Oat-free bircher style muesli

If you saw the apple and strawberry bircher on facebook the other day, I was requested a lower carb higher fat version, so here it is!

It contains half the carbs as the original, 3 times the fat and nearly half the protein.

If you want to further lower the carbs you can leave the fruit out and if you are dairy free you can replace the yoghurt with coconut yoghurt or just use 1/2 cup of you prefered "milk" and leave out the yoghurt altogether.

You can replace the nuts/seeds with other nuts/seeds if you wanted. The chia seeds is what thickens the muesli up.

Let me know what you think!

10g hazelnuts, chopped

10g slivered or flaked almonds

10g chia seeds

10g pumpkin seeds

10g coconut flakes

50g full fat greek yoghurt

50g strawberries, chopped

50g grated apple

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Stevia or preferred sweetener to taste

Method

Mix altogether and add about 1/4 cup of water (you could use extra milk but will change the stats)

stats

1638 kJ

25g carbs

30g fat

12g protein

Protein pancake mix

Makes 6 serves

Each serve uses ½ cup or 57g protein pancake mix

Ingredients

200g oat flour- this is just oats blitz up until fine like flour

120g vanilla protein powder

Optional 1 x whole vanilla bean- chop roughly and blitz when you make the oat flour

5 tsp baking powder

Method

Mix well together and store in an airtight container.

To make; mix ½ cup (57g) protein mix and whisk with around 80ml water or until you get a thick batter. As an alternative you can use milk or use an egg + a little water or milk.

In a pan spray some olive oil and heat.  Spoon in your batter into 3-4 pancakes. When it bubbles and the bottom is golden brown underneath and flip over, Cook a further 30 seconds or so or until cooked.

Per serve (½  cup of powder)

886 kJ

Carbs 17g

Protein 19g

If you want to use a waffle make take 45g of the protein mix add 1 egg and a little water to make a thick batter. Cook as per instructions for your waffle maker.

I had this with a strawberry cheesecake sauce.

For one serve take 100g strawberries, chopped. Cook in a pot until they breakdown-this only takes a couple of minutes. When cool take half the strawberries and mix with 1 tbsp softened cream cheese. Serve the other half of the strawberries to get this two toned effect.

Corn fritters

Makes 8-10

Ingredients

The kernels from 3 cobs of cooked corn, this should be about 2 cups. You can use frozen corn that has been defrosted or canned corn. Whatever suits you.

¾ -1 cup of rice flour

2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup of milk

Method

Mix the corn, salt and pepper, eggs, baking powder and ½ a cup of the rice flour, mix well. Add more flour as needed the mixture needs to be really thick.

In a large pan heat a little oil. Spoon your mix in, about 4-5cm in diameter. Cook on a medium heat until golden brown underneath, then turn over and cook the other side. They don’t take long!

You can make these the night before and just heat in the morning. They are good in a child’s lunch box.

This is your basic mix- this to add to the mix include grated zucchini, diced red capsicum (which is what I used in there) diced mushrooms or other cooked vegetables like sweet potato, broccoli, grated haloumi, herbs like chives, parsley, basil. You can add jalapenos, diced olives, sundried tomato, cooked diced bacon…so many thing you can do here!

To serve you can do bacon, avocado and tomato. Just cook your bacon and tomato together in the pan. You can top with smoked salmon, sweet chilli sauce and sour cream. Top with poached, fried or scrambled egg and wilted spinach.

With your mix just remember that whatever you add it may have a higher water content which will make the mix more watery- when you are ready to cook you need the consistency to be really thick, if it’s not just add more rice flour. Easy as.

corn and capsicum fritters with smoked salmon, sweet chilli sauce and sour cream

With bacon, avocado and tomato

Oaty breakfast muffins

Makes 12

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats

¼ cup rapadura or other granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

125g butter, melted

1 cup unsweetened applesauce or I used 2 blitz bananas

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

Top with

Cranberries and pistachios

Blueberries and shredded coconut

Chocolate chips and almonds

Blueberry and chocolate chip

Raspberry and chocolate chip

Method

Preheat oven to 190°C/170°C fan forced

Grease muffin tin really well or lined with paper cases.

In a large mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, brown sugar and baking powder. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, combine eggs, applesauce/banana, milk and vanilla and whisk thoroughly.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix.

Scoop batter into prepared muffin tin. Put your topping on.

Bake at for 30-35 minutes

Serve as an on the go breakfast, you could serve with some greek yoghurt too if you wanted, or warmed with ice cream for a dessert

These can also be frozen and taken out when needed.

Mango and apple bircher muesli

Bircher is great to make when you are on the go in the morning, and you can make so many variations and use whatever you have on hand!

This one is lovely when you come into beautiful mango season!

Ingredients

1/3 cup of oats

½ cup of natural yoghurt

½ an apple, grated or small dice

1 tbsp of chopped walnuts or other nut or seed

Optional ¼ tsp ground cinnamon.

1 mango cheek, diced

Method

Mix the oats, yoghurt, cinnamon and walnut in a container and leave overnight in the fridge to soak. Add your mango on top when you serve and an optional drizzle of honey. Of course you can just add the mango with your oats if you wanted when you put it in the fridge.

Ricotta hotcakes

Makes 8

Ingredients

250 g tub of smooth ricotta

1 egg

300ml milk

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup of white spelt flour or gluten free flour

Method

Whisk until smooth, but do not over mix or they will toughen. Lightly oil or butter a non-stick pan on a medium to low heat.  Using a ladle or large spoon pour in 2 x 5cm diameter pancakes. When bubbles appear on the top flip over and cook the other side for another minute. Continue this with the rest of the mix. You should get 8. 

Serve the hotcakes with maple syrup a dollop of greek yoghurt and some berries or banana.

You can also make mini ones as pikelets and pop in a lunch box sandwiched with butter and/or jam or cream cheese. You can also use these for savoury and top with smoked salmon, avocado etc

Cranachan

If you saw SBS last night it was "Eat well: Why most food labels are wrong about calories"

Did you see it?
Well...they had this cranachan on there, its a traditional scottish dessert. In modern times it is usually made from a mixture of whipped cream, whisky, honey and fresh raspberries, with toasted oatmeal soaked overnight in a little bit of whisky. Aye!

Well you may know my last name Farquharson is Scottish so my ears and eyes perked up when this was mentioned and I was like "omg I have to make that, it looks like all kinds of deliciousness right there! "

I made it tonight and had it for dessert, I thought it was too good not to share and you guys have to make it!
I also thought this would be a fabulous breakfast!
Anyhoo...this is what I came up with!
You could drop the oats and just use flaked almonds and flaked coconut or other nuts and seeds and follow the recipe the same, you could also not use cream and just use yoghurt:)

Cranachan
Serves 4
100g (1 cup) rolled oats
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp honey 

Melt the honey and butter in a pan on a low heat, add the oats and stir until the oats are golden brown and toasted, careful not to burn them, set aside to cool

150ml cream (whipping cream)
½ cup of greek yoghurt or other plain yoghurt
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract (or some whiskey)

Whip cream, vanilla (whiskey if using) and honey together until stiff, watch out it doesn’t turn to butter! Then fold in yoghurt until combined.

250g fruit- you could use pear, banana, passionfruit, kiwifruit etc….
I have used 125g raspberries and 125g strawberries, chop the strawberries up.
To assemble you can use whatever you choose, like a glass or dessert bowl. Put in some fruit in each glass, then oats, then cream, then repeat with fruit, then oats and cream on top. If you have any left have the top layer with some oats and fruit.

Cauliflower cheese fritters

Make 12 fritters approx

Ingredients

500g cauliflower, grated or blitz to a resemble bread crumbs

3 eggs

1 cup of grated cheese (100g) I used a mix of mozzarella, tasty and a little parmesan

1 tsp salt- I like this amount but you can half this

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

Method

Mix all together. Fry off in some oil in a large pan and using a spoon drop a tbsp of the mix and form a circle, press down slightly like a pancake. Have the heat low to medium so they cook without burning. Turn over when golden brown underneath. Serve up!

This could be an entrée, a veg side dish, or serve with salad or some poached or fried eggs for a breakfast. You could make mini ones and top with smoked salmon crème fraiche or sour cream and a sprig of dill, perhaps a couple of capers. 

Stir fried oats with apple, sultanas and cinnamon

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 cup of rolled oats

1 egg

2 tbsp coconut flakes or shredded coconut

2 tbsp slivered or flaked almonds

2 tbsp sultanas

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ cup of water or milk

1 apple, cored and cut into 8 wedges

2 tbsp coconut cream (opt) for the topping

Honey or maple to taste for the topping

Method
Mix oats together with the egg, set aside.

In a pan with some butter fry your apple wedges until golden brown and set aside. In the same pan, add more butter if needed and add your coconut, almonds, cinnamon and oat mix. Stir fry until golden brown and nice and toasted, then add your milk and sultanas. Keep stirring until there is no more liquid, about 1 minute. Serve up in 2 bowls and top with your apple, coconut cream and honey.

Chocolate, oat and seed clusters

Ingredients

2 cups of oats

½ cup shredded coconut

½ cup of chopped pumpkin seeds

½ cup of flaxseeds

½ cup of sesame seeds

¼ cup of chia seeds

1/3 cup of honey or maple

½ cup of coconut oil or you can use light olive oil or a mix of the 2

2-3 tbsp cacao powder

Method

Mix altogether and spread out on a lined tray about 1 cm thick, pack down. Bake at 140c for about 1 hour. It will still be crumbly when you take it out but when it cools it firms up. If you find it’s not all crisp after cooling you can put in back in the oven, I found some of the middle wasn’t done when it cooled as it was thicker so I took the outside bits that were crispy and put in a container and then put the rest back in for 10 minutes. Serve in big pieces as a snack or break up a little more and have for breakfast with milk, yoghurt and berries/banana. Store in an airtight container

Jaffa bircher/porridge

Ingredients

2 tbsp oats

1 tbsp coconut

1 tbsp lsa (ground linseed, sunflower seeds and almond)

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 tsp honey

3 tsp cacao powder

½ an orange- best to use organic as you will use skin and all

Method

Roughly chop your orange, and blitz until mostly smooth (use skin and all) Add enough liquid to make 250ml. I have used almond milk. Put in your jar or container with the rest of your ingredients (you can blitz coconut if you don’t want it shredded) Shake or mix well. Leave overnight in the fridge and serve with some coconut yoghurt/greek yoghurt and mandarin segments

served cold with coconut yoghurt

More health-promoting phytonutrients (flavanones) are found in the peel and inner white pulp of the orange than in its liquid orange center. The herperidin molecule found in the white pulpy portion of the orange molecule has been arguably singled out as the most important flavanone in oranges. It has been shown to lower high blood pressure as well as cholesterol in animal studies and to have strong anti-inflammatory properties. Pectin and other fibers found in the white layer beneath the skin of the orange can also help curb appetite and suppress hunger for up to 4 hours! And contrary to common belief, this white pulpy portion is not bitter. Because this most nutritious part of the orange is removed when oranges are juiced, it is just one more reason to select whole oranges over juice. And leave some of the white inner peel on your oranges for some of those extra nutritional benefits!

Sesame and nut porridge with fig, vanilla and honey

This uses 5 tbsp nuts/seeds/coconut you can use any combination you like

Gluten/grain free

Serves 1

 

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

3 brazil nuts

1 tbsp macadamia nuts

1 tbsp shredded coconut

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp honey

1-2 dried figs

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 cup liquid- I have used half almond milk and half coconut milk kefir

Method

Blitz/pulse up every (except the chia seeds) until mostly fine or until your liking, put into your jar/container and add your liquid and chia, shake well and put in the fridge overnight, heat up if you want it as a porridge or you can eat it cold. Serve with yoghurt, butter, coconut cream if you want