Welcome to the final in a series of five posts where I’ll be putting a spin on some of Jamie Oliver’s healthy breakfast recipes, along with a group of Food Revolution Ambassadors around the world. For this post, we were tasked with switching up Jamie’s Banana Cinnamon Porridge. Jamie says:
Porridge is a good staple breakfast; it’s cheap, it’s filling and it’s nutritious, plus it’s super-simple to customise to keep things interesting. Have fun with your combos!
Sure, that’s all well and good but ever since I was a little girl, I have not been a fan of warm cereal (warm milk – eeeeeew!). Don’t get me wrong, I have tried. Many times. But I guess I had a bad experience with it when I was younger because it just isn’t something I like to eat. Especially in the morning.
Oats, I don’t have a problem with. Which is where Bircher muesli came in to save the day when I was probably in my early 20s. I was visiting my parents in Sydney and we went out to brunch (which was still a pretty up-and-coming thing back in those days) and mum introduced me to Bircher muesli – oats soaked in a combination of yoghurt and apple juice with a grated apple, then topped with dried fruits and nuts and served with a little extra milk. I LOVED this (and way before it became the very trendy “overnight oats”!).
Every year, when “back to school” rolls around, I’m on the lookout for ways to make mornings easier and prepping breakfast the night before it definitely one of them. This muesli is easy to prepare in small batches every couple of days and if you have the toppings chopped/ measured out, your day will definitely get off to an easy and tasty start!
Bircher Muesli
Easy bircher muesli (aka overnight oats) - a great way to start the day that you can prep the night before.
Ingredients
For the base muesli:
- 1 cup large flake rolled oats
- 1/2 cup skim milk (or apple juice)
- 1 small pot (100g) plain yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 1 small apple, peeled, cored and grated
For the toppings:
- approx 120 mL (1/2 cup) skim milk
- approx 2-3 small dried apricots, chopped (or other dried fruit)
- approx 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (or other seeds)
- approx 1 tablespoon sliced almonds (or other nuts)
- approx 1-2 tablespoons plain or vanilla yoghurt
Instructions
- Mix the oats, milk, yoghurt and flax seeds in a small bowl.
- Grate the apple into the oats and stir to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight (you can use this after a couple of hours but it's better after a night in the fridge).
- Divide the oats between bowls.
- Pour over milk, add a dollop of yoghurt and add toppings of your choice.
Notes
Note: this requires refrigeration (2 hours to overnight).
What about you – do you like your oats hot or cold?
Love Bircher Muesli, Mardi… thanks for posting
My fave!
I make something similar for my breakfast most days. I will try some of your suggestions to mix things up a bit.
It’s so good!
Delicious! Will be making it this week!