Ingredients
- 1 medium-size zucchini, peeled and cut into chunks (73/4 ounces [220 g] as chunks; see note)
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) smooth natural almond butter or sunflower seed butter
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) yacon syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) plain or vanilla pure liquid stevia (about 40 drops), or more to taste
- 6 tablespoons (60 g) finely ground chia seeds (from about 3 tablespoons [45 ml] whole seeds)
- 5 ounces (145 g) unsweetened medium-shred coconut (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1-1/2 tablespoons (22.5 ml) ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground ginger, or 2 teaspoons (10 ml) grated fresh
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla powder, or 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lightly toasted or raw sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) pumpkin seeds
ADDITIONS FOR LATER STAGES:
- Goji berries, golden berries, or chopped prunes (see note)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) lightly toasted or raw walnut or pecan pieces
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) coarsely chopped, lightly toasted or raw hazelnuts or almonds
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Line a large pan (e.g., a lasagna pan) with parchment.
- In the bowl of a food processor, blend the zucchini, almond butter, water, yacon, and stevia until liquefied. Add the chia, coconut, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla and blend again until the mixture resembles a sticky dough. Allow to sit for 5 minutes to thicken up.
- Using your hands, crumble the dough into clumps and spread evenly over the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and stir gently with a spatula, flipping over as many pieces as you can (they should be starting to dry out and no longer stick together).
- Decrease the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (170 degrees Celsius). Bake the granola for another 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so, until the mixture is dry and dark brown in places. Turn off the heat and leave the granola in the oven to cool (prop the door open slightly while cooling).
- Once cool, check to ensure that the granola is dried through and crispy. If not, bake for another 20 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit (170 degrees Celsius) and cool again.
- To the crisp granola, add the seeds, fruit, if using, and nuts. Stir to combine. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Serve with your milk of choice, or eat as a snack. Cooled granola can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.Note: In later stages of a candida-free diet, once you add fruit back to your diet, you can substitute 1/2 cup (120 ml) of unsweetened applesauce for the zucchini, or add goji berries, golden berries, or dried prunes to your bowl.Get more candida-free diet tips and information in The Causes of Candida and Yeast Infection.
This excerpt has been reprinted with permission from Living Candida-Free by Ricki Heller PhD, RHN with Andrea Nakayama, CNC, CNE. published by Da Capo Press, 2015.
In Living Candida-Free (Da Capo Press, 2015), authors Ricki Heller and Andrea Nakayama discuss in detail the causes and symptoms of yeast infections from Candida albicans, as well as recipes and diet suggestions to lessen this fungus’ presence in your body. This recipe comes from the section “Breakfast.”
If you’re a fan of cold cereals, you don’t have to miss out when following the early stages of an anticandida diet. This granola fits the bill perfectly: it bakes up in little clusters that are browned and crispy, and they stay that way in milk. The recipe requires a bit of time to prepare, but, once it’s done, you’ll have a large batch of granola that will stay fresh for up to a week in a covered container.