OUR ‘SUNNY’ TOASTED MUESLI + Waiheke Island
Ingredients
- 4 cups quick-cook rolled oats
- 1 cup fine desiccated coconut
- 1/2 cup roughly ground nuts: almonds hazelnuts, brazil nuts etc.
- 1/2 cup roughly ground seeds: sunflower seeds pumpkin seeds
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- generous pinch of sea salt
- 1 cup finely chopped dried fruit: apricots dates, figs, raisins, sultanas, currants
- 1/3 cup virgin coconut oil or ghee
- 4 Tbsp honey or 1/4 cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 150°C.
- Combine the dry ingredients and spices in a large bowl. In a saucepan, gently heat the honey with the oil/ ghee until combined. Pour over the muesli, and combine. Spread the muesli out evenly in a large baking tray. Cook in the oven for 45 - 50 minutes until lightly golden. Several times during cooking give the muesli a stir for even cooking. Remove from the oven and cool on the tray. Store in a large airtight jar/ container in the pantry.
- Serve muesli with your chosen selection of the following / milk (cow’s, rice, coconut, or nut milk) / natural yogurt or creamed coconut / fresh fruit (sliced banana, grated apple/ pear, berries) / fruit purée (apple, pear, plum) / diluted fruit juice instead of milk
- *Or serve as Bircher Muesli by soaking toasted muesli overnight in milk or hot water so to soften the oats and make them easier to digest.
Notes
I am back home after 48 hours in Auckland City. I went all by myself without my family, just this ‘South Island’ Mama in the big smoke. And amazingly (as I am not a big city person) I actually quite enjoyed myself. Auckland is a bubbling Little Big city, the weather was exceptional and the people I met (and worked alongside) were just so lovely. We really are a nice bunch us kiwis (New Zealand-ers), it always brings it home for me when I am dropped into working with a group of people I have never met before.
In case you missed the reason for my trip last week, I headed to Auckland to be filmed for a Television series called ‘Whānau Living’ to be aired on TV One early next year (I haven’t got an exact date yet). The series is all about family living and includes an array of subjects including gardening, crafts and cooking, which obviously was my area. With the help of presenter Stacey Morrison I cooked up a main dish and dessert (recipes will accompany the show) in front of the camera with ‘cuts’ and ‘takes’, bright lights, a bucket load of makeup, and a hair-sprayed do. You can check out some of the behind the scenes on my Instagram feed HERE and HERE.
On Sunday I caught up with family for brunch then headed over to Waiheke Island on the ferry. This was my first trip to Waiheke and I wasn’t disappointed. What a beautiful place with native bush, a delightful bird chorus, and a slow island pace. I sat on the beach with my cousin and ate a hokey-pokey ice-cream while we reminisced our childhood holidays spent doing much the same with Nana & Poppa at Lake Rotoiti. I took a few snaps too…
I Love the addition of turmeric and ground ginger, both spices we have in the pantry but would have never thought to have put them in our muesli!
You have to try it Amanda, you will like it I am sure. Pre-children I was also known to add cayenne to muesli in the winter for boosting circulation. I am not sure that would go down so well with the children though 🙂
Hi Nicola, pleased you had a good weekend in Auckland. It’s where I grew up, and even though it’s 20 years since I lived there, it’s still the place I think of as home. Waiheke is gorgeous – how lucky that you got to go there.
Your muesli looks wonderful. I always make my own muesli too, but I never thought to add turmeric to it – I’m definitely going to give that a try.
xo
Hi Sue, thanks for stopping by. I haven’t bumped into for a while so hope all is well for you. Turmeric is an interesting addition, you can’t really taste it but it adds goodness and colour!
Love the pics of Waiheke! Thanks again for sharing the lovely recipe 🙂
Thanks Sarah, Waiheke is so beautiful I can see why people want to live there! And thank-you for having me over at Little Fig 🙂
Glad you enjoyed yourself here in Auckland. It’s been too long since I went to Waiheke. And no I wouldn’t have thought to put turmeric in muesli either 🙂
Thanks Lesley, I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed myself but maybe it was having time to myself that was needed also 😉
I love Waiheke and think it is wonderful you had the time to visite – next time you have to visite Ivan in the Bioshelter…
So yummy! You should enter this for Sweet New Zealand (as an Italian I think of muesli as something sweet).
This month’s host is Mairi, info here http://www.toast-nz.com/2013/10/sweet-new-zealand.html
Waiheke is lovely!
Ciao
Alessandra
Thanks Alessandra will check it out.
Hi Nicola, the muesli sounds wonderful, as does your trip to Auckland. Could you use a similar mix to make a “breakfast muesli bar”? Also, do you know of any restaurants/chefs who specialise in breakfasts in NZ?
Hi Ben, I am sure you could make this into a breakfast muesli bar either with a butter/ sugar/ honey caramel and set in the fridge or you could add apple sauce and egg and bake it. I haven’t actually tried this but the muesli could definitely be used as a base.
No sorry I am not sure of a breakfast restaurant/ chef in NZ.
Nicola! SO fun to see your photos of Waiheke here. We spent Christmas there 2 years ago and ate plenty of meals at the wonderful wood-fired oven spot right next to the blue boat house you shot here.
And you’re from Nelson! We spent a month there in 2010. What a gorgeous place you live in!
-Erin
P.S. Are you related to Emma Galloway?
Hi Erin, Yes the wood-fire cart was there still next to the blue boat house. The food looked really good but we already had a picnic with us. Next time…
Yes, Nelson is my home town and I couldn’t quite bring myself to move anywhere else as I am sure you can understand why. It is quite a perfect place to live although the Northern West Coast of the US (and Canada) I could also imagine living so look forward to reading more of your recipes as we share a similar ‘eat local and simple’ food ethos.
He he, no I am not related to Emma although we have been in ‘blogging world’ contact and have a similar upbringing so could be related!
Nice to hear from you.
Love Waiheke too. We used to live there for many years before moving to Nelson. Thanks for sharing the nice photos. They bring back good memories. Jamila
Hi Jamila, Waiheke is a special place, I was lucky to visit. Nelson is pretty special too 🙂
Hi, I found the museli recipe when googlimg and made the gluten free version tonight. I was very impressed!! I have been buying a lovely NZ brand but it was very pricey so am frilled to bits with this recipe. I did omit the fruit to keep the sugars down but it tastes every bit as good as the pricey stuff. I can!t wait to breakfast!! Many thanks, Vicki
Thanks Vicki, I appreciate you taking the time to let me know! It is always nice to hear from readers who make and enjoy my recipes 🙂
Happy cooking and eating!
Just had to stop in and say this. is. GLORIOUS!.
Found this recipe via a Google search (as you do, hehe) and have instantly loved it from the first raw test taste. I’m only 30 minutes into the baking process and have eaten spoonfuls every time I go to stir…on the next stirring I’m definitely filling up plate with a ladle, lol.
I feel a Kmart shopping trip coming on just to buy a pretty container for this awesome yummy-ness.
Thanks Janelle, it is my favourite straight from the oven, while it is still warm with yogurt and fresh fruit. And the smell that permeates the kitchen is so wonderful! Enjoy 🙂