Microwave Muesli

Muesli is a breakfast cereal usually consisting of uncooked oats in milk/yoghurt base.It usually requires soaking of oats in milk/yoghurt/condensed milk base for several hours or overnight so that it reaches the muesli or the porridge stage at the time of consumption usually breakfast.But these days several dry forms of mueslis are available.As per wiki these dry forms are just a mix of oats,fruits,nuts along with whey or milk powder and sweetners.I wanted to try out dry muesli at home as I have been seeing a lot of these in stores and also felt that they are easier to make or use as compared to soaking oats overnight.I hit jackpot when saw this excellent microwave recipe for dry muesli from Green Gourmet Giraffe.I have slightly adapted it to make it oil/fat free and used apple sauce along with honey to obtain dry muesli.

Ingredients:
Oats: 1.5 cups
Coconut Grated: 4 tbsp (I used fresh. Can also use sweetened flakes as well)
Wheat Germ: 4 tbsp
Sunflower Seeds: 2 tbsp
Flax seeds: 1 tbsp
Sesame Seeds: 1 tbsp (I used white)
Mixed Nuts: Chopped :4 tbsp (I used pecans )

Apricots: chopped: 4 tbsp (I used bright yellow Turkish Apricots for some colour)
Dried Figs: chopped : 4 tbsp
Raisins: 2 tbsp
Currants: 2 tbsp

Apple Grated: 1 small apple peeled and grated or approx 5 tbsp
Honey: 1/4 cup
Vanilla: 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon ,Clove Nutmeg: optional :as per taste
Salt: 1/4 tsp

Preparation:

Microwave in a bowl,peeled,grated apple (roughly 5 tbsp when packed and measured) for 1 minute at 100% power.I went for another 30 seconds so that the apple turned entirely mushy. Just 1 minute is also enough.Add honey,salt,vanilla and cinnamon+cloves+nutmeg if using to the saucy apple mix and microwave until bubbling for 1-2 minutes.Start at 30 seconds as it took just 50 secs for me.

Meanwhile,in a big microwave safe bowl,mix in oats,wheat germ,coconut,sunflower-sesame and flax seeds.Also add in the chopped nuts.Pour the liquid into the oats mix and mix everything well.Microwave at full power for about 4-10 minutes,stirring the mix each minute till the entire mix turns roasted and browned.I did it 7 times.Stir in the chopped figs,apricots,raisins and currants and mix everything well.Break up the clusters of oats if any and cool completely and store in an airtight container preferably in the fridge as apple has been added.

The muesli was not that "appley " or spicy.So the use of spices is optional and as per taste.There was an aroma of spices while cooking/toasting but when tried as such the muesli tasted of oats,dried coconut and toasted nuts.You can add sweetened coconut flakes instead of fresh as I have done.I used the spices to get the apple pie like aroma but the only aroma afterwards is the toasted oats.Also if you do not want/have the apple,you can use any fruit puree or vegetable oil itself.Oil was used as a binder it seems in the original and also add some richness.But I replaced it with apple puree/sauce.

You can serve it adding milk,condensed milk adding fresh fruits or just as you serve store bought muesli/granola or cornflakes.

UPDATE on 15th July 2010: The muesli being made completely in the microwave is also going to grace Valli's Breakfast table at 365 Days of Microwave Cooking.

Aepler Magarone - Swiss Farmer's Pasta

This is a simple peasant style pasta dish popular in Swiss cuisine.It is nothing but creamy macaroni with potatoes with almost no spices except salt & pepper.It is usually served with apple sauce though I served it as a single healthy one pot meal.I adapted the recipe I found here and also referenced here .The dish basically has pasta,potatoes,cream/milk based sauce and cheese.I used mozarrella instead of Swiss cheese.

Ingredients:
Macaroni Pasta: 1 cup
Potatoes: cubed 3/4 cup or 1 medium potato
Onion: 1 medium size cut into rngs or long thin strips
Milk: 3-4 tbsp
Heavy/Lowfat Cream: 2-3 tbsp
Mozarella Cheese: 2-4 tbsp
Salt & Pepper: as per taste

Preparation:

Cook the pasta 'al dente' as per package instructions.Peel,cube/chop the potato into small pieces and cook along with pasta in the same salted water.Drain and keep aside.

In a small pan,melt butter and add the onion rings and brown them.

In a small pan,mix together milk and cream and warm these slowly.Take a greased bowl/ individial serving bowls and add a layer of potato + pasta on it.Sprinkle pepper and pinch of salt.Top it with a layer of fresh grated cheese.Then repeat the potato-pasta layer,salt pepper,cheese . It looks like....

Once the top is reached pour few table spoons of the warmed milk mix and top it with more cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 5-10 minutes till the cheese melts and the sides start browning.

Serve warm topped with browned onion rings with Applesauce as is traditional or simply with more salt and pepper as I did.I was thinking the dish would be bland,but it was delicious.hearty and filling.If you are a spicy person,then you can add red chilli flakes as well.

This is again going to AWED:Swiss hosted by yours truly and started by DK of ChefIn You.Do send me Swiss entries for the event till 10th of this month when I will be publishing the roundup.Also do check out the next AWED at Simran's Bombayfoodie.

Amateur Magenbrot

Magenbrot or Stomach bread is a Swiss Christmas gingerbread cookie.It is a spiced bread and is similar to gingerbread in taste.It is like a cakey cookie and is called magen (stomach) brot (bread) as it contains stomach friendly spices.Magen brot is actally from Alpine region of Switzerland and is easier to make.I got an eggless recipe which I divided the recipe to two thirds and adapted it.Tastewise it was perfect,but lookwise,I donot think it was pro looking but was very amateurish.

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour/Cake flour: 1 cup + few tbsp
Sugar: 1 cup (I used only 3/4th)
Cocoa Powder: 1 tbsp
Baking Powder: 1/2 tsp
Clove Powder & Cinnamon powder: 1/2 -1 tsp each as per taste.
Water: 1/2 cup +



Preparation:

In a big bowl,whisk all the powders -flour,sugar,cocoa,baking powder and the spices.Add water little by little to this and mix well to form a dough.You can add more flour if more water is added and the batter/dough does not form like an equal mass.

I actually added 2 tbsp of water first to the dry mix and then started mixing them to form a dough.Keep on adding more water /flour as per this and finally a smooth dough should be formed.Knead lighlty to obtain a firm yet sticky dough -its like a dough is made of cake batter.It took me almost 1.5 cups and 5-7 tbsps of water to obtain a dough which looks like...

Divide the dough into two or threee smalled pieces if needed,pat them into a loaf shape,place them in a greased or lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 20 minutes until the tester comes clean.

Allow the bread to cool completely and then slice and serve with a frosting preferably with confectioners' sugar.I did not go for frosting.

Do check out the original recipe here at FXCuisine.This bread though amateurish is also going to AWED:Swiss,hosted by yours truly and started by DK of Chef in you.

The taste was great but the texture/appearance was not pleasing to the eyes.There were cracks on top as well.The insides were cooked and perfect.I have nothing to compare this to,but the taste was perfect.

Fruity Yogurt Muesli

Muesli is a Swiss breakfast cereal based on uncooked oats,fruits and nuts with a milk base.Developed by Bircher-Benner it is also known as 'BircherMuesli' where muesli indicates stew or porridge in Old English. Normally it contains milk or condensed milk or cream or yogurt as a base.The original had condensed milk as its base liquid.I found a simpler recipe here with a yoghurt base.Being different from the normal milky cereals I tried it out.

Ingredients:
Rolled Oldfashioned oats: 1 cup
Apple: 1
Pineapple Juice: 1/2 cup (I used slightly sweetened)
Whole/Lowfat Yogurt: 1/2 cup + few tbsps
Almonds or Mixed Nuts: handful
Fresh Fruits: optional .I used Pomegranate
Raisins/Craisins/Currants : handful
Sunflower/flax/pumpkin seeds: handful. I did not use but very good if used

Preparation:

Coarsely grate Apple.Mix it in a big bowl with oats,pineapple juice,cinnamon powder and yoghurt.Cover and place int he refrigerator overnight or atleast 1 hour.I went for overnight.

Slice or chop almonds or mixed nuts and Stir in half of nuts,craisins and fruits into the oats mixture.If the muesli or the oats mix looks so thick then add few tablespoons of yoghurt as necessary.

Pour /ladle into individual serving bowls and garnish with more fruits and the rest of the nuts .

You can replace the pineapple juice with apple or orange juice or even milk or soymilk.
Basically the muesli is uncooked and also no sweetner is added.But you can add sugar or fat free sweetener I used sweetened pineapple juice.Without the fresh fruits and nuts addition,the muesli can be slightly bland if unsweetened juice is used.With the addition of more fruits it becomes more sweet and naturally more healthy.The preparation is very easy except for the wait for the oats to soak in all the flavours.

Also checkout Priya's milkbased microwave muesli where the preparation is very much instant and also Simran's version of a delicious new year breakfast.

This is my second entry to AWED:Swiss hosted by me and started by Dear DK of ChefInYou.

Please Do send in your Cheesey Chocolatey Swiss entries to AWED:Swiss.The event is from June 6th to July6th 2009.Expecting many more....

Cheese & Bell Pepper Mini Rostis

Rosti (spelled roshtee) is a Swiss breakfast dish based on potato and also includes optionally other ingredients like bacon,cheese onion and other vegetables.It is basically a breakfast dish but can also be served as a side or snack.It originated in Berne,spread throughout the country and is now considered as a national dish of Switzerland.

I made simple mini rostis with potatoes,onion,mozzarella and bellpepper.You normally require day old cooked yet firm potatoes for this.You can cook the potatoes in boiling water till they start to become tender around 5-10 minutes or in the pressurecooker for just 1 whistle if they take too long to cook.You can also pierce it with fork or knife for quick boiling ,but make sure they are firm.You can also use baked potatoes for this as well.Russet potatoes work fine for rosti.

Ingredients:
Cooked yet firm potatoes: atleast 2 very big
Onion: 1/2 cup chopped finely or 1 small
Bell Pepper :1 medium chopped finely or cubed (any colour)
Mozzarella/Gruyere grated: 1/4 cup or more
Salt &Pepper: as per taste and spiciness

Flour: 2 tbsp (optional)
Butter/Oil/spray: as much as needed

Preparation:

Grate the cooked-yet-firm,peeled potatoes in the big hole of the grater in to a big bowl.Heat a nonstick pan/skillet on medium heat and spray it with oil or drizzle oil or butter .Add finely chopped bellpepper,onion,cheese,flour,salt and pepper to the potato and mix well.Take handfuls,shape into a ball/circle/round and then press it on to the hot skillet and flatten it slightly with hands/ladle/spoon/whatever you like.Drizzle/spray little more oil or butter and cover with a lid or plate or whatever and cook for 2 minutes by which time the brown crust starts forming.

Remove the lid /cover and slowly turn the mini rostis to the otherside using two spoons/pancake turners or whatever method you know/prefer.Cook for 1-2 more minutes drizzling more oil or butter as needed.Serve warm topped with more grated cheese and additional salt and pepper if needed.

I added flour as I have seen in some versions.In rosti, potatoes act as binder.But when additional ingredients are added,to help in binding flour/eggs are needed.Flour also helps in absorbing the moisture that comes out of the mix when salt is added.Here I added salt and pepper together with the ingredients though traditionally they are sprinkled while on the pan.I added them with th potato-veg mix as I thought they would be blended well rather than some parts turn more salty while other lack salt as it happens while sprinkling.

Also covering the poato -veggie mix while cooking the first side is not a must.It helps in cooking faster though.Since I added bellpepper and onions which were not cooked or sauteed,this method of covering helps in cooking them and that too faster.Alternatively,you can add sauteed/cooked veggies to the potato mix and make rosti or if you are ok with raw taste go for that.

Turning the rosti to the other side is like an art.Normally for big/normal rostis,when one side is done or crisp,you cover it with a lid/plate (plate 1) and invert the skillet onto it.This makes the crispy side up.Then you cover the plate 1 with another plate (plate 2) and invert the rosti on plate 2.This brings the uncooked side up.Then you cover the plate 2 with the hot skillet,invert plate 2 so that uncooked side in on the skillet and put the skillet back on stove/gas.For mini rostis 2 pancake turners/wide mouthed spoons work fine.Alternatively if you go for taste and not for looks simply cut into slices then and there and turn whatever way you want.

This is my first entry to AWED-Swiss,guest hosted by Yours Truly and started by lovely epicurean -DK of ChefInYou.

A warm plate of mini bellpepper rostis also go to dear blogger Priya Suresh who is currently hosting AFAM-BellPeppers,an event started by Maheswari of Beyond The Usual .

Rostis can be baked in the oven as well.Either you use muffin pans or simply pie pans for mini and normal rostis respectively.This recipe yields 10-15 mini rostis or 2 big rostis.