I haven’t posted any muesli recipes in. . . a year? Wow.
I developed a negative association with muesli after I survived off it last August when our stove didn’t work. Because I was forced to eat muesli every day (hence the burst of muesli recipes last August), I now have a slight resentment for it.
However, giving it another shot this month reminded me of why I love it. So versatile, and perfect for hot summer mornings. (And we have too frickin many a lot of hot summer mornings in New York.)
Truthfully, I’m not much of a hazelnut fan. They’re my second least favorite nut (after the brazil nut, which tastes like equal doses of harsh sorrow and bitter remorse). Yet, I was determined to give them a shot for this autumn-inspired muesli combining figs and hazelnuts. Plus, I’m on a nut-toasting craze, and perhaps freshly toasted hazelnuts would not suck blow my mind!
No surprise: toasting the hazelnuts did drastically improve the experience for me. Originally, I planned on pairing the hazelnuts with fresh figs, but I kept using them in salads and other oatmeal recipes, and pretty soon I possessed an empty fig crate. Sigh.
Luckily, I always keep dried turkish figs on hand. (You would not believe all the things you can make with those little buggers. If you need tips, ASK MEEEEE!)
Muesli-wise, dried figs are probably more appropriate anyway. Certainly, adding fresh fruit to muesli creates an exciting and nuanced mix of flavors, but muesli in its true form is {grain + dried fruits}, so I guess this is more authentic. Right?
That being said, I totally added sliced banana after taking the pictures. Shocker.
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- [tunes] One of my favorite mash-ups: “Free Fallin” (Tom Petty) vs. “If I Were a Boy” (Beyonce)
What you'll need:
- 1/8 cup raw hazelnuts (or up to a 1/4 cup)
- 1/8 cup shredded coconut or coconut flakes
- 3 fresh or dried figs
- 1/3 cup quick or rolled oats (or up to 1/2 cup)
- Optional: flax seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds
- Optional: chocolate chips or chunks, sliced banana, berries, other dried or fresh fruit
- yogurt* or milk of choice for serving**
How to make it:
- Set a small skillet over medium low heat.
- While you wait, slice your hazelnuts in half.
- When the skillet is hot, add the hazelnuts and coconut in an even layer. Keep an eye on it and give the skillet a shake every 30 seconds.
- If you're comfortable multitasking, cut your dried figs into bite-sized pieces. Keep. An. Eye. On. The. Hazelnuts. 😀
- When the hazelnuts are releasing an amazing toasty scent and the coconut and is turning a golden brown, turn off the burner and remove them from the heat.
- Mix figs, coconut, and hazelnuts with oats. If using, add any other nuts, seeds, chocolate, or dried fruits. (Don't add fresh fruit yet.) Mix until combined.
- Serve on top of yogurt or cereal-style with milk (or as I do, which is a mixture of the two). If adding fresh fruit, do so now.
- You can eat it immediately or let it sit for 10-30 minutes to soften, similar to overnight oats. (I eat mine immediately. If you choose to let it sit, you may wish to add the toasted hazelnut and coconut right before eating.)
Just an FYI:
*I like SoDelicious cultured coconut, plain and unsweetened, greek-style **I usually use a mix of both yogurt and milk
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