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March 24, 2015

Muesli Pancakes

We’re now getting back to our normal routine after my daughter was sick with a fever last week and missed nearly the entire week of school. It wasn’t all bad since it gave us a chance for us to slow down a bit and get in lots of extra snuggle time. I made her homemade chicken noodle soup among some other favorite foods, but for about five days, she ate nothing besides smoothies and these muesli pancakes. Something about these pancakes worked for her in her sickness and I felt comforted that she would at least eat something. They are a variation of these blueberry oatcakes, which are also a favorite, except raisins and dried apples replace the blueberries and a combination of oats, barley, rye, and seeds replace the plain oats. This multi-grain muesli is such a wonderful mixture of grains, seeds, and fruit and I’ve been finding all sorts of uses for it. Note that the muesli does need to be soaked overnight in yogurt the evening before you make these so plan ahead accordingly. These pancakes are pleasantly hearty, soft and tender, and full of so many wholesome ingredients. Hope you enjoy!

Muesli Cakes

Ingredients

2 cups multi-grain muesli
2 cups plain yogurt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons honey
1 mashed banana, about ⅓ cup
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon ground flax
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Unsalted butter for frying

Instructions

The evening before, mix the muesli and yogurt together in a large mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, add the eggs, honey, and mashed banana to the muesli and yogurt and mix together with a wooden spoon.
In a small mixing bowl, mix together the flour, flax, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together until dry ingredients are just incorporated. Batter should be fairly thick.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet or griddle. Ladle the oat batter into the pan, spreading batter if necessary to make circles about ⅓" thick. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the underside is golden brown and then flip to the other side and cook for another 2 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve warm along with maple syrup, if desired.

March 13, 2015

Multi-Grain Muesli

Yes, this post really is about making your own muesli. It may be simple and uncomplicated, but for some reason I’ve been spending way too much money on fancy artisan muesli when I could be making my own at home. This especially does not make sense given the fact that I probably bake a batch a granola every few weeks and muesli is even less of a time investment than granola. Lately it’s been all about diy muesli though. What I love about this particular muesli is the combination of oats, barley, and rye for the base, which together with the dried fruit, nuts, and seeds gives such lovely layers of texture and earthy tones.

Muesli can be eaten raw or cooked similarly to oatmeal, but my favorite way to enjoy it is soaked in yogurt, topped with a spoonful of chia jam, and drizzled with just a bit of honey. In some of my recent reading, I’ve been learning about the importance of soaking grains, nuts, and seeds for improved digestion and nutrient absorption. Muesli is one way I’ve tried to incorporate more soaked grains into my meals. It’s all about baby steps, right? Hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Multi-grain Muesli

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats
½ cup barley flakes
½ cup rye flakes
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup chopped dried apples
¼ cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and store in an air-tight container. Keeps for several weeks.

Soaked Multi-grain Muesli with Raspberry Chia Jam

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 cup multi-grain muesli
1 cup plain yogurt
generous spoonful of raspberry chia jam
honey for drizzling

Instructions

In a small mixing bowl, gently stir together the muesli and yogurt. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
To serve, divide into 2 bowls. Top each bowl with a generous spoonful of raspberry chia jam and a drizzle of honey.

January 5, 2015

Chewy Almond Butter Bars

Let’s start 2015 off with a wholesome, satisfying, sweet-but-not-too-sweet, dense, and chewy energy bar. I have always been a perpetual snacker- I purposely leave room at mealtimes just so that I have room to snack. Healthy treats with various whole grains, nuts, seeds, and natural sweeteners are my usual preferred snacks and these slightly adapted chewy almond butter bars from Maria Speck’s Ancient Grains for Modern Meals fit the bill for my ideal snack. These delightful bars are comprised of oats, brown rice crisps, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, dried fruit, and bound together with a blend of almond butter and honey. They are mostly no-bake (oven is used at the beginning just to toast the oats and seeds) and come together in minutes. Happy New Year!

Chewy Almond Butter Bars

Serves: 12 2 x 2½-inch bars

Ingredients

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup chopped hazelnuts
¼ cup sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1 cup brown rice crisps cereal
¼ cup currants
¼ cup chopped dried apricots
¼ golden raisins
¼ cup creamy almond butter
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
¼ cup honey
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
On a large rimmed baking sheet, evenly spread oats, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds. Bake for 8-10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until mixture is toasty and fragrant. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the flax seeds, cereal, currents, apricots, and raisins. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
In a small saucepan, stir the the almond butter, coconut sugar, honey, and sea salt together over medium-low heat until sugar and salt are dissolved, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in vanilla.
Working quickly, pour the almond butter mixture over the oat mixture and mix together until thoroughly combined. Use the back of a rubber spatula or lightly oiled hands to press the mixture firmly into prepared pan. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes, before cutting into bars. Store in the refrigerator or at room temperature in an air-tight container.

Notes

adapted from Ancient Grains for Modern Meals