We featured a delicious muesli in our latest issue, one that I enjoy pretty much every morning. I have adapted the recipe from an original Bill Granger recipe, it’s a cinch to make and hardly takes any time at all. (I met Bill once, lovely chap, totally embarrassed myself gushing all over the poor fella but that’s another story!). What I like about making my own muesli is that I know the exact fat and sugar content which is harder to judge in commercial brands. The best part about making my own cereal is I can tailor it to suit my taste and mix it up with whatever I have in the cupboards. The batch I made for the shoot was date and almond, but other favourite combos include dried fig and hazelnut, raisin and dried apricot or dried cranberry and apple. And, if like me you have family members with food allergies, you can simply omit the offending ingredients (namely the nuts) and substitute them with different seeds or other safe ingredients.
Ingredients
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup linseeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cup chopped almonds
3/4 cup chopped dates
1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg if desired
1/2 cup cloudy apple juice
Method
Line two baking trays with baking paper and set aside. Place oats, seeds, almonds and dates in a large bowl and mix well. Stir in spices if using. Pour over the apple juice and mix well. Divide mixture between the two trays and bake in 150C oven for around 30 minutes until golden brown, stirring occasionally. (If using raisins, sultanas or currants, add these half way through cooking as they may burn if allowed to cook for too long.) Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container for approximately two weeks. Serve with a big dollop of natural yoghurt, fresh blueberries and a swirl of honey to taste.
Note
Amongst other different ingredients, Bill’s original recipe includes 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil which I omit from my version as I’ve tried it with and without and can’t notice any discernible difference. If you’d like to try it with the oil, add it to the mix at the same time as the apple juice.
