Cardamom & Orange Toasted Muesli

This grain-free muesli is a lovely light way to start the day, or it can be the perfect snack to eat by the handful when you’re feeling peckish. It’s a pretty loose recipe, allowing you to use whatever nuts, seeds, oils and sweeteners you have on hand.

4 cups unsweetened coconut flakes (chips) 1½ cups nuts, roughly chopped (I like to use one type or a combination, depending on what I have on hand: almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, macadamias, pecans) 1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup seeds of your choice (I like to use sunflower

and pumpkin seeds, see note below) 3 tablespoons olive or virgin coconut oil, melted 3 tablespoons pure maple, date or brown

rice syrup

Finely grated zest and juice of 2 oranges

(preferably unsprayed)

Finely ground seeds from 8–10 cardamom pods,

or use 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

TO SERVE

Your favourite seasonal fruit or fruit compote Your favourite plant-based or regular milk, or yoghurt

Preheat oven to 150°C. Combine coconut flakes, nuts, shredded coconut and seeds in a large bowl.

Gently heat the oil, syrup, orange zest and juice, cardamom and a good pinch of fine salt in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until combined, then pour over the dry ingredients and stir through to coat evenly.

Transfer mixture to a lipped oven tray and bake for 40-45 minutes, stirring often, until evenly toasted. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool; it will crisp up more on cooling. Store in an airtight jar. Serve with your favourite fruit or fruit compote and milk or yoghurt. Serves 4–6

Variations

O Not a fan of orange? Skip the orange juice and zest, and decrease the cooking time by 5-10 minutes.

O Add a handful of cacao nibs once cool, for a bitter chocolate crunch.

O Add 2-4 tablespoons hemp seed hearts once cool, for added protein and nutrients.

O Swap the cardamom for ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

O Add a handful of your favourite dried fruit, finely chopped, once cool.

O Use honey in place of syrup, if desired (and not vegan).

Note: This could just be a personal preference, but I’m not a huge fan of eating unsoaked chia seeds and, in recipes like this, they just end up stuck in your teeth, so I wouldn’t recommend using chia seeds in this recipe. Q