Very popular in America, and surprisingly delicious, in fact amazingly so, greenola is granola made with greens instead of the usual grains.
Lovely for breakfast with milk or eaten by the handful, you have to try this!
Enough for 4 full helpings with milk and fresh fruit or as nibbles for 6-8
- 10 pitted soft-eating dates
- 2 tablespoons apple juice
- 150g kale washed, de-stalked and finely chopped
- 1 dessert apple
- 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (or to taste)
- Pinch sea salt flakes, crushed between fingers
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons flaked almonds (not toasted)
- 1½ tablespoons pumpkin seeds
- Runny honey for drizzling
Preheat oven to 180C (fan oven) or equivalent
You will need a food processor for best results and 2 x baking trays lined with 2 changes of greaseproof paper
Soak the dates in apple juice for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
Dry the kale as much as possible: a salad spinner works well.
Spread the kale evenly over 2 lined baking trays. Bake for 5-10 minutes, turning once or twice until crispy up.
Turn off the oven and leave the kale to cool with the oven door ajar.
Chop the dates and combine with the apple juice in food processor.
Core and peel the apple then dice and add to the mix.
Whiz to a rough puree.
Add half the coconut, cinnamon and salt. Whiz again briefly to combine.
Transfer to a large bowl. Work in the kale thoroughly with your hands.
Stir in the remaining coconut, cranberries, almonds and pumpkin seeds. Drizzle lightly with honey. Mix thoroughly.
Spread over the 2 baking trays lined with fresh greaseproof paper.
Bake in a preheated oven at 150C (fan oven) or equivalent turning once or twice for 15-20 minutes or until becoming crisp and toasty.
Turn off oven and leave to cool with oven door ajar.
Once cold store in airtight container. Eat within 3-4 days.
Kale Note
The fresher kale is the sweeter it tastes: don't keep raw kale too long as it turns bitter and unpleasant tasting.