A Summer Breakfast Idea

Porridge has had a resurgance in popularity in the last few years, due to an increased awareness of the benefits of oats. Oatmeal contains about 22% protein, 66% carbohydrate and 9% ‘good oils’. It contains soluble fibre, which is thought to be good at reducing cholesterol, by binding to it in the gut and ‘escorting’ it out of the body. Most people with Coeliac’s Disease avoid oats - the protein in oats seems to be too similar to gluten for their bodies to be able to handle, though in many cases the problem is that oats are generally milled in places where other grains are also milled and as such, are contaminated with gluten from barley, wheat or rye.

But assuming you don’t have a problem with oats and have been enjoying porridge all winter, you may be looking for something a little lighter for these lighter mornings. This month’s recipe idea is Bircher muesli, something my husband and I started eating when we lived in Switzerland about 18 years ago. It was invented by Dr Bircher-Benner for the benefit of patients in his Zurich clinic in the 1890’s. Over the years, although the basic recipe remains the same, it has been adapted and personalised so much that I wonder if the good doctor would still recognise it!

Basically, we make up a dry mix of 100g of rolled oats, 60g of mixed (unsalted) nuts, and 30g of seeds and keep it in a large jam jar or tupperware box in the fridge. Experiment with whatever nuts you have available, but I always have flaked almonds for texture along with a selection of chopped hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans or macadamia. For the seeds it can be a little more complicated. Tiny seeds like linseed and sesame seeds are very hard for the body to digest, so their goodness can pass straight through. They really should be crushed or ground in a clean coffee grinder no more than a couple of days before eating (ideally immediately before eating as their good oils are delicate and prone to going rancid, which is really bad for you). Bigger seeds like sunflower or pumpkin seeds can be simply chewed well to make them more digestible.

Anyway, it’s a good idea to take a couple of dessertspoons of your dry mix and soak it overnight in a cereal bowl in water, apple juice or milk, according to taste. This makes the minerals in the oats more absorbable, but it also makes the nuts soggy, so you may prefer to skip this step. In the morning, add the mix, whether pre-soaked or not, to a small pot of yoghurt. If you use a fruit yoghurt, read the label and make sure it’s not too sugary. Otherwise use plain live yoghurt with a little honey if necessary.

Finally fold in fresh fruit. Yet again, it is all a matter of taste. I understand the original Bircher muesli contained grated pear or apple. I personally prefer fresh or frozen berries or slice banana. If you are making a big batch for the whole family, you could put all the fruits in! The final result should be a big bowl, full of a pretty sloppy but very tasty Bircher muesli.

This recipe can seem pretty complicated at first, but once you have a batch of dry mix in the fridge, it’s quite straightforward and offers a great deal of variety depending on all the different choices you make. It’s full of fresh, healthy ingredients and makes a tasty, satisfying start to a summer’s day. En guete, as they say in Switzerland!