Muesli

Muesli is the homely sister to glamorous granola. It's got none of that oil/maple syrup nonsense, just toasted oats and whatever add-ins you like.

There's this great thing people love called overnight oats--it calls for soaking oats in water/milk overnight so they're softened in the morning, and it's great for summer because you don't have to heat it up.

But, I've never much liked it.

And I think I've figured out why...the oats aren't cooked! In muesli they're toasted, and in the other applications like oatmeal and oatmeal cookies. Those cookies that are chocolate and peanut butter mixed with oats have always had a weirdly raw taste to me, too (though that's not to say you wouldn't love them...peanut butter and chocolate are mostly always delicious).

Muesli is different. There's a pop and satisfying dry crunch you don't get with raw oats. Plus, dried fruit and nuts make it delicious!

Oh, and it's healthy. That's the other selling point. Mine had walnuts (omega 3s and protein), chia seeds (omega 3s, fiber, and protein), and loads of oats (fiber! or fibre if you're fancy).

You can just add raisins and peanuts or whatever you have. Mostly, healthy things go with healthy things, and it's hard to go wrong.

It's great on yogurt (mix it the night before if you're into softened oats, the day of if you like that dry crunch/pop) with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup. Sliced banana makes another great addition! Or just with milk as cereal...the options are many.

Muesli

Yield: as much as you like

Ingredients:

• Oats
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Dried fruit
• Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger...)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread oats in a baking sheet (it's okay if there's a layer that's a bit thick; mine was about half an inch thick in some places). Bake 10-15 minutes, or until toasted the amount you like. They don't burn that easily, but keep an eye on them!
2. Let cool a bit, then mix with fruit, seeds, nuts, and spices to taste. A crucial part of this is separating the clumps of dried fruit bits and covering them in the oat dust so they don't stick together...this makes for more even bites.

Adapted from Joy the Baker (who adapted from Food52 and adds toasted coconut)