I’m a die-hard breakfast eater; I need something satisfying and nutritious to start my day and keep me going until lunch. My typical breakfast menu includes whole-grain cereal with frozen blueberries, juice and coffee. (I’m also a huge fan of homemade granola; my very favorite recipe is almond-flax granola.)
Sometimes, though, I need to break the routine. In winter, I’ll make a batch of quick oatmeal with a bit of brown sugar and some cinnamon (see here for yummy and healthy ways to top your morning oatmeal). In warm weather, hot cereal has zero appeal. So a bowl of muesli with nuts and berries does the trick. Muesli is a healthful combination of uncooked oats, fruit and nuts, and it was developed in 1900 by a Swiss doctor.
This easy muesli recipe is endlessly flexible; see below for different flavor combinations, and after you’ve made one batch, feel free to tinker with your favorite ingredients. The recipe calls for two different kinds of oats—old-fashioned and quick-cooking—to provide a variation in texture; you could rotate in some steel-cut oats to add a chewy heartiness. Also, you can use the milk of your choice: low-fat dairy, almond or soy.
Make a batch before bed, and you’ll wake up to a satisfying meal. This cold oatmeal cereal keeps well in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days. I’ll share with you a base recipe; I made the strawberry-almond muesli.
easy breakfast muesli (cold oatmeal cereal) recipe
1/2 cup dried fruit (see below)
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. flavoring (see below)
2 cups milk (dairy, soy or almond)
fresh fruit and nuts for topping
Combine everything but the toppings in a large bowl; cover and refrigerate overnight.
muesli variations
strawberry-almond muesli (pictured below): use 1/2 cup of dried strawberries, 1/2 tsp. almond extract and almond milk; top with toasted sliced almonds and fresh strawberries
apple-cinnamon muesli: use 1/2 cup of raisins and 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon; top with chopped apple and toasted walnuts
nutty-banana muesli: use 1/2 cup of dried bananas and 1/2 tsp. of vanilla; top with sliced fresh banana and toasted pecans
blueberry-almond muesli: use 1/2 cup of dried blueberries, 1/2 tsp. almond extract and almond milk; top with toasted sliced almonds and fresh strawberries
muesli toppings
toasted walnuts, unsalted peanuts, unsalted sunflower kernels, toasted pecans, toasted almonds; sliced banana, any kind of fresh berry, diced apple, shaved coconut, chocolate chips
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