Homemade Toasted Muesli

Perfect breakfast, no? I'm really finding that switching back to yoghurt has made a big difference, but it does need something else and what better than homemade toasted muesli? In a recent tv programme on the Beeb, they demonstrated that when someone ate 100g of oats a day over a period of weeks, the levels of 'good' bacteria in his stomach increased, so yet more reasons to include a daily dose of oats in your diet.

The recipe I use is almost entirely 'borrowed' from this recipe from Amanda at Easy Peasy Organic - almost the only change I have made is converting it from cups to grams, but I thought I'd share it for all those people who have scales but not cup measures. All credit to her for developing this delicious recipe. Royalties, commissions and donations should be directed to her. The second change I've made is to replace most of the oats with rolled mixed grains (wheat, spelt, barley, corn, rye etc), which I find tastes better, but feel free to combine the two and just use oats.

Toasted Muesli
50g rolled oats
115g rolled mixed whole grains
150g-200g seeds and/or nuts
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp honey (or agave/maple syrup for vegans)
150g dried fruit
1/2 tbsp brown sugar
Dash of cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1. Preheat oven to 180C
2. Mix oats, grains, seeds and nuts in a bowl. Warm the honey and oil in a small pan, pour onto the oats mix and stir until combined. Add brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla (optional).
3. Spread in a thin layer on a baking tray and bake 20-30 mins, turning frequently to prevent burning.
4. When cool, stir in fruit and store in an air-tight container.

(Original recipe here)

Variations

There are endless variations to this recipe, so every time I make it, it is slightly different. Different grains, different nuts, different seeds, different fruit. You could also try different oils, or replace the honey with agave or maple syrup (which would also give you a vegan muesli). This is delicious with milk or yoghurt and the addition of fresh seasonal fruit, or Amanda serves it with cooked apples as a kind of deconstructed apple crumble.