful cookbook should have! In fact, my son, LOVES looking through the book’s pages, pointing out alllll the recipes I ‘need’ to make for him. He’s especially obsessed with the dessert section (more about that below) and I don’t blame him, the desserts look so good! And what’s more, YOU can WIN a copy of the book on the blog this week! Details below…
How to make easy vegan granola with poached rhubarb - The Little Plantation blog
SO WHAT'S THE COOKBOOK LIKE...
It’s a really ambitious vegetarian cookbook PACKED full of recipes - more than 125! In fact - all developed, styled and shot by Ryan and Adam themselves. The photography is hence in keeping with their bright, cheerful and colourful style which you might be familiar with from their Saveur nominated blog, Husbands That Cook. There are also lots of adorable anecdotes sprinkled throughout the book, as well as really sweet personal pictures allowing you to feel connected to them as well as their food stories. You can actually hear Ryan and Adam talk about their cookbook writing process on the Eat, Capture, Share podcast if you’re curious.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE COOKBOOK INCLUDE...
The dessert section is INCREDIBLE! I cannot tell you how many of those cakes I’ve earmarked with the cinnamon crumb coffee cake being my absolute favourite. My son loves the idea of the sweet and salty cake, which is decorated with chips (or crisps if you’re UK based like me). I’m also in awe of the schokoladen cake, which is an 8-layer cake that looks to-die-for, yet somehow totally achievable.
There are countless cocktail recipes, soup recipes as well as savoury recipes to get excited about as well. In fact, I almost made the vegan banh mi sandwich with crispy tofu for the blog today and, truth be told, you guys actually voted for that recipe over the granola recipe on instagram a few weeks ago. But I decided to go with the granola recipe anyway because I knew I could give it a seasonal twist ;). Please forgive me.
BTW I’m glad I did because the granola is SO delicious and I’m confident you’ll love it too!
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN A COPY OF THE COOKBOOK
THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED! All you need to do for a chance to win is tell me: What makes a cookbook great? Please be quick with your answers, entry to this giveaway closes at midnight (Greenwich Time) on Friday, April 19th, 2019. The winner will be picked and notified within a week of the closing date.
Please note that this competition is open to residents of the USA and Canada only. Therefore, I'd be super grateful if you can be clear when you comment whether you live in the USA/Canada or not. And even if you don't, please still feel free to let me know what your the cookbook scene. I'd love to know. Good luck. THE WINNER IS CHERLYN. CONGRATULATIONS.
Recipe below.
EASY VEGAN GRANOLA RECIPE WITH POACHED RHUBARB
This recipe is adapted from Husbands that Cook’s debut cookbook where it is called chunky apple spice granola. The recipe is super easy to make and utterly delicious. Please don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients - they are all staples you’ll definitely have in your cupboards. I added the poached rhubarb to bring it into season, but you can replace the rhubarb with any other seasonal and local fruit if you like, a tart fruit will work particularly well here, or leave the fruit out altogether. My only regret was not making more and I’d definitely recommend you double the quantities outlined below, especially if you’re a regular granola eater and/or have a household of 3+ people.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking/baking time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS FOR THE GRANOLA:
1 1/2 cups (150g) rolled oats
1/4 cup (30g) sliced almonds
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground allspice
tiny pinch of salt (optional)
1 1/2 tbs melted coconut oil
2 tbs (25g) brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs maple syrup
a tiny handful (about 25g) of vegan white chocolate chips (optional)
INGREDIENTS FOR THE POACHED RHUBARB:
300g (about 5 stalks) rhubarb, washed and cut into chunks
750ml apple juice
1/2tbs fine cut hibiscus flowers (optional! Will add colour and a mild flowery flavour to the rhubarb, but isn’t essential to make the recipe work)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 150C-/300F and line a baking tray with non-stick parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts, spices and salt (if using). In a small, separate bowl mix together the oil, sugar, vanilla and maple syrup and whisk until blended. Pour the wet mixture over the oat mixture and stir well with a wooden spoon until combined.
Next, evenly spread the granola mixture on the prepared baking sheet and bake until crispy and golden, around 45 minutes. No need to stir the granola as it bakes as this will stop it from clustering together.
Whilst the granola is in the oven, prepare the poached fruit, by placing the rhubarb, apple juice and hibiscus (if using) in a pot over a low to medium heat and poach for around 10-15 or until the rhubarb is soft and the juice is starting to thicken slightly. For the fruit to cook through evenly, ensure that the rhubarb is completely covered by the juice! Once done, remove from the heat and set aside.
Once the granola is done, let the pan cool on a rack until it is cool enough to handle by hand and can be broken into clusters. Then add the white chocolate (if using). Serve with yoghurt and the poached rhubarb or let it cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Tip 1: Use glutenfree oats to make this recipe glutenfree.
Tip 2: There will be a little more rhubarb here than you need, so store any access in the fridge and use within 3 days.