When we were in Central Europe recently, we were offered muesli almost every morning as one of the many offerings provided with our breakfast buffet. Not granola, it was definitely muesli. And always with our choice of yogurt. Which of course reminded me that my family has been calling muesli and granola “Breakfast in Siberia” since 1978. (My former husband and I took our three youngest kids to Europe for 5 weeks. And while we were staying with relatives in Sweden, the combination of muesli topped with yogurt was always lovingly referred to by that particular moniker.)

Now you may wonder what the difference is between granola and muesli. The main difference is that while both are made of various combinations of grains, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, muesli is usually unbaked. While granola is baked and is sweeter and contains more oil which binds the ingredients together into crunchy clumps.

Now you know me. I almost always have to break the rules somewhere along the line when it comes to food. And of course, this recipe is no exception. But in my defense, it simply made sense to bake some of the ingredients for the sake of texture and flavor. So this muesli spends a bit of quality time in the oven. But there are no clumps, so there is still that distinction.

And yes I have recipes on this site for granola too. I love my granola recipes and still make each one of them to this day. But I so enjoy variety. And if breakfast isn’t the meal where a bit of variety is really appreciated, I don’t know a marshmallow from a boiled potato!

So make this recipe next time you want a healthy diversion from Cocoa Puffs. Or you are tired of paying an inordinate amount of money at the grocery store for a package of muesli that is 95% oats and 5% nuts, fruit, or seeds. I promise you that with your first bite you will know what you have been missing by not making your own breakfast cereal. Happy breakfast to you all!

scant 1 tsp. kosher salt

¾ tsp. cinnamon

2 T. vegetable oil

3 T. real maple syrup

2 tsp. vanilla extract

5 c. old-fashioned oats

1½ c. mixed nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts)

1½ c. coconut

½ c. chia seeds

1½ c. mixed dry fruit

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the salt, cinnamon, veggie oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir in the oats, nuts, and coconut. Mix well.  

Pour the mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven until the oats and coconut flakes are lightly golden and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Stir half way through the baking time. Don’t wash the bowl. Add the chia seeds and nuts to it.

When the oat mixture is just out of the oven, pour it over the chia seeds and fruit. Mix well. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Serve with milk or yogurt. 

OK, sorry about no picture, but really, who doesn’t know what a bowl of oatmeal looks like? And this oatmeal looks like every other bowl of oatmeal. The difference, and you knew there had to be a difference or I wouldn’t have bothered posting this recipe in the first place, is in the flavor and texture.

The cinnamon gives the porridge a rich flavor, and the golden raisins add both texture and sweetness. And of course, a dab of butter and a spoonful of sugar always make anything taste better. Even taking medicine, I’ve heard!

So if you want to up your fiber intake, provide your body with important minerals (thiamin, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, selenium, and iron), and make it to lunch without fainting or munching on a sugary product for energy, you “oat” to add oatmeal to your breakfast rotation.

• 1 c. water
• 1 c. milk, plus more for serving
• pinch salt
• lg. pinch ground cinnamon
• ½ c. steal cut oat meal (I use McCann’s Steel Cut Oat Meal)
• ¼ c. golden raisins
• dab of butter
• brown sugar

Bring water, milk, salt, and cinnamon to a boil. Sprinkle on the oats and stir well. When the porridge is smooth and starting to thicken, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring periodically. After the oats have cooked for 15 minutes, add the golden raisins. Stir frequently towards the end of the cooking time.

Serve with a dab of butter, brown sugar, and additional milk. Or add fresh fruit for a lovely change of flavor.

Please Note: Nutritionally, steel-cut oats, old-fashioned rolled oats, and quick oats are the same. All oats start as oat groats, with only the outer husk removed. The main difference between steel-cut oats and quick oats lies in the processing. Steel-cut oats are simply oat groats cut into two or three pieces, for a relatively unprocessed product. Rolled or old-fashioned oats are produced by steaming and rolling the oat groats for faster cooking. Quick oats are just old-fashioned oats that have been chopped into smaller pieces for even faster cooking. The main advantages of using steel cut oats in your porridge are the chewier texture and nuttier flavor.

Part of our morning routine is to have breakfast. Sounds pretty normal, right? But you would be surprised at the number of people for whom a latte is their only nourishment before lunch. Not so at Chez Carr. We love breakfast. But the older we get, the more we have to watch what we eat. (That sounds pretty normal too.)

So, in keeping with watching our cholesterol levels and trying to help you do the same, may I recommend that you incorporate granola into your morning repast. Many granolas, like this one,  contain zero cholesterol ingredients. Zip, zero, nadda! Of course, granola on its own would be pretty hard to swallow. Literally! So we usually eat our daily ¼ cup of granola with ¼ cup of Greek yogurt, at roughly 10mg of cholesterol, or with a ¼ cup of 2% milk with roughly 5mg of cholesterol. Since the Mayo clinic recommends no more than 300mg of cholesterol for healthy people, and no more than 200mg for those with diabetes, high cholesterol, or heart disease, I feel OK with serving yogurt or 2% milk with our granola.

Now I realize you can buy granola with zero cholesterol ingredients. But homemade granola contains zero ingredients with unpronounceable names. (You pay dearly for those names that are too difficult to say!) You also don’t get nearly the amount of nuts and dried fruit as in a homemade granola.

And yes, I know granola is not inexpensive. But if you buy your oats, nuts, coconut, and dried fruit in bulk, you will save an amazing amount of money. And truly, making your own granola takes just minutes to prepare. And parents, those boxes of sugared cereal are not a substitute for healthy granola or a well balanced hot meal. They are never going to keep your children energized until lunch. (No guilt trip intended.)

True story. I fixed a simple breakfast for my kids every school morning. Usually scrambled eggs, toast, and juice. Sometimes oatmeal or another hot cereal, but always something hot and nourishing. When my dearly loved son Sven went away to college he told me he was excited because he could finally eat cold cereal for breakfast! His enthusiasm lasted for a week. Exactly 7 days after being away from home he called me. The first words out of his mouth were “cold cereal isn’t as great as I thought it would be, and the coffee here is terrible!” You would be proud of me. I didn’t start laughing until he was off the phone.

• 1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil  
• ¼ c. real maple syrup  
• ¾ tsp. vanilla  
• 1¼ tsp. ground cinnamon  
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg  
• 1 tsp. fine-grain sea salt  
• 4-6 c. old-fashioned rolled oats  
• 3 c. nuts – walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts (I use a combination)
• 1 c. unsweetened coconut
• 1½ c. chopped dried fruit – apples, prunes, cherries, blueberries, apricots, golden raisins (again, I use a combination)

Whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Add the oats, nuts, and coconut.  Spread evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. (Don’t wash the bowl yet.)

Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven until lightly browned, about 25-30 minutes. Stir once or twice during the baking. (Watch carefully, as coconut and nuts can burn easily.) Remove from oven and scoop back into the mixing bowl. Add the chopped dried fruit. Stir to combine. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Please note: I now make this granola with 6 cups of oats. The granola doesn’t clump using the 2 extra cups of oats, but oats are really good for us. So, we can live without the clumps. And the overall flavor is just as good. (8-24-2019)

So, here it is the day after St. Patrick’s Day and you have a big old hunk of left over corned beef staring at you every time you open your refrigerator. You already know that Reuben sandwiches are in your near future, but what to do with the rest is still nagging at you from the edges of your organized mind. Well, I have the perfect solution to your quandary. Make hash!

Now, you need to know that I love corned beef. So when I go to the bother of braising corned beef, I don’t stop with just one brisket. I usually braise 2 at a time. And yes I do mean braise. The term “braise” means (at least to me) taking a less-tender cut of meat (often beef) and slowly (low heat over a long period of time) cooking it partially covered with a liquid until tender. (Think pot-roast.) And especially with corned beef, the result of braising rather than boiling is significant. Boiling seems to draw all the flavor out of the meat, while braising seems to impart the flavor of the herbs and spices, while at the same time allowing the meat to obtain a very pleasant firm but tender texture. (Boiling alone seems to make for a loose texture that I personally find less desirable.)

But back to this scramble.

The only time Mr. C. and I eat breakfast out is when we are traveling. And why – well – breakfast is easy to fix, and I have control over everything from the amount of salt and fat used, to the quality of the eggs. But breakfasts can become a bit tedious. So every once in a while I like to replace our usual over-easy eggs with an egg dish that surprises our taste buds. And that’s just what happened this morning when I served up some of this scramble. My taste buds were on full alert because this dish was so yummy. Even Mr. C., who, if never presented with another potato, except in the form of French fries, had to agree that this scramble was mighty fine. (He even had seconds!)

So if you too would like to serve a new and different taste treat for breakfast some morning, give this recipe a try.

If you would like to check out additional corned beef recipes, including a recipe for a killer Rueben Sandwich, search under “corned beef” on this site.

Lastly, don’t even think of using canned corn beef in this recipe. You would be visited by three spirits, all of whom would look just like me! And each one would be even more unpleasant than the ones that visited Ebenezer Scrooge!

(On a friendlier note – check out the picture at the end of this post. Max, on the left, and Miles next to my computer, helping me write yesterday’s post. So nice to have office help.)

• 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 unpeeled russet potatoes, cut small dice
• 2 T. unsalted butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 c. diced baked corned beef (see recipe below)
• 8 lg. eggs
• ½ c. milk
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ tsp. seasoned salt
• 1 T. chopped fresh parsley leaves, opt.

Whisk the olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper together in a medium sized bowl. Pat the diced potato pieces dry and add to the bowl; stir until potato pieces all covered with a thin coating or oil. Place potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake in a pre-heated 450 degree oven for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. (Use convection if available.) Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and red pepper and fry, stirring often, until onion becomes translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the corned beef and fry, stirring frequently, until slightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved potatoes.

While the hash is frying, whisk the eggs, milk, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoned salt together and pour over the hash.  

Reduce heat and stir gently lifting the mixture off the bottom of the pan and flipping until the egg mixture is set. Serve immediately garnished with parsley.

Note: Before you add the egg mixture, the hash can be frozen. It freezes beautifully.

CORNED BEEF

• 2 lg. bay leaves, torn into tiny pieces
• 1 tsp. black pepper corns
• 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds
• ½ tsp. mustard seeds  

Combine bay leaves, pepper corns, red pepper flakes, coriander, and mustard seeds along with the little packet of spices that comes with the corned beef. Set aside.

Place brisket in a large covered Dutch oven. Pour 2 cups of water into the pan along with 1/3^rd of the spice mix. (The spices should be in the water.) Cover Dutch oven with lid and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, use your sucky upy (my term for a turkey baster) to drain/suck the water from around the corned beef.* Add 2 cups fresh water, another third of the spice mix and cover. Bake another hour. After second hour, drain and replace water and add the last of spices. And you guessed it, bake for another hour, or until the brisket reaches an internal temperature of 175 degrees and is fork tender. Remove from oven, place on a platter, and let rest at least 45 minutes before cutting into small cubes.  Note: This way of cooking corned beef results in a very flavorful tightly grained but tender meat. Perfect for hash. Great for sandwiches too.

*An alternate method for changing the water is to remove the corned beef from the pan and simply pour off the water.