Friday, May 12, 2006

Friday Food #17: Muesli

Like Caroline, I love breakfast. And I need it. I know people--you may even be one of them--who wake up and drink a cup of coffee, shower, dress, take the kids to school, and then, maybe, think about some food. Not me. I'm headache-hungry within about half an hour of waking up, and I need more than just coffee.

So, also like Caroline (and Ben), I tend to fall into breakfast routines. I ate oatmeal almost every morning this past year. Now that the semester's over (and the grades are turned in, hurrah!), I may change things up a bit, but not too much. I may change my brownie recipe from week to week, but mornings are too hectic, too confusing, to waste any time actually thinking about food. I just want to eat it, and soon.

Last summer in England my breakfast of choice was muesli, that weird mix of raw oats and nuts, sometimes dried fruit, that seems to be on every breakfast buffet in the country. We bought it at the grocery store, but I remembered that Dad makes his own, and when we got back I got his recipe. So this is what he sent me, with a few edits of my own.


Put into large bowl:
1-2 cups raisins
1-1 1/2 cups soya granules (I have never found these and don't know what they are: TVP, maybe? Anyway, I leave them out with no ill effect)
2-3 cups wheat germ (or bran)

Blend in food processor:
1-1 1/2 cups nuts (walnuts, filberts, almonds - alone or mixed)
with up to 3 cups oatmeal
put in bowl with other ingredients

Blend in food processor:
1 cup sunflower seed
1 cup pumpkin seed
(or some combination)
with 2-3 cups oatmeal

If any item is omitted, substitute an equal measure of wheat germ and oats

So, to recap, you've got 4-6 cups of oatmeal, 2 cups of wheat germ, 2 cups of raisings [um, that would be raisins!], 1-1/2 (or so) cups of nuts, and 1 cup each of sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Last time I made it I used dried cranberries instead of raisins, and threw some sesame seeds in, since I had them. I also only used the food processor to break up the pumpkin seeds and the nuts (I used almonds). It's a very forgiving recipe.

Dad eats it moistened with water or fruit juice. I moisten it with water and then put it in the microwave for a minute and a half, so it comes out more like oatmeal with texture than like muesli. I then add brown sugar and soy milk. But you can do what you like: this is counter-cultural breakfast, after all, right?

[edited to add: best to refrigerate this because of the wheat germ]

6 comments:

Mamacita said...

This sounds so healthy, Libby! I've been eating Montana Gold's granola, but it's a little sweet for me. This might be a good alternative. Plus, I"m always up for a recipe that's counter-cultural!

Libby said...

mamacita, Caroline posted Nigella's granola recipe recently, too: it uses applesauce for some of the sweetener and is less sweet than many. I like it a lot. Here it is: http://www.carolineandtony.com/2006/02/20/granola-all-the-time/

Anonymous said...

Soya Granules used to be called Lecithin. I've seen something else recently, but can't remember what it's called! Sorry....

Libby said...

Thanks, Mom! I knew you would know...but it seems that Dad leaves them out, so I have too.

jo(e) said...

I too am one of those people who cannot function without breakfast. And I go through cycles of eating the same foods. Lately, it's been a bagel with peanut butter ....

Libby said...

Glad to hear I'm not alone, Jo(e)