Easy Bircher muesli
I had a little grated apple leftover from my carrot, apple and coconut muffins so I decided to whip up a quick Bircher muesli. These are the original overnight oats, invented in the 1900s by Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients at his sanatorium. He believed a diet high in raw foods was the key to good health. Okay, so his theories were purely conjecture at the time as scientists hadn't yet discovered vitamins in fruits and vegetables. But it's an idea backed up by current research, which links increased fruit and vegetable intake with reduced risks of heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease, cancer and premature deaths.
Basically, the more fruit and veggies you eat, the better (duh), even if 10 portions a day is a bit of a stretch. Like smoothies or acai bowls, overnight oats are a really easy and tasty way to cram some nutrition into your first meal of the day.
The very customisable base consists of oats, apple juice, yogurt or milk and grated apple. The oats are soaked overnight to make them soft and creamy without cooking. Rather than just the oats and liquid, I like to chuck in all the ingredients the night before, to save time on busy mornings. I then top with whatever fruits, chopped nuts and/or seeds I have at home. You can easily double the batch if you like, it will keep in the fridge for up to four days. If you feel like experimenting, why not swap some of the grated apple with grated carrot or courgette? Or maybe switch the apple juice out for some smashed raspberries. Mmm.
Mix and match toppings: blueberries, shredded coconut, banana slices, sunflower seeds, raspberries, pumpkin seeds, strawberries, peaches, almonds, raisins, hazelnuts, mangoes, dried apricots, nut butters...whatever you fancy ;)
Easy Bircher muesli
Serves 2.
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup oats
- 2/3 cup milk (I like almond or soy)
- 1/4 cup apple juice (or more milk)
- 2 tablespoons yogurt
- 1/2 cup grated apple
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon cinnamon, to taste
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds (optional)
- 2 teaspoons honey, or to taste
METHOD
In a bowl, combine all the ingredients.
Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
In the morning, divide the portions, add your favourite toppings and dig in.
Notes: You can adapt this recipe however you like, with more or less spices or different sweeteners like maple syrup or agave nectar. A drop or two of vanilla extract wouldn't go amiss either.
If you leave out the chia seeds, or forget like I did last night, your Bircher muesli will be runnier, as pictured above, but it won't affect the taste.
I used a mini food processor to grate my apple without sacrificing any skin, but you can use a box grater if you dare.
