RECIPE: Lydia van Biljon’s Special Breakfast Treat

Lydie-van-Biljon-Elana-Afrika-Baby-Brunch.jpg

There’s just something about using one of my mom’s recipes that makes it extra special.

Guest writer and self-proclaimed ‘allergy mom’ Lydia is back with another healthy recipe for us to incorporate in our meal plans, and it’s got the extra yumminess of a mom’s special touch!

Lekker eet.

Elana

X 

MOM’S GRANOLA

When I first embarked on the elimination (or allergen-free) diet for my baby, I would jokingly call it ‘the starvation diet’. I got very skinny and was constantly hangry, but I knew that even the slightest cheat would result in my daughter reacting to my breastmilk again.

One day another allergy mom wrote to me to say:

Keep positive, focus on all the foods you CAN eat and not on the ones you CAN’T eat.

I listened to her advice and stopped viewing it as a diet, but rather as an exciting lifestyle change. After one-and-a-half years, I feel healthier and don’t miss the foods I once thought I couldn’t live without.

This morning I had homemade granola for breakfast. It’s my mom’s recipe that I have adapted for our allergen-free home.

I took the extra 2 minutes to dish it up in a glass just to feel posh, allowing me to forget for a brief moment that I’m exhausted and have been up most of the night with a teething toddler and breastfeeding baby!

Recipe:

INGREDIENTS

  • 7-8 cups of gluten-free rolled oats

  • 1 cup sunflower seeds (or any seeds/chopped nuts)

  • 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries

  • ½ cup desiccated coconut

  • 1 cup coconut oil

  • 1 cup honey

  • 1 cup gluten-free flour

  • 1 teaspoon of salt 

METHOD

  1. Preheat your oven to 180 C.

  2. In a large mixing bowl, measure the oats with the seeds/nuts, raisins/cranberries and desiccated coconut (adding as many or few according to your personal taste). Set this aside.

  3. Combine the coconut oil, honey, flour and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.

  4. Mix the ingredients well and cook over a low heat until smooth and bubbling. Remove from the heat.

  5. Pour the hot mixture over your oats mixture. Stir well until all the oats, seeds, raisins and coconut are coated. Spread it onto a well-greased baking tray (you may have to do this in two batches).

  6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until a golden brown colour.

  7. Store in a seal-proof container and enjoy with fresh fruits and dairy-free milk for breakfast or as a snack!

Love, 

Lydia van Biljon, @newbieparents

Instagram | YouTube

RecipesElana Afrika-Bredenkamp