How To Make Your Own Muesli

Use as a topping for fruit, yogurt and ice cream
or eat as a cereal

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As millions shelter in place  during this horrible pandemic, many people have returned to their kitchens. I've always thought that cooking is the single best thing you can do for your health and hopefully, when this passes, people will continue to prepare their own meals.

Here's a simple recipe that we make all the time. 

This Muesli is a mixture of rolled oats and lots of my favorite nuts and seeds. It makes 7 cups so there's plenty to refrigerate and enjoy for many weeks, although it doesn't last too long in our home. You can also freeze it and it will keep for months. 

I have been trying to avoid going to the grocery store, or at least limiting my trips as best I can, so I have been buying lots of my ingredients on the internet. I figure most of the virus has lost its potency during the transit time so I only have to worry about the UPS or postman who carried the box to my door. Nuts.com has a great selection of nuts, seeds, grains, dried fruits and more so I bought most of the ingredients for this muesli from them.

Nuts.com has a great selection of nuts, seeds, grains and more.

                  
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Muesli
Vegan, Dairy and Gluten Free
[makes 7 cups]

Requirements
Large rimmed cookie sheet or shallow baking pan

Ingredients
4 cups gluten free rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 scant teaspoon iodized salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 or 2 packets of stevia (optional)
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Place the oats, coconut, almonds, sunflower and hemp seeds, walnuts, salt, cinnamon and stevia in a large rimmed cookie sheet or shallow baking pan. Carefully mix up the ingredients with a large spatula. 

Drizzle the vanilla, maple syrup and melted coconut oil over the oat mixture. Mix together with the spatula until the oats are well coated.

Some people do this first step of mixing all the ingredients in a large bowl and then pouring them onto a pan lined with parchment paper but I'm too lazy to wash the extra bowl and I find that the muesli doesn't stick all that much to the pan.

Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring half way through, until the oat mixture is lighted toasted. Don't overcook. 

Let cool completely before storing.

Enjoy as a cereal or a topping for fruit, ice cream, yogurt, applesauce, and more. As a treat for your kids (or yourself), place some in a small bowl and dip a peeled banana in the muesli between each bite! 

Bake until lightly toasted and fragrant

Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

A delightful way to eat oatmeal in the heat of the summer.

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Keep Oats in your Diet
Oats have the fiber "beta-glucan" which can help lower bad cholesterol which in turn lowers the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. But when the weather heats up, you may not crave a bowl of hot oatmeal.

Adding uncooked rolled oats to your favorite smoothie is a refreshing way to get those healthy oats into your diet. Here's a simple recipe that uses seasonal strawberries and provides 6 grams of fiber per serving.

In the following recipe, you can substitute the almond butter and water for almond milk or any nondairy milk. 

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Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Smooth
Vegan, Dairy and Gluten Free (see note)
[makes 2 (1 1/2 Cup) Servings]

Requirements
High Speed Blender

Ingredients
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 packet stevia

Directions
Place all the ingredients in your high speed blender and process until smooth.

Nutrition
Per serving: 206 calories, 7 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 124 mg omega-3 and 1498 mg omega-6 fatty acid, 5 g protein, 36 g carbohydrates, 6 g dietary fiber, and 4 mg sodium.

Note
Although oats are naturally gluten free, they are sometimes cross contaminated. So if you have celiac or are extremely sensitive to gluten, use certified gluten free rolled oats.

A Review Of Cashew, Almond And Coconut Yogurts

There are many non-dairy yogurts to choose from.

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In Search of Dairy-Free Yogurt
Quite a few people have given up or reduced their consumption of dairy. Many are either lactose intolerant or allergic to milk proteins, some are vegans who avoid all animal products, and others may be trying to reduce their cholesterol intake. Whatever the reason may be, the downside is giving up this probiotic-rich food. But luckily today there are many non-dairy options.

Two years ago I posted a recipe on how to make Thick, Creamy Vegan Yogurt with an Instant Pot or Yogurt Maker with 5 Minutes Prep Time. This is one of my most popular posts with over 20,000 views! So I know that lots of you enjoy yogurt and understand its importance in our diet. 

My most popular post - making soy yogurt.

But this particular recipe, that includes no thickeners or added sugar, is soy based and some of you do not consume soy. I don't like making yogurt with other non-dairy milks because they usually come out more like Jello as they require added gums and thickeners. Recently, however, I've tried several ready-made, non-dairy yogurts that are soy free that are absolutely delicious. And although they contain some thickeners, they are super creamy. Here are a few that I recommend.

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ORGANIC FORAGER CASHEW YOGURT
This cashew-based yogurt (they call it Cashewgurt) is absolutely divine. 

Forager ProjectCreamy Dairy-free Cashewgurt

Cashew Yogurt Nutrition

One cup provides:

170 calories

11 g total fat

2 g saturated fat

0 mg cholesterol

5 g protein

14 g carbohydrates

2 g sugar

1 g dietary fiber

15 mg sodium

2% calcium

19% iron

Pros
It's organic
Very creamy mouthfeel
Flavorless, so you can add to salad dressing, soups, and other recipes
Low in sugar and sodium
Good source of iron
Dairy, soy, and gluten free - vegan
Has 6 live cultures

Cons
High is calories and fat
Not very tart like some yogurts
Contains "natural flavor" - whatever that means

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KITE HILL ARTISAN ALMOND MILK YOGURT
I love all of Kite Hill's products and this one is no exception.

Kite Hill

 Almond Yogurt Nutrition
(The container serving size is only 5.3 ounces so I've converted it to a cup for consistency.)

One cup provides:
211 calories
6 g total fat
3 g saturated fat
0 mg cholesterol
9 g protein
1.5 g carbohydrates
0 g sugar
0 g dietary fiber
0 mg sodium
0 % calcium
0% iron



Pros
Very creamy mouthfeel
Flavorless, so you can add to salad dressing, soups, and other recipes
Contains zero sugar and sodium
Dairy, soy, and gluten free - vegan
No artificial colorings or preservatives
Good source of protein

Cons
High is calories
Not very tart like some yogurts 
Not organic although the almonds are non-GMO
Only 4 live cultures

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SO DELICIOUS COCONUT MILK YOGURT ALTERNATIVE

You will enjoy this silky yogurt if you enjoy the flavor of coconut.

So Delicious Coconut Milk yogurt alternative.

Coconut Yogurt Nutrition

(The container serving size is only 5.3 ounces so I've converted it to a cup for consistency.)

One cup provides:

106 calories

7.5  g total fat

6.8 g saturated fat

0 mg cholesterol

0 g protein

10.6 g carbohydrates

0 g sugar

3 g dietary fiber

45 mg sodium

30% calcium

45% vitamin D

53% vitamin B12

0% iron

Pros
Very creamy 
Dairy and gluten free - vegan
Low in calories
Has 3 g of fiber per cup
Fortified with calcium, vitamin D and B12
Has 8 live cultures
Low in sugar
Contains organic coconut milk

Cons
Plain flavor is not flavorless - tastes like coconut
High in saturated fat from the coconut
Not very tart
Contains zero protein

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SUMMARY
These three plain, unsweetened, non-dairy yogurts are all exceptionally tasting, unlike many I've tried in the past. The only disappointment is that none of them had the tartness that I enjoy in a yogurt. When I make my own soy yogurt, I can control the tartness by leaving it to process a bit longer. Also, they all contain some kind of gum and/or starch to thicken them. Once again, home made soy yogurt only contains soy beans, water, and live culture. But I still highly recommend each of these, especially if you are trying to avoid soy and you want to purchase, rather than make, yogurt. 

Finally, A Ravioli That's Vegan And Dairy-FreeMade by Kite Hill

Kite Hill hits the jackpot with dairy-free, vegan ravioli.

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Ravioli
Over the past few years there has been great progress in vegan cheese products. Miyoko's collection of artisan vegan cheeses are amazing. I serve them every time I entertain. And I absolutely love Go Veggie's Parmesan Style Topping on my pasta. But we are just beginning to see companies use their yummy vegan cheeses in products, like ravioli. You might find a high-calorie, sugar-ladened cheese cake, but not a lot of delicious and relatively healthy products that you feel good about serving for dinner. 

Happily, Kite Hill has come out with several ravioli products using her almond-based ricotta. Last night we enjoyed Mushroom and Ricotta ravioli with a simple tomato sauce that I canned from last summer's tomatoes. It was absolutely wonderful! I am allergic to dairy and haven't been able to eat ravioli in years so I can't tell you how excited I was to see this product on the shelves at my local Whole Foods market. She also makes a spinach and ricotta ravioli which I will be on the lookout for next. 

The filling contains a combination of portobello and shiitake mushrooms whipped together with almond milk ricotta and marsala wine. The pasta is made from durham wheat (sorry guys, it's not gluten free.) But for those of you who are avoiding soy and dairy, you will find no better ravioli. 

Each 1-cup serving is 230 calories (there are 2.5 servings in container) so if you and a guest knock off the whole container (which is about the right amount to eat), you'll be eating about 288 calories. Not bad with a simple tomato sauce topping. Each serving also contains 6 grams of total fat, no saturated fat or cholesterol, 7 grams of protein, 34 grams of carbs, 2 grams of dietary fiber and 490 mg per serving. 

I can't wait to try the spinach and ricotta!

Kite Hill products are available at Whole Foods Market stores nationwide. Here's a store locator.

Enjoy!

Fruit And Nut Breakfast BowlAn Easy Back To School Breakfast

Healthy breakfast bowl takes advantage of late summer fruit.

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My New Favorite Breakfast
The end of the summer brings us so much wonderful fruit. Sweat peaches are their peak ripeness, the pears are ripening, strawberries are still around, and so much more. A big bowl of fruit may be delicious but it's certainly not filling.This breakfast bowl adds nuts and seeds, cereal, and some probiotic packed, home-made soy yogurt. This provides the protein and healthy fats that will keep you satisfied until lunch time.

I Can't Believe School is Starting!
Although my children are grown, I still get those feelings of disbelief when kids start getting ready to start school in what seems like the middle of the summer. Getting kids fed and ready to leave for school, or even summer day camp for that matter, is one of the hardest thing a parent has to do. Perhaps feeding them this yummy breakfast bowl will get them to eat up without prompting them through ever bite! It's so easy, they can even help you make it.

Feel free to change up the ingredients. Basically you need 3 fruits, 3 nuts/seeds, some healthy cereal for more crunch, and your favorite yogurt. The ingredients below are for two servings but it' easy to double to make it for four.

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Fruit and Nut Breakfast Bowl
Vegan and Dairy Free (if using vegan yogurt) 
Gluten Free (if using GF cereal)
[makes 2 servings]

Ingredients
1 large peach, diced with skin
1 large pear, diced with or without skin
6 large strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup cereal (such as puffed rice or granola)
1 tablespoon raw sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon chopped raw walnuts 
1 tablespoon chopped or sliced almonds
1/2 cup yogurt

Directions
Divide the chopped fruit between two bowls.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cereal over each bowl. I like to use a mixture of puffed rice and puffed kamut because it has a nice crunch and very few calories. Granola would be very yummy and hearty in this recipe too but adds more calories and sugar.

Puffed brown rice and gamut

Divide the nuts and seeds among the two bowls.

Sunflower seeds, almonds and walnuts

Gently stir each bowl to mix the ingredients. Top with your favorite yogurt and serve immediately.

Vegan Italian Pignoli CookiesAlmond Paste - Great For Gluten Free Baking

Pignoli cookies bring back flavors from my childhood.

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Cookies from my Childhood
If you were an Italian-American kid growing up in Brooklyn, I would venture to guess that you LOVE pignoli cookies. Every good Italian bakery in Brooklyn sold them. At the end of a big holiday meal, there would be fruit, nuts, and often a box of pignoli cookies that one of the aunts or uncles had picked up at a nearby bakery. I don't remember anyone in the family ever making these treats. Why would they bother when they were so readily available?  But sadly, since I moved from New York, I haven't found a bakery that sells them. Luckily, they are pretty easy to make. Who knew?

Gluten Free Baking
Many Italian cookies, like pignoli and amaretto cookies, are made with almond paste. It's the ingredient that gives these cookies their chewy texture and intense almond flavor. Almond paste is made from blanched almonds that have been mixed with sugar. For those of you avoiding gluten, almond paste is great for making yummy gluten-free desserts. It can be found in the baking section of your local grocery store. And since there is already sugar in the almond paste, there is no need to add much more (although I've seen recipes that call for quite a bit.) Another good reason for making them yourself!

A 7 ounce tube of gluten-free almond paste.

Pine Nuts - Buy Mediterranean
Four years ago I got a condition known as "Pine Mouth." This is where you get a bitter metallic taste in your mouth 12 to 48 hours after ingesting pine nuts. A lot of people I know have had the same experience. It can last for days or weeks and makes everything you eat taste like metal. Many link this to the flood of Chinese pine nuts that have hit the market. And, in fact, the nuts that caused this problem for me were from China. 

I have banned pine nuts from my diet for the past 4 years but I've decided to give them another chance, especially because I love them so much and simply adore pignoli cookies. This time, however, I will only eat pine nuts that are grown in Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Italy, and Portugal. They cost a lot more but if I can enjoy one of my favorite desserts and not get pine mouth, it's well worth it! (If anyone of you have experienced pine mouth from Mediterranean pine nuts, please let me know. So far I have not had any unpleasant reaction to these.)

Ingredients for pignoli cookies:
Cane sugar, almond paste, and Mediterranean pine nuts.

Silpat Baking Sheets
I love Silpat baking sheets, I won't make cookies without them. No need to grease the cookie sheet - the cookies will easily come right off of them. Look for Silpat baking sheets at your local culinary store or on Amazon. If you don't have these you can bake these cookies on parchment paper.

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Pignoli Cookies
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 14 cookies]
Requires a food processor such as a Cuisinart and a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking sheet

1 teaspoon ground flaxseed 
1 tablespoon water
7 ounce tube almond paste
1/4 cup cane sugar
1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 cup Mediterranean pine nuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Make a flax egg white by mixing the ground flaxseed in 1 tablespoon of water. Beat with a fork until gooey and set aside. 

Slice the tube of almond paste into 1 inch slices and place in a food processor with an S-blade. 

Process until the slices are broken up. Mix the sugar and the baking powder together and add them to the almond paste. Process until the mixture looks like crumbs.

Add the flax egg and process until the mixture clumps together.

Form 14 little balls, about one scant tablespoon each, and shove each one into a bowl containing the pine nuts. You may have to gently wet your hands to get the balls a little sticky. Push the nuts into the top and bottom of each cookie until they stick. Flatten and form each one in the shape of a cookie.

 Gently place the cookies on the parchment or Silpat-lined cookie sheet.

Place the cookies in the preheated oven and bake until they spread out, get a little puffy and slightly browned, about 15 to 17 minutes. They will be very soft but will firm up as they cool.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet until they are firm enough to transfer to a wire rack, about 5 to 7 minutes. Cool on the rack and serve.

These will disappear in a flash so you might need to double the recipe.

Per cookie: 111 calories, 7 g total fat, 0.6 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 74 mg omega-3 and 2,411 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 2 g protein, 11 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, and 8 mg sodium.

Creamy Garden Cucumber Soup - Serve ChilledRaw Vegan, And Gluten Free

Raw almonds make this chilled cucumber soup creamy.

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Busy Week
Sorry it's taken me so long to post this month but we've been busy harvesting 3.7 tons of organic Pinot Noir grapes in our vineyard here in Sebastopol, California. Sudden hot weather caused the sugar in the grapes to quickly spike and we had to scramble to get the grapes harvested. The sugar level dictates the percent alcohol in the wine and since we like our Pinot to be around 14% alcohol or under, we pick our grapes when they are around 24% sugar (Brix) or less. 

Friends, family, and workers came to our rescue and we got it all done in three days. My brother and his wife happened to be visiting (thinking that they were here for a relaxing vacation) only to find themselves out in the field picking grapes. They enjoyed the experience and now have a story to tell back in Charleston, South Carolina.

Check out last year's post on how we make Pinot Noir.

My brother Peter, harvesting grapes.

My sister-in-law Dianne busy at work.

Back to Cucumber Soup
Before we roped Peter and Dianne into harvesting, we did some fun things. It was Sonoma Wine Country Weekend and we took them to a fabulous wine event at Fred MacMurry's Estate that featured 200 wineries and 60 local chefs. 

One of the chefs made a delicious chilled cucumber soup. Since it was creamy I assumed it was made with dairy. (I always have to ask since I'm allergic.) But to my surprise, the cucumbers were blended with almonds (my favorite source of vitamin E). I didn't get the recipe but I have attempted to recreate the dish, especially since my garden is packed with cucumbers right now. My version is a bit thicker and instead of drizzling olive oil over the soup, I use cold-pressed hemp oil since it has more omega-3. 

Cucumbers in my garden

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Creamy Garden Cucumber Soup
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes about 2 1/4 cups - 4 small servings]
Requires a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix 

3 cups diced, peeled cucumbers with large seeds removed
1/4 cups raw almonds, soaked over night
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill plus some for garnish
1 1/4 teaspoon cold-pressed hemp oil

To prepare the cucumbers, peel and quarter lengthwise. If you have large seeds, remove them. Dice and measure 3 cups and place them in a high-speed blender.

Add the soaked almonds, lemon peel, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and dill and blend until smooth. If it's too thick, add a tablespoon of water or non-dairy milk and blend until mixed. Chill until ready to serve. 

To serve, place the soup in 4 small teacups or bowls and drizzle 1/4 teaspoon of hemp or olive oil over each bowl. Take a demitasse spoon or a toothpick and stir the oil into the soup. Garnish with a small piece of dill and serve.

Per serving: 77 calories, 6 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 170 mg omega-3 and 1,749 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 3 g protein, 5 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, and 293 mg sodium.

Romesco Sauce Makes A Wonderful Dip With Almonds, Red Bell Peppers & Tomatoes

Romesco sauce with almonds, peppers, and tomatoes.

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Romesco
This thick, tasty Catalan sauce can be made with various nuts and red bell peppers. I love it with raw almonds because they are such a great natural source of vitamin E. Vitamin E prevents oxidative stress and protects against heart disease, cognitive decline, cancer, cataracts and macular degeneration. It also helps supports the body's immune system. You cannot get too much vitamin E from food but you can over supplement which could lead to excess thinning of the blood and hemorrhage. So each your almonds and put away those supplements! 

Although most recipes toast the almonds, I shy away from roasting any type of nuts as it can damage and alter their polyunsaturated fats.

Romesco sauce is traditionally served with seafood and meats, but it's also wonderful on veggies and as a dip. I recently served this at a tapas and sangria party along with warm focaccia.

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Romesco Sauce
Vegan, Gluten Free (if made with gluten-free bread)
[makes eight (1/4 cup) servings]
Requires a food processor, such as a Cuisinart

2 Italian Roma tomatoes (or 1 large tomato)
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup raw almonds
1 large slice crusty bread (or gluten free)
2 roasted red peppers (1 cup)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus some for greasing pan
2 tablespoons cold-pressed hemp oil
3/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon mild pimenton (smoked paprika)
pinch or two cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Slice the tomatoes in quarters and place them in a slightly greased, small roasting pan with the garlic cloves. Place in the oven and roast until soft, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Tomatoes and garlic before and after roasting.

 Place the almonds in a food processor with an S blade and process them until they are ground. 

Processing the almonds until ground.

Lightly toast the bread. If you want the recipe to be gluten free, use gluten-free bread.

Break up the bread into pieces and process with the ground almonds until the bread forms crumbs.

Rinse the jarred roasted red peppers and pat dry. Add them, along with the roasted tomatoes and garlic, to the food processor.  

Mix the vinegar, oils, salt, smoked paprika, and cayenne in a small cup and stir until well combined. 

Process the roasted red pepper and tomatoes with the almond and bread mixture until it starts to combine. Through the top shoot, slowly drizzle in the vinegar and oil mixture. Process until combined.

Place in a small bowl and serve.

Per 1/4 cup serving: 131 calories, 11 g fat, 1 g total fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 536 mg omega-3 and 3,516 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 3 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, and 391 mg sodium.