Wild Muesli for Calm Breakfasts

I was first introduced to this recipe by a former work colleague. She gave me a little jar of it, as a thanks for giving her a jar of homemade jam. As the one usually giving out edible gifts, I was very happy to receive some myself! Before then, I wasn’t much of a muesli or granola fan, and now I know it’s because I’d never had a homemade one before. 

It didn’t take long for me to ask for the recipe, and my colleague kindly obliged! I remember seeing her eat this muesli with yoghurt and fruit many mornings at work for breakfast, and walking past her desk and noticing the very large jar of this muesli sitting there! So this muesli has been always known to me as Wild Muesli as it came from the lovely Wild family (yes, that is their surname!). 

This recipe also inspired my muesli topping for the Muesli Breakfast Crumble I posted quite a while back, which is a lovely way to enjoy breakfast. This is a much more simple version, and can be added to lots of things like the typical yoghurt and fruit, and I love a little sprinkled over pancakes. I have also been known to make biscuits out of it! 

Having a batch of this made (and it does make quite a lot), really does create calm breakfasts. There is something about knowing breakfast is already partially or completely prepared that makes getting up in the morning that much easier for me. Whether it’s this muesli, crumpets waiting in the freezer or my Muesli Breakfast Crumble ready to be quickly reheated in the microwave, the knowledge that an easy, yet tasty homemade breakfast is waiting for me definitely brings me a sense of calm in the early mornings, especially before work. 

A note on the recipe - use a baking tray as large as you can. The thinner the layer the muesli is on the tray, the quicker it will cook. If the tray is too small you will be baking, stirring it every 5 minutes, for quite a while!

Also - if you are looking for the Muesli Slice recipe I made using this muesli you can find it over on Fully Booked Women!

Homemade Honey Muesli

Ingredients: 

250g rolled oats (not instant oats)

25g shredded or flaked coconut 

155g pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

115g sunflower kernels

85g chia seeds

120g slivered almonds

175g honey

Method:

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius, and line a large baking tray with baking paper. A tray with slightly higher sides will work best for this recipe. 

In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients, then add the honey and mix with a large wooden spoon until everything is well coated. 

Place in the oven, and stir every 5-6 minutes, so the muesli can brown evenly. The muesli should be golden brown in about 20 minutes. 

Store in an airtight container or large glass jars. 

Makes 860g muesli. 

Muesli Breakfast Crumble

When I’m working, and there are early mornings, long days and lots of travel ahead, the last thing I feel like doing when I wake up is make breakfast. However, breakfast is exactly what I need to start those kinds of work days off on the right foot. I tend to opt for quick things like toast, though they don’t keep me full for very long. Every so often however, I find something for breakfast that I really like, and can be made in advance and quickly re-heated and eaten before the work day begins. 

A couple of years ago I started making a double batch of these pancakes on the weekend, then kept enough for two per day in the fridge for the working week, or freeze them to defrost in the microwave each morning. While reheated pancakes don’t have the same ring to them as freshly made, I found it so much easier to wake up each morning knowing I had something nice to eat. I made sure I had some nice maple syrup, honey or fresh honeycomb, berries or other fruit and yoghurt to eat with them and it made the start to the day so much easier. 

I have since found a few more breakfasts that can be made in advance, including the crumpets in this recent post, and this Muesli Breakfast Crumble. The crumble is inspired by the dessert crumble I made last year, which I loved, and some homemade muesli I was gifted from a friend at work who later gave me the recipe. I have used finely sliced Pink Lady apples and poached quince as my fruit filling for this Breakfast Crumble, however almost any fruit combination will work. Stone fruit and berries would be amazing in Summer, and rhubarb in Winter. The quantities of the fruit don’t matter so much, as long as they fill your baking dish with enough room for the crumble topping to sit on top. 

What are your tips for easy and tasty breakfasts during the work week? 

Also just a little note to say I'm going to be putting together a (mostly) weekly newsletter, filled with recipes, tips, tricks and recommendations you won't find here on the blog! I'm hoping to share even more exclusive content via the newsletter soon, so click here to sign up! 

Muesli Breakfast Crumble

Grounded Pleasures Organic Panela Sugar - used in crumble mixture

Muesli Breakfast Crumble

Muesli Breakfast Crumble

Ingredients: 

x3 small apples, I prefer Pink Lady, finely sliced then roughly chopped

1.5-2 large poached quinces, roughly chopped

2 tbsp quince poaching liquid

1 Grounded Pleasures Vanilla Bean, seeds scraped

60g wholemeal plain flour

60g oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon

50g margarine or softened unsalted butter

20g sunflower kernels

15g chia seeds

75g Grounded Pleasures Organic Panela Sugar

25g pepitas

30g slivered almonds 

Greek yoghurt, to serve

Method: 

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. 

Mix the apple, quince, poaching liquid and vanilla bean seeds in a baking dish (interior dimensions approx. 24 x 19.5 x 6.5cm), then set aside. 

In a medium/large bowl combine the flour, oats, cinnamon, margarine, sunflower kernels, chia seeds, Panela sugar, pepitas and almonds, until they are well combined and the margarine has evenly dispersed. 

Spoon the muesli crumble mixture over the apples and quince in the baking dish, ensuring the entire surface of the dish is evenly covered. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the crumble topping is golden. Serve warm from the oven with Greek yoghurt or reheat portions for easy breakfasts later on. 

Muesli Breakfast Crumble

Muesli Breakfast Crumble

Muesli Breakfast Crumble

Thanks to Grounded Pleasures for sponsoring this post and providing the yummy Panela Sugar & Vanilla Beans! 

Buttermilk Crumpets & Homemade Butter

I was inspired to make crumpets again after having an amazing breakfast at Synonymous Cafe in Medlow Bath while I was away a few weeks ago. The crumpets we had there were really good, and the combination of accompaniments got me thinking that I should be serving crumpets at home with more than just butter/margarine and vegemite. Keeping with the travel inspiration theme, I decided to pair my crumpets with quince I had poached after buying some from the Agrestic Grocer in Orange while we were away, and amazing cream from Dubbo based Little Big Dairy Co whose milk we enjoyed at a few cafes in the Central West. 

I also Little Big Dairy Co's pouring cream to make the butter as well, and the resulting buttermilk can be used for this recipe also - just top up the quantity with another milk if you don’t get quite enough. I did this the second time I made these, and used Little Big Dairy Co’s unhomogenised full cream milk, which I think is the nicest milk I’ve ever tasted. The first time I made these I used Pepe Saya’s Buttermilk, which is a by product of the butter making process. As you can see I really like supporting great Australian small businesses, and buying local when possible. I love to support people who are passionate about food, and make a top quality product like Pepe Saya and Little Big Dairy Co. And I have to say it’s so worth it when you cook with products from these small producers and the taste is so much better than you’ve had before. 

Do you ever find cooking inspiration on holidays? And what are your favourite small food businesses and producers you love to support? Let me know in the comments below, I’d love to add to more to my list!

Homemade Butter

Buttermilk Crumpets with Homemade Butter

Homemade Butter

This is well worth the effort, and in fact it’s not really that much effort. All you need is a stand mixer, whisk attachment, muslin and some pouring cream. Use the best quality cream you can find, as it will produce a nicer quality butter and buttermilk. Both the butter and buttermilk can be used straight away for frozen or another time, so no need to stress about using a whole litre of cream, it won’t go to waste. You can however use any quantity of cream, as long as it is enough for the mixer to process.

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Ingredients:

1L good quality pouring cream 

Method: 

Pour the cream into the bowl of a stand mixture fitted with the whisk attachment. Start mixing on medium-high speed, covering the bowl with a tea towel if the cream is jumping out and making a mess. After a couple of minutes of constant mixing, the cream will thicken and become whipped. Continue mixing for a few more minutes (at least 5), and the cream will start to turn a yellow colour. In the next few minutes the butter will begin to separate from the buttermilk - you might want to cover the bowl with a tea towel again as I find the buttermilk jumps out of the bowl quite a lot. Continue mixing for a few more minutes, or until the butter and the buttermilk have completely separated. 

Place a large colander over a bowl, and line the colander with the muslin. Pour the butter and buttermilk over the colander, then squeeze out the butter over the colander using the muslin to release more of the buttermilk. The buttermilk can be used in the below recipe, kept in the fridge for a week or frozen for later use. 

Rinse the butter in cold water, then knead on a dry surface to release more of the buttermilk. This process is essential to give the butter a longer shelf life as, if too much buttermilk remains the butter will go off. Rinse the butter again and knead until most of the buttermilk as been released. Roll the butter into a log or shape into a disc and wrap with baking paper and seal. Use for the below recipe and store in the fridge (it should keep for a couple of months), or weigh it out into portions and freeze. 

Cook crumpets on low heat in a crumpet ring until bubbles then holes appear, then flip

Buttermilk Crumpets

This was my second recent attempt at making crumpets from scratch. I have posted a recipe for crumpets before, but have since found a new recipe I like better and have worked out the best way to cook them. They key is to cook them low and slow, so you give the tops time to bubble and burst, giving that distinctive hole-y top crumpet look, without over cooking the bottoms. You will need crumpet rings for this recipe but you can use egg rings, which will give a smaller fatter or larger thinner crumpet depending on their size. I had been searching for crumpet rings all over for a few years, and finally found some at the Lost & Found Department where they had sourced crumpet rings and handmade cake tins etc from a supplier in Tasmania (if my recollection of the story is correct). 

As I mentioned above, I used buttermilk from the butter making process for this recipe. If you can’t get any or aren’t making the homemade butter, just substitute with regular or skim milk. Don’t substitute with cultured buttermilk (the thicker variety found in supermarkets), I’m not sure the thickness of it will work well with this recipe. 

Ingredients

275ml buttermilk (not cultured)

55ml water

1tsp caster sugar 

250g strong white flour (bread flour)

8g dried fast action yeast

1/2 tsp bicarb soda

50ml warm water

butter for cooking, and to serve

poached quinces, to serve (optional)

thick/clotted/dollop cream, to serve (optional) 

Method:

Warm the milk and water (55ml) in a saucepan over low heat, then add the sugar and stir. Don’t overheat the milk. Place the flour into a large bowl and stir in the yeast. Pour in the warmed milk mixture and mix together until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place to rise. The batter will be ready when it has risen and become frothy and full of bubbles, this should take around hour, but leave for longer if the batter hasn’t become very bubbly after an hour. 

When the batter is ready, mix the bicarb soda with water (50ml) then mix into the batter until smooth. 

Grease the insides of the crumpet rings with butter, and heat a large flat plan on low heat. Grease the pan with some butter and place the rings on to the pan (how many you use at one time will depend on how large your pan is). 

Fill the crumpet rings with batter, until the surface of the ring on the pan is fully covered and the batter comes up around a quarter to half way up the crumpet ring (this will depend on how big you want your crumpets to be, allowing for them to rise a little). 

Cook for about 5 minutes, keeping the pan on low heat, or until bubbles then holes appear on the top of each crumpet. This is a slow process so don’t be tempted to rush it. 

Flip the crumpets over once the holes have appeared on the tops, and cook for another couple of minutes or until golden - you can remove the crumpet rings at this point, and allow them to cool a little before re-greasing them to use again. Continue with the remaining batter. I found the batter made about 10 crumpets.

Serve straight from the pan, or warmed up later on under a grill with fresh butter, cream and poached quinces, or any other topping you fancy. 

Buttermilk Crumpets with Homemade Butter, Poached Quince & Cream

References: ‘Fortnum & Mason The Cookbook’ by Tom Parker Bowles (4th Estate, 2016), p.60; ‘Real Food Projects’ by Kate Walsh (Murdoch Books, 2016) pp.92-3.

Easy Breakfast’s from Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Live

Back in late March, few friends and I went to Jamie’s Food Revolution Live at the Opera House. It was great. We had so much fun, and Jamie was so great to see live and witness his passion for good food in person. 

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Live, Sydney Opera House (March 29, 2015).

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This pancake recipe is Jamie’s idea of a simple, and better for you, breakfast. He cooked them at the Opera House, and served them with different combinations of fruit, yoghurt, honey, ricotta and maple syrup. The whole idea behind this recipe is to start the day with something that will keep you full, whilst avoiding processed foods and sugars. Putting oats in pancakes might seem a little strange, but you honestly can’t notice them once the pancakes are cooked. They also help keep you fuller for longer. Jamie recommends using wholemeal self-raising flour and skim milk for this recipe. I used buttermilk the first time I made them, and it make the pancakes nice and fluffy.  They are however, just as nice with skim milk. 

Jamie also said to cook them on a non-stick pan, so as to negate the need for cooking with any fats. Our non-stick pan isn’t so non-stick anymore, so I used some margarine to cook the pancakes. 

While they are simple, I find cooking them in advance (the night before), the easiest way to tackle breakfast before going to work! I can’t say I feel like cooking pancakes, or anything for that matter, at 6:30 in the morning, so being able to just heat them up and top with some berries and maple syrup, is the quickest way to go. I find they last a few days in the fridge once cooked. 

This recipe makes about 6 pancakes, and is easily doubled to make more (about 12).

Some smoothie recipes were also demonstrated at Jamie’s Food Revolution Live. The recipe below is my interpretation of those, based on the flavours I like. The recipe is adapted from a berry yoghurt ice cream from ‘Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals’. If you won’t be using all the berry and yoghurt mixture in one go (it will make a few smoothies), put it in a container and freeze it for another time. Otherwise, halve the recipe so there is less leftover. 

Easy Pancakes for Breakfast

Ingredients:

1 cup self-raising flour (preferably wholemeal)

1 cup buttermilk or skim milk 

1 egg 

1/2 cup oats

margarine, for cooking (if needed)

maple syrup and berries, to serve 

Method: 

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients, and using a whisk, mix well. 

Heat a non-stick pan to medium-high heat. 

Place a couple of spoonfuls of the mixture onto the pan and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through. 

Serve warm with maple syrup and fresh berries. 

Reference:  ‘Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Live’ Sunday March 29 2015, Sydney Opera House, Australia. 

Berry Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients: 

500g mixed frozen berries

3-4 tablespoons runny honey

500g natural yoghurt 

milk

Method: 

Put the yoghurt and honey in the bowl of a food processor and process to combine. Add the berries and process until combined. 

Add some milk and process until combined. Add as much or as little milk as you like, depending on how thick you would like the smoothie to be. 

Divide smoothie amongst a few glasses, or serve in a large jug. 

Reference:  ‘Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals’ by Jamie Oliver (Penguin Group, 2010), p.182.

Coconut & Passionfruit Pancakes

Happy long weekend! 

It seems to me that here in Australia, we love nothing more than a good long weekend. So to celebrate, I am posting this recipe for coconut and passionfruit pancakes. Mostly because, if you can’t take some time making a leisurely breakfast on the long weekend, when can you? 

If you don’t like the thought of doing all the preparation and cooking in the morning, you can prepare the passionfruit syrup and the batter (up until the egg whites stage) the night before. Before whipping up the egg whites and adding them to the mixture, just make sure the batter has been out of the fridge for a little bit. 

This recipe comes from Bill Granger. I have consciously attempted to lessen the amount of his recipes that I make and blog about on here. At one stage, a few months ago, I had made so many of his recipes from various books, that it was going to look like I wasn’t capable of doing anything else. While I think that is a compliment to Bill, I thought that variety was also probably a good idea. 

I went about making these pancakes, firstly because I had frozen so much passionfruit pulp it would really be ridiculous not to use it, and I had been following the hype surrounding Bill’s new restaurant opening in Bondi. I figured if I couldn’t get to Bondi to eat at his restaurant, I would just have to make a recipe of his myself. 

Luckily for me, a week or so after making these pancakes, I got to visit bills in Bondi. I absolutely loved it. There were so many great options to chose from on the lunch and drinks menu, I had real difficulty making a decision. It is definitely a must visit if you are in Bondi or nearby. 

Ingredients: 

1 1/3 cups plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp caster sugar

3/4 cup coconut, desiccated or shredded

pinch of salt

4 eggs, separated

1 cup milk 

1 cup coconut milk 

50 g butter, melted

butter, for cooking

banana slices, to serve

Ingredients for the Passionfruit Syrup:

1/2 cup caster sugar 

1/4 cup passionfruit pulp

Method: 

To make the passionfruit syrup, mix the sugar and pulp in a saucepan. Place on a medium heat and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer for ten minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool until needed. 

To make the pancakes, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and coconut in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the egg yolks, coconut milk and milk. Whisk until combined. Add this mixture, and the butter, to the flour and mix lightly until just combined. 

In the bowl of a electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. 

In two batches, gently fold the egg whites in to the batter. 

Using a large fry pan, heat some of the butter. To cook the pancakes, place heaped tablespoons of the batter, on to the pan and cook for about two minutes a side. The first side will be cooked when the surface of the top side of the pancake has formed small bubbles. Don’t overcrowd your pan with pancakes. If you can only do a couple at a time, turn the oven to a low heat and place cooked pancakes on a tray to keep warm. 

Serve pancakes with slices of banana and the passionfruit syrup. 

Original recipe from ‘Bills Open Kitchen’ by Bill Granger (2003, Murdoch Books), p. 23. 

bills in Bondi can be found at 79 Hall St Bondi Beach, NSW.

Originally Posted October 3, 2014.

All baking, styling and photography for this post by Kathryn Vincent of Kulinary Adventures of Kath.

Granger & Co London and Ricotta Hotcakes with Banana and Honeycomb Butter

Before eating at Granger & Co, I had experienced Bill Granger’s restaurants only one other time. At the time, the trek into Surry Hills for breakfast was far to daunting to do on an empty stomach, and I therefore had to eat something before I left. This unfortunately meant I wasn’t super hungry once I arrived in Surry Hills, and thus only ate coconut bread. I realised my mistake when my breakfast companion ordered the Ricotta Hotcakes with Banana and Honeycomb butter, and it looked amazing. My coconut bread, as nice as it was, seemed to pale in comparison. 

Coconut Bread at bills, Surry Hills. 

About a year after this first experience, I was lucky enough to find myself in London, where Bill Granger has opened a restaurant in Notting Hill. I was absolutely determined that we go there at least once. It might seem odd to go to a restaurant in another country that serves similar if not the same food to the one at home. But after my previous experience, I thought that the opportunity to go there was not to be missed. Not only because the food is excellent, but the distance to get to Notting Hill was a lot less than the distance to get to Surry Hills at home! Thus more achievable on an empty stomach! 

On our first full day in London (yes, I was THAT keen), Mum and I caught the tube to Bayswater Station and took the short walk along Queensway and Westbourne Grove to reach Granger & Co. We were seated immediately, despite the restaurant being very full. Which was lucky, as I was obviously starving at this point! I had already decided I was going to order the Ricotta Hotcakes, and Mum ordered the Sweetcorn Fritters. Both meals were great, and according to Mum, the coffee ended up being the best she had on our whole holiday. 

Ricotta Hotcakes with Honeycomb Butter at Granger & Co, London.

Once we were home I ended up finding the recipes for the Ricotta Hotcakes and the Sweetcorn Fritters. Both recipes work really well and are just as nice as eating them in one of Bill’s restaurants. The Ricotta Hotcakes are quite a decadent breakfast with the honeycomb butter, and would definitely be worth making for a special occasion.

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups ricotta 

3/4 cup milk

4 eggs, separated

1 cup plan flour

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

unsalted butter,  for cooking

bananas, to serve

Ingredients for the Honeycomb Butter 

250g unsalted butter, softened

100g honeycomb, crushed

2 tbsp honey 

Method: 

To make the honeycomb butter, place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until combined. Using plastic wrap, shape into a log and leave to chill in the fridge. 

For the hotcakes, mix the ricotta, milk and egg yolks in a small bowl. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a larger bowl. Mix the ricotta mixture with the flour until just combined. 

Using an electric mixer and a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Using a large metal spoon, fold the egg whites into the batter in two batches. Be gentle whilst doing this otherwise the egg whites will go flat. 

Using the butter, lightly grease a fry pan. On a medium to low heat place two tablespoons of the batter per hotcake, and cook for about two minutes on the first side. The first side will be cooked when it is golden in colour and the top side shows some small bubbles. Cook on the other side and continue until all the batter is cooked. Whilst cooking the hotcakes, you might want to preheat an oven to about 100 degrees Celsius and place cooked hotcakes on a tray, to keep them warm. 

Serve hotcakes with cut up banana and a slice (or two!) of honeycomb butter. 

Makes about 10. 

Original recipe can be found in ‘bills Syndey Food’ by Bill Granger (2000), p.22.

Granger & Co can be found at 175 Westbourne Grove, London. 

Granger & Co London.

bills in Sydney can be found at 359 Crown St Surry Hills and 433 Liverpool St Darlinghurst.

*Update 11/10/14 - new bills Sydney location at Bondi Beach (79 Hall St). 

bills, 359 Crown St Surry Hills, Sydney. 

Originally Posted May 25, 2014