TOASTED MUESLI + PISTACHIO MILK

These spring weekend mornings with their dreamy light have completely mesmerized me lately. Even when overcast, the rays of sun stream purposefully through our front windows, awaking the plants, kitten, and us. Kitten lays in the rays, warms his belly, and I revel in the silence, peering out the window as if expecting to uncover spring’s secret ways.

Breakfast soon follows. Waffles on Sunday, but on most other days, oats.

Oats for me are the ideal breakfast. As much as I love cinnamon buns or fried eggs and bacon, nothing makes me feel quite as fulfilled as a big bowl of oats. I like them in almost any form, but especially with fruit, seeds, and nut milk. Dale generally prefers the savory side of breakfast, but he has let slip a love of muesli. I venture to guess I have an oat fan in my midst. I have this muesli to thank.

Somewhere between granola and overnight oats lies this muesli–my muesli. Lightly toasted and drowned in the most glorious of nut milks. I mean, I needn’t say much more than pistachio milk. I have dubbed it the queen of all the milks. And trust, it is. Creamier and more naturally sweet than the usual almond milk and with the most beautiful mint green color, it’s become my go to. Ah, love in nut milk form is pistachio milk. I’m sure of it.

Toasted Muesli Recipe

Makes about 7 cups

2 cups rolled oats
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1 1/3 cups nuts and/or seeds of choice (I usually do walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds)
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1 cup dried fruit (I like apple juice sweetened cranberries or cherries and figs)
1/2 cup cacao nibs (chocolate chips are delicious too)
scant 2 cups puffed brown rice cereal (or other crunchy cereal of choice)

Place oats in a large saucepan and set over medium heat. Toast, stirring occasionally, until oats smell fragrant and are just beginning to turn lightly golden. Remove from heat, stir in spices and transfer to a large bowl. Toast nuts and seeds in the same pan until lightly golden (I prefer the taste of raw walnuts, so I don’t toast those) and place in the bowl with the oats. Toast coconut flakes in the same fashion. Add coconut flakes and the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir everything together until well distributed. Once cool, serve with bananas, honey, and pistachio milk. Store extra in an airtight container at room temperature.

Pistachio Milk

Makes 3 1/2 cups

1 cup raw pistachios (roasted will not work)
7 cups filtered water, divided

Soak pistachios in 3 1/2 cups filtered water for a few hours. Strain, rinse, and place in a blender with 3 1/2 cups fresh filtered water (do not use the water that the nuts were soaked in). Blend on high one minute. Squeeze through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth. Will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for no more than 5 days.