Sing a tropical song: Toasted muesli on a rainy weekend

This weekend was one of new food adventures

 

Yesterday I slept in till 7, ate 2 servings of porridge then spent the next 4 hours in the driving rain wheeling and dealing for bulk vegetable bargains. I was lucky that my 3rd weekend in Sydney was also the first time in years that my flat has done the shopping for their local co-op food boxes. The fun I found in spending my Saturday morning in a wholesale food warehouse followed by dividing the spoils for others to collect from our house was unexpectedly immense. See below for photos of the food boxes we put together – $12 each!

Today I stayed in, listened to the rain outside (rather than running around in it again) and spent 4 hours cooking. Dinner was broccoli soup (thanks for the inspiration Savannah), dessert will be brown sugar raspberry meringues, and below is my recipe for what I’m sure will last me for all of next week’s breakfast.

 

Toasted muesli (inspired by http://www.aswoonfulofsugar.com/2012/10/the-best-homemade-toasted-tropical.html)

2 and a 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup sunflower seeds, chopped

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, chopped

1/4 cup hazlenuts, chopped

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup brown sugar

Pinch of salt

 

1 banana, mashed

Pulp of 1 passionfruit
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp flaxseeds
1/2 cup dried fruit, chopped (I used raisins)

Mix together everything from the oats to the salt
Heat the fruit, oil and honey on the stove or in the microwave (about 20 seconds) till warm
Mix together the fruit pulp and oat mixture in a bowl
Spread in a thin layer on an oven tray and bake at 150 degrees celcius for half an hour or until toasted and brown, stir often to stop the outsides burning
Allow to cool completely before mixing in the remaining fruit and seeds
Store in an airtight container

As always, be inventive! You can use anything muesli-like at all for this. Also the mashed banana and passionfruit was great but any pureed fruit would work just as well.

Also as always sorry for the terrible photos but as you know I make food to eat, not photograph.

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Would you string along with me: Fennel, leek and mint salad

Even though it is technically winter, I’ve just moved to a place with temperatures that at this time of year rival those of summer where I’m from. It’s no Alaska suffering their worst heatwave since 1969 (reaching temperatures as scorching as 26 degrees celcius), but for wintertime it is practically tropical. Maybe that’s why I’m craving foods not normally enjoyed in the colder months. The salad I made tonight could easily be described as summery. For me it was a way to use up a rag-tag bunch of leftover veges and I never thought I would be posting it here. But since it highlights my two great food loves (avoiding waste and getting inventive), this is where it has ended up. If you don’t have some of the below ingredients leave them out or replace them with something you feel is appropriate, I believe in your (food related) decision making skills.

Leftover summer salad

1/4 leek, finely sliced then chopped1/2 fennel, finely sliced then chopped
1/4 cup mint, chopped
small amount (about 1/8 cup) coriander, chopped
1/2 cup rocket, chopped
1 pear, finely sliced then chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Compile ingredients
Eat salad

PS I know today’s title isn’t as directly related to the food as usual but c’mon, Slim Whitman must be honoured, even if just with a salad recipe.