I can’t believe I didn’t mention this in my last post, as it’s something I’m so fond of bemoaning to anyone listening at home and work, but I DON’T HAVE A STOVE RIGHT NOW. I mean, I own one; it’s so pretty with its cast iron grates and a griddle in the center, and the shiny stainless steel. But it’s not hooked up due to circumstances beyond my control, so I instead complain about it. Up until this weekend, I had been cooking only with a microwave (yuck) and a tiny toaster oven. This weekend, however, I set up my new convection/rotisserie oven and now I’m back in action! I’ve already cooked up some salmon and chocolate chip cookies, so it’s ON.
Of course, today’s post is actually about something I didn’t “cook” …. and I made it two weeks ago. Oops.
Have you ever gone into Au Bon Pain, absolutely starving in the morning? Because I totally have, and one of those times, I picked up a 4oz container of muesli for about $3. I brought it up to the office to eat and it was delicious. It was sweet, healthy, filling: all the things breakfast should be. However, I couldn’t keep paying $3 for those tiny cups, it was driving me crazy knowing how much I was overpaying for it. I looked at the ingredient list on the Au Bon Pain website and went to work.
This type of muesli is actually considered “Bircher” muesli; it was created by a Swiss doctor who did stuff that I can’t remember back in the late 19th century/early 20th century, but I’m sure you’ll be fascinated by it when you read the Wikipedia page about him. He soaked the oats overnight in juice [which I did not do] and added some fresh grated apples [nope] and nuts [yup]. Modern recipes for muesli are slightly different, although most still soak the oats in juice overnight.
Bircher Muesli
1 cup of rolled oats
3/4 – 1 cup of skim milk
1 tablespoon honey [or to taste]
1 apple, diced
1 banana, sliced thin
2 tablespoons greek yogurt
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup toasted, sliced almonds
Soak the oats overnight in enough milk to cover them. In the morning, most of the milk will have been absorbed by the oats. Stir, then add in the yogurt, honey, and fresh fruit. Mix to combine. Add dried fruit and nuts. Taste the muesli and add more honey if necessary. Serves 2.
This is really good, but it’s definitely not for everyone. By the time it got to work with me, it looked gross. But it tasted delish; the fruit had sweetened everything up and the apple and nuts added a nice crunch that I would have otherwise missed. It’s exactly the sort of breakfast I’d like to have every day, if I weren’t the type of person that stayed in bed as long as possible as the morning, thus negating the ability to do the last steps of prep on this.
