And let me tell you, there’s not much better than a bowlful of homemade muesli with fruit such as fresh berries, enjoyed outside on the deck (even better if you grow your strawberries yourself!)

In this Article

• What is Muesli?
• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Homemade Muesli vs. Store-Bought
• Ingredients for Muesli
• How to Eat Muesli
• FULL, PRINTABLE RECIPE
• Comments & Reviews

What is Muesli?

Muesli is basically an untoasted granola, made with raw rolled oats and other rolled grains (if you wish) along with nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. It’s not doused in any sweeteners or oils to aid in the baking process – because there is no baking process! 

So as much as I love my granola, this muesli recipe tends to be a lighter, healthier option than granola.

The Story Behind the Recipe

Like many of us, I grew up on boxed cereal for breakfast. Pour out the the dry deliciousness, douse in milk of choice, and go! But as I’ve moved toward a healthier, whole-foods-based diet, I’ve turned away from most processed foods – and cereal in a box is a casualty. But I still missed the convenience. Not anymore, though. Helloooo, muesli!

Homemade Muesli vs. Store-Bought

You can buy muesli at the store – I find it in the bulk section or among the boxed cereals. But why would you? It is SO easy to make at home! Okay, I admit to buying it now and then when life gets crazy. But I really prefer making muesli because I can customize it exactly how I like it. My version has lots of nuts and seeds for added healthy fats and protein.

Ingredients for Homemade Muesli

I really like to make the ingredients for muesli more of a formula – this is a super, duper flexible recipe.

• 2 parts rolled oats
• 2 parts other rolled grains (or another 2 parts rolled oats)
• 4 parts nuts and seeds
• 1 part dried fruit

Here’s the formula broken down with options for each ingredient:

2 parts rolled oats

This is pretty straightforward. I buy my rolled oats out of the bulk bin at my local grocery store. If you are gluten-free, you’ll want to look for certified gluten-free oats.

2 parts other rolled grains

Choose grains such as:

• Rye
• Barley
• Triticale (a cross of rye and wheat)
• Spelt flakes
• Quinoa flakes (quinoa is actually a seed that performs like a grain!)
• Or just another 2 parts rolled oats!

If you’re gluten-free, you’ll likely want to stick with quinoa flakes – or simply add more gluten-free rolled oats.

4 parts nuts and seeds

This is where it gets good! Throw in one or more of the following. Chop up the bigger stuff first!

• Almonds
• Pecans
• Walnuts
• Cashews
• Sunflower seeds
• Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• Sesame seeds

For an extra healthy punch of goodness, you might also include a small amount of the following:

• Chia seeds
• Hemp hearts
• Flaxseeds

1 part dried fruit

Choose from these delicious dried fruits:

• Raisins
• Golden raisins
• Apples
• Currants
• Coconut flakes or chips
• Blueberries
• Freeze-dried strawberries
• Apricots
• Cherries

Mix and match however you want – make your muesli your own!

Then, just stir together a few ingredients – oats, nuts, seeds, dried fruit. Then put some in a bowl, add some milk, and eat!

How to Eat Muesli

To serve, scoop about 1/2 cup into a bowl, pour on some milk (I prefer unsweetened vanilla almond milk or oat milk), and enjoy it right away. OR – let it soak for 30 minutes or so to soften. I love to go crazy with fresh fruit on top so that I can feel virtuous about my breakfast (well, and also because it’s tasty).

Some folks like to mix it with yogurt. Others like to go the overnight oats route and let it soak all night – then just grab it out of the fridge in the morning and dig in! (There might also be health benefits to the overnight method, as described here).

A squeeze of lemon, some grated fresh apple, or perhaps a drizzle of pure maple syrup can also be nice (the lemon and apple are actually both pretty traditional in muesli).

However you like it, there’s no question that homemade muesli is an ideal breakfast or snack food for summer. Cool, refreshing, nourishing – and no cereal boxes in sight!

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Easy Homemade Muesli

Muesli is my favorite summer breakfast! Cool, hearty, and nourishing – with this easy formula, you can make your own muesli exactly how you like it.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine swedish

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 18

Calories 276kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats*
• 2 cups other rolled grains** such as rye, barley, triticale, spelt flakes, and/or quinoa flakes [or another 2 cups rolled oats]
• 4 cups nuts and seeds*** such as almonds pecans, walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, and/or pepitas [pumpkin seeds], and/or 1/4 cup or less each of sesame seeds, chia seeds, hemp hearts, and/or flaxseeds
• 1 cup dried fruit**** such as raisins, golden raisins, apples, currants, coconut flakes or chips, blueberries, freeze-dried strawberries, apricots, and/or cherries

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to a large bowl and stir to combine. Store at room temperature a large airtight container. Keeps for weeks or even months!

Notes

To serve, scoop out 1/2 cup and add to a bowl. Add yogurt or milk of choice and fresh fruit if desired. Eat right away, or let soak for about 30 minutes to soften. Or, if you prefer, you can soak it overnight in the refrigerator.

Nutrition information calculated using oats, barley, almonds, and raisins. Nutrition varies based on ingredients used.

*Rolled oats notes

I buy my rolled oats out of the bulk bin at my local grocery store. If you are gluten-free, you’ll want to look for certified gluten-free oats.

**Rolled grains notes

Choose grains such as:

• Rye
• Barley
• Triticale (a cross of rye and wheat)
• Spelt flakes
• Quinoa flakes (quinoa is actually a seed that performs like a grain!)
• Or just another 2 parts rolled oats!

If you’re gluten-free, you’ll likely want to stick with quinoa flakes – or simply add more gluten-free rolled oats.

***Nuts and seeds notes

Ideas for nuts and seeds:

• Almonds
• Pecans
• Walnuts
• Cashews
• Sunflower seeds
• Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• Sesame seeds

You might also include a small amount of the following:

• Chia seeds
• Hemp hearts
• Flaxseeds

****Dried Fruit Notes

Try:

• Raisins
• Golden raisins
• Apples
• Currants
• Coconut flakes or chips
• Blueberries
• Freeze-dried strawberries
• Apricots
• Cherries

Nutrition

Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 353mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Easy Homemade Muesli appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

For this recipe, I simmer the rice with turmeric, a cinnamon stick, cardamom, and cloves, plus a handful of cashews and golden raisins. Trust me, rice has never, ever smelled better than this.

Meanwhile, I’ve cooked up some onions, added some garlic, garam masala, and chili peppers, and thrown in some butternut squash and cauliflower.

Once all of that deliciousness is cooked until tender, I gently fold in the spiced rice. And that’s it! So good … and when served with lime wedges, cilantro, and purple onion, it’s pretty gorgeous to look at too.

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love Easy Vegetable Biryani
• Vegetarian Biryani Ingredients
• Adaptation/Variation
• How to Make Easy Vegetable Biryani
• More Rice Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

I’ve only recently discovered biryani, and man oh man. I’ve been missing out. Biryani is an Indian dish that varies from region to region, but in a nutshell, it’s spiced basmati rice slowly simmered with vegetables, sometimes meat, chili peppers, and more spices, until all of the flavors meld together into serious perfection.

Sometimes the rice cooks right with the other good stuff; sometimes it’s partially cooked and then added to all of the other ingredients and simmered until it’s all ready to go.

True biryani is not fast to make. It requires several steps and a level of expertise with the cuisine that I, frankly, do not possess.

But I really wanted to make a delicious vegetarian biryani at home, and this easy vegetable biryani recipe – studded with butternut squash, cauliflower, cashews, and golden raisins – completely 100% does it for us!

Why You’ll Love Easy Vegetable Biryani

True biryani involves a lot of time and work, but because I do cook the rice separately and then fold it in with the other ingredients at the last minute, this one’s a lot easier.

The best news of all? This version of the dish takes way less time to prepare. A super-express biryani!

Vegetarian Biryani Ingredients

• White basmati rice: The rice is absolutely key. Basmati is the only way; it’s fluffy, not sticky, and it cooks up perfectly every time. Did you know real Basmati rice is aged for a minimum of 12 months? That helps give it its distinct nutty flavor.
• Olive oil – For sautéing the rice with the spices and seasonings and the veggies.
• Cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, & turmeric – For flavoring the rice and giving it that unmistakable biryani flavor.
• Cashews – I use whole raw cashews.
• Golden raisins – You can substitute another kind of raisin or dried cranberries.
• Onion & garlic
• Garam masala – The spice blend helps flavor the veggies.
• Dried red chiles – Snip off the tips for more heat.
• Cauliflower – Cut into florets.
• Butternut squash – Cubed somewhat small.
• Lime – The lime juice brightens and enhances the flavors.
• Toppings – Cilantro, red onion, yogurt … whatever you like.

Adaptation/Variation

• Swap the veggies. You can use sweet potatoes, green beans, carrots, peas, broccoli … whichever veggies you like.

How to Make Easy Vegetable Biryani

First, you’ll cook the rice. You’ll saute the grains first with the spices, then add the water and simmer the rice until tender and warmly spiced.

Meanwhile, you’ll saute the veggies. Add the olive oil and cook the onion, then add the spices and garlic, and then add the cauliflower and squash. Cook until the vegetables are tender, then fold in the rice and squeeze the lime over the top.

Transfer to a serving bowl and top with cilantro and red onions. Devour! That last step is crucial.

I hope you love this unique vegetarian biryani recipe as much as we do! It’s so easy yet interesting and brimming with flavors. I love this one!

More Rice Recipes

• Tofu Fried Rice
• Vegetarian Red Beans & Rice
• Chickpea Pilaf
• Savory Coconut Scallion Sticky Rice
• Wild Rice Quinoa Stuffing
• Coconut Lime Rice Soup

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Easy Vegetable Biryani

This Indian-inspired, aromatic rice dish boasts butternut squash, cauliflower, cashews, golden raisins, and autumn-perfect spices. And it’s one of my favorite recipes for fall!

Keyword easy biryani, easy vegetarian biryani, vegetable biryani, vegetarian biryani

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 524kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

For the rice:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup white basmati Rice
• 1 cup whole raw cashews
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 1 cinnamon stick approx. 6 inches, broken in half
• 5 whole cardamom pods
• 6 whole cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 cups water

For the veggies:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion about 1 medium onion
• 1 teaspoons garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 3 dried red chiles ends snipped for more heat
• 2 cups cauliflower florets about 3/4 inch size
• 2 cups cubed butternut squash diced 1/2 inch
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 fresh lime for about 1 tablespoon juice

Toppings:

• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Sliced red onion

Instructions

• Start the rice. Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. When hot, drizzle in the 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add the rice, cashews, raisins, cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, turmeric, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Add the water and bring to a boil. Stir once then cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat to low and simmer until rice is tender and cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and remove cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and cloves. If you can’t find all the cloves and cardamom pods, no biggie! Finding and picking out an errant whole spice while eating is part of the charm of biryani. 🙂
• While the rice is cooking, cook the veggies.  Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. Add the onion and saute until soft and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the dried chiles, garlic, garam masala, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Add the butternut squash, cauliflower, and 1 cup of water. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil then cover. Cook for until the vegetables are tender, 3-4 minutes. Remove cover and continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated. Reduce heat to low and gently fold in the rice with a spatula. Taste and add additional salt if desired. Remove from heat and squeeze the lime over the top.
• Transfer to serving bowl and top with cilantro and red onions. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 524kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 332mg | Potassium: 975mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 7770IU | Vitamin C: 94mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 5mg

The post Easy Vegetable Biryani appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

These cute candy eyes are everywhere, and this year, I decided my daughter and I needed to bake up a fun Halloween treat with them. So I bought some, not knowing quite yet what we’d make. Maybe cupcakes. Or candy bark. Or cookies. Or doughnuts! Cute, right?

But while I was spending days contemplating, my daughter was growing more and more restless. Those candy eyes stared at her from the kitchen counter – literally. Finally, I broke down. Okay, okay kid! We’ll do something with the darn eyes already!

10 minutes later, we were building snack mix monsters.

The rules are as follows:

1. First, you have to make a monster.
2. Then you eat the monster.
3. Repeat!

It’s highly fun for kids and adults alike, honestly. And trust me – we’ve been playing with this Halloween snack mix every day for the past week, kid’s request. She loves the stuff.

Especially the M&Ms and the candy eyeballs. My little sweet-toothed gal seems to build monsters that have quite a few of both of those. Conveniently.

What I usually do is divvy out a small cup or bowlful of snack mix at a time to encourage her to use – and eat – all of the ingredients in the trail mix – the good stuff too, not just the sweets.

Another option, if you would like to be more health-conscious, is to leave out the candy entirely. There’s plenty of ghoulish goodness you can make with sunflower seeds (teeth!), pepitas (excellent noses!), almonds (for everything!), cashews, dried fruits, healthier cereals … really, you can put whatever you want into the mix, and you and the kids can still have lots of fun with it. (Though if you’re making it for a classroom, be sure and follow any allergy policies and swap out the nuts and/or seeds as needed. It’s a completely flexible situation!)

I see you!

I think this snack mix would be perfect for a kid’s Halloween party, or even just a fun playdate snack/activity. I plan to bring a revised version for preschool snack later this month – no nuts or candy for that bunch, but it should still be just as fun. 2018 update: I’ve brought versions of this to two classroom parties since publishing this post, and it’s been a huge hit every time!

Free printable

Here’s a free printable flag for your make-a-monster trail mix! Just download, print it out, cut it out, and use some double-stick tape to adhere it to the top of a bamboo skewer. Be sure to trim off the sharp pointy end (best be safe!) Then just stick it right in to your bowl of trail mix.

Download “Make a Monster – Eat Him Up” printable (PDF)

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Make-a-Monster Halloween Snack Mix

Holy beastly goodness! Googly eyes, cereal ears, raisin noses, pretzel heads ...  they'll love creating creatures with this ghoulishly silly snack and activity rolled into one.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1 .88 ounce package candy eyeballs
• 2 cups mini pretzels
• 1 cup corn puff cereal
• 1 cup Os cereal
• 3/4 cup M&Ms
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup pepitas
• 1/2 cup raisins
• Anything else you want!

Instructions

• Pour all ingredients into a large bowl and toss with your clean hands or a large wooden spoon. Done! I like to serve it in individual cups.
• Stores for at least a couple of weeks in a zipper bag or an airtight container.

Notes

Gluten-Free Option

Choose gluten-free cereals. Judging by the list of ingredients on my particular candy eyeballs package, they appear to be gluten-free, but please use your own judgment!

Refined Sugar-Free Option

Omit candy eyeballs and M&Ms. Choose sugar-free or refined-sugar-free cereals.

Vegan/Dairy-Free Options

I'm not sure if store-bought candy eyeballs are vegan (sorry). To be safe - or just to have fun - perhaps try this homemade googly eyes recipe. So awesome!

Nut-free Option

Omit the almonds.

The post Make-a-Monster Halloween Snack Mix appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Carrot Cake Cowboy Cookies. As a writer, the alliteration – all those C’s – pleases me. As a mother, the hidden veggies and other good stuff packed in there pleases me. As a cookie lover, well … I’m just plain pleased.

These are serious cookies. Large, in charge, and chock full of all kinds of goodies, cowboy cookie style.

I have a more traditional cowboy cookie recipe that my family and I love, but this time, I thought I’d take them to Carrot Cake Town – the meanest town in the west. Just kidding. It’s actually the most delicious town.

So here’s what we’ve got. From the cowboy cookie side, we’ve got the standard cookie base – butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla. Oats, because that’s a cowboy cookie thing. On the carrot cake side, we’ve got carrots (of course) and coconut, plus raisins if you wish. And then some white chocolate chips, to boot.

Get it? Boot? Cowboy cookies? Sorry.

These are serious cookies – each about as big as the palm of an adult hand. I just have this weird belief that cowboy cookies should be kind of giant. You can make certainly make them smaller, if you wish. I usually churn out a few smaller ones for my toddler, lest she be eating a cookie nearly the size of her head.

Dear Cowboy Cake Carrot Cookies: I’m your huckleberry.

(more…)

The post Carrot Cake Cowboy Cookies appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Now that these Irish soda bread muffins are all gone – gobbled up in a flash – I think I’d be equally okay with finding another basket of these at the end of a rainbow. Okay, fine, maybe the muffins alongside a 5 1/2 quart round soleil Le Creuset french oven with even just a handful of gold pieces thrown in. What, I can’t be specific about the pot?!

But I digress. Irish soda bread muffins. Yes, yes.

The post Irish Soda Bread Muffins appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

I actually like all of these foods. Especially raisins. Those silly raisin-haters don’t know what they’re missing. A bowl of oatmeal is incomplete without ’em, for instance.  Okay, I’ll admit I don’t really like them (or much of anything) in my carrot cake, but I find plenty more places for them than not. And Raisinets – chocolate-covered raisins? Yes, please. I would like to find them just about anywhere.

Like in these cookies, for instance.

Chocolate chips + oatmeal cookies are good. Raisins + oatmeal cookies are good. So I thought, how about chocolate-covered raisins in oatmeal cookies?

Also good, as it turns out. Really good. Especially when you use the dark chocolate Raisinets, but regular Raisinets do just fine too. They may even convert a few raisin-haters out there. You’d think that’s impossible, but I witnessed it in my own home when my guy requested another one of these. And another.

Now to get him to come around to avocados.

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Dark Chocolate Raisinet Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate chips + oatmeal cookies are good. Raisins + oatmeal cookies are good. So I thought, how about chocolate-covered raisins in oatmeal cookies? Also good, as it turns out. Really good. Especially when you use the dark chocolate Raisinets, but regular Raisinets do just fine.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Total Time 18 minutes minutes

Servings 3 dozen

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 heaping cup dark chocolate Raisinets

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In the large bowl of a stand mixer afixed with the beater attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together until fluffy, about two to three minutes.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add the vanilla and mix well.
• Place a sifter over the bowl and sift in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the oats. Mix until blended.
• Stir in the Raisinets.
• Place in rounded tablespoonfuls on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for about 8 minutes, until they look set and the edges begin to look golden.
• Remove from oven and let cool for about five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.

The post Dark Chocolate Raisinet Oatmeal Cookies appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.