Coconut Bircher Müesli

I have fond memories of our mum making Bircher müesli when we were kids.  We came from a meat and 3-veg. type of family, so this was very daring of her.  And dessert was usually just tinned fruit and bought vanilla ice cream.  She also bought orange juice (with pulp!), and made chow mein (beef mince and lots of cabbage) in her electric frypan.  What a kitchen whizz! Or is that wiz? - short for wizard ...

This is another recipe from Donna Hay's cookbook Sunshine, lemons and sea salt.  It took me quite a few years to enjoy Donna's books and recipes; not sure why, but I think due to using them for Cookbook Clubs, I have started to really get with the program, so to speak.  

I often make bircher müesli, usually in Summer, but this one with coconut milk is a first for me.  And delicious it is!  Of course, Bircher should be said with a hard 'c' sound, rather than the 'ch' sound we have all been saying for years.  It's kind of fun rolling the 'r', and the 'ch', I have to say :=)  Go with your fave kind of milk, my friends, though.  And whatever fruits, and so on you prefer.  

Day 1 - looking fabulous

Serves 4:

ingredients:

2 cups (180g.) rolled oats (not instant)

2 Tbs (or less!) of white chia seeds

1.5 cups (375 mL) coconut milk

1.5 cups (375 mL) coconut water

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbs maple syrup

1/2 cup (125g.) coconut yoghurt

Serve with: toasted coconut flakes (see Notes), more coconut yoghurt, fruit of your choice and honey (I think honey is optional)

Method:

Place the oats, chia seeds, coconut milk and water, vanilla and maple syrup into a large bowl, and give it a good stir

Then pour this into an airtight container, and into the fridge it goes overnight (or for a few hours if you are very hungry)

The next morning, you open it up and gaze on the chia-ed thickness with wonder, before you toast the coconut flakes by placing them into a small, cast-iron frypan and swirling them around for a few minutes till they go golden-brown and fragrant

Then fold the yoghurt through the müesli, and top with the coconut flakes, fruit and honey (if using)

Will last for several days in the fridge!

coconut!

Notes:

I had to use some almond milk too, as I couldn't find coconut water at the supermarket (I added a teensy amount of coconut essence to bump up the flavour)

And slightly less chia seeds for me - just not a fan of that mmm kinda slimy texture

yep, oats!

and maple syrup

ingredients gathered

that's the vanilla!

give it a stir

ready for an overnight stay in the fridge

toast your flakes, friends!

I think this might be pretty AND good for you :=)

this is Day 3! (Hubby doesn't eat it)

Day 5!  Nearly done; one more day to go

Carrot Cake Granola (AKA Toasted Muesli)

Someone on social media scolded me for saying granola and muesli are the same, but of course I meant toasted muesli, which is what it is/was called in Australia till recently.  You can still find packets in the shops called toasted muesli, but it is becoming rarer.  Sigh!

This recipe is from the Donna Hay Christmas: Feasts and Treats cookbook.  Not sure what is especially Christmas-y about it, but we did enjoy eating it.  Speaking of cookbooks, I am in two virtual cookbook clubs, so I get to see a fair few books that I wouldn't normally pick up.  It is fascinating to me how a particular cookbook will appeal or not.  I'm checking out a Desserts cookbook for one of the clubs, and I'm just not feeling it, so I will leave it be for this month, and hope that I enjoy next month's book choice.

I've had bronchitis over the last couple of weeks (still not totally better), so choosing a recipe seems like too much hard work right now :=)  I went to our doctor, who is a very laid-back, laissez-faire kind of bloke.  He asked what I expected from this visit?!  Umm, maybe a diagnosis and suggestions for treatment?!!  He casually, in passing, told me I have bronchitis, but that's as far as it went.  So back home I went to my sick bed, not much the wiser.  

crunchy, nutty, spicy!

Makes 12 cups:

ingredients:

360g./4 cups rolled oats

240g./2 cups carrot, grated

230g./2 cups pecans, chopped (how you please - big or small)

200g./2 cups walnuts, also chopped as you please

75g./1 cup shredded coconut (not sweetened)

3 tsp ground cinnamon

1.5 tsp ground ginger

1.5 tsp ground nutmeg

250 mL/1 cup pure maple syrup   see Notes

125 mL/half cup neutral vegetable oil or lightly-flavoured olive oil  see Notes

1 Tbs vanilla paste/extract

220g./1.33 cups raisins or cranberries (or dried fruit of your choice)

Toasted sesame seeds/almond flakes/roasted cashews - optional extras on top after baking  (my option!)

carrots of course :=)

pecans, too

Method:

Whack on your oven to 160C/325F to heat up

Grab 3 large baking trays, and line with baking paper

Into a large mixing bowl go the: oats, carrot, pecans, walnuts, coconut, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg

Give this mix a really good stir to combine

Then add the maple syrup, oil and vanilla, and mix gently to coat

Spread out the mixture evenly on the 3 trays, and bake for 20 minutes

Stir the 3 trays, and bake for another 10-15 minutes till golden, and crunchy, and smelling good

Let the mixture cool on the trays, then tip into a large bowl, and stir in the dried fruit (and the optional extras for serving) 

Can be kept in an air-tight container for 4 weeks

and a wee bit of nutmeg

Notes:

If you'd rather use another kind of syrup like rice bran, or agave nectar or honey, go ahead!

I used sunflower oil with a bit of EVoo as I had no light olive oil

get your ingredients together

and give 'em a good mixing

mix mix mix, my friends

stir in the maple syrup, oil and vanilla

ready for baking - 160C for 20 mins.

adding the fruit

and the extra garnishes

oh yeah, add that syrup

Hazelnut Porridge

I must confess, my friends: I have a foodie fangirl crush on Ruby Tandoh.  Those eyes, that hair, her forthright manner and her heartfelt writing...  I really loved watching her on the Great British Bake Off years ago, girlishly fluttering her lashes at Paul Hollywood.  Then she came out!  And Paul cast his eyes elsewhere, as he is now seeing a 24-year-old female person.  It makes you wonder what a 53-year-old bloke has in common with such a youngster.  Anyways, we are not here to talk about middle-aged men having a crisis:-)

I've bought a couple of Ruby's books lately, including Flavour: Eat What You Love.  It contains 170+ recipes, written in Ruby's inimitable style, feisty and conversational.  In fact, her writing reminds me a little of Nigella's - friendly and factual and comforting.  Mr P. and I were not feeling well on the weekend, so I decided to make one of her simplest recipes - porridge.  Perfect for a cold Brisbane morning.  Yep, it actually has been rather chilly these last few mornings.      

Ah Ruby...

   

Fortunately, I had roasted the nuts the day before when I was feeling less sick and exhausted, so they were all ready to be blitzed.  It was just a matter of throwing everything into the saucepan, and stirring for a few minutes.  Easy peasy, and so deliciously comforting.


Serves 4:

ingredients:

200g. (7 oz) rolled oats - I used rolled wholegrain oats  

100g. (3.5 oz) hazelnuts, roasted and ground  -  see Notes

850 mLs (28 fluid oz/3.5 cups) full-fat milk

400 mLs (1.6 cups) water

big pinch of salt : say 1/8 tsp?

big dash of ground cinnamon : 1/8-1/4 tsp (optional)

thick cream and brown sugar to serve - optional, but you'd be crazy not to:-)


Method:

Put the oats, nuts, milk, water, salt and cinnamon in a large saucepan over a medium heat

Bring to a simmer, stirring all the while

Once simmering, turn it down low and keep stirring for several minutes till it is thick

Serve with the cream and sugar


Notes:

Roast the nuts in a single layer on a baking tray @ 180C for about 12-15 minutes (watch them carefully as they burn easily when almost done); rub them between your fingers in a tea towel or piece of kitchen paper to get rid of most of the skin, then blitz in a food processor till you have a crumbly meal

You could use a store-bought nut meal (try almond meal), but it won't have the same flavour as a freshly roasted and ground one

I used my Scottish spurtle to stir the porridge; this is a traditional implement dating from the fifteenth century (well, not mine personally - tee hee).  And you must stir with your right hand in a clockwise direction, otherwise you will invoke the Devil.  Phew!  Crisis averted:-)

ingredients gathered

roasted and ready for blitzing

and blitzed to a nice crumbly meal

ready to start cooking - see my lovely spurtle?

Just about done - see the bubbles?

ready to serve

 so creamy, so nutty, so warming 

Flavour is divided into five chapters: Vegetables and Herbs/Fruit/Eggs and Dairy/Meat and Fish and Storecupboard.  She further divides the chapters into various ingredients.  This is a useful tack when you are trying to think of a recipe that uses up a particular old veg. lurking in the back of your fridge.  Her recipes appear to be readily made, and with common ingredients.  I'm looking forward to trying more of them!

   artwork © Sherry's Pickings