I love having high carb, high fat breakfasts like corned beef/bacon/spam with rice and egg… and sometimes I even have this with garlic rice. Super fattening I know! So as part of my effort to be healthier and lose weight I am looking for high-fiber, low-fat alternatives. It was just so perfect that the very first breakfast recipe in the new cook book I purchased, The Naked Chef Takes Off by Jamie Oliver, is Pukkolla. It’s basically his version of muesli.
Yes Jamie Oliver is my favorite chef – all his recipes that I have tried have been winners, bar none. So I’m really hoping this wont be the first bad or so-so one.
Composing and Preserving
- 8 large handfuls of organic rolled oats (used whole grain rolled oats)
- 2 large handfuls of ground bran (used oat bran)
- 1 handful of chopped dried apricots (used “berries & cherries”)
- 1 handful of chopped dried dates (used raisins )
- 1 handful of crumbled walnuts
- 1 handful of smashed or chopped almonds, hazelnuts or brazil nuts (used unsalted roasted cashews)
Add oats and bran to a large plastic container with apricots and dates. Crumble in walnuts and add chosen nuts (I usually bash them in a tea towel). At this point feel free to improvise, adding any other preferred dried fruits like raisins, sultanas, strawberries or figs, but personally I think the above combination works pretty well. This will keep for a good couple of months very happily in an airtight container, but you’ll have eaten it by then, I guarantee. The great thing about it is that you can adjust it to your own preference, but I would suggest you stick to the basic dried ingredients that I use as they work so well together. It’s very handy to have a large plastic airtight container to store your composed Pukkolla in, so try and get a hold of one.
Making and Knocking together
- milk to cover
- 1/2 crunchy apple per person, washed and unpeeled
I would definitely try to make this the night or day before you want to eat it, although it can be made at the time (although you won’t get the smooth silky scrumptious texture that the milk gives it overnight). I normally place double the amount of composed cereal I need (ie. 4 portions for 2 people) into a bowl. Doubling up like this gives you enough to eat for the next couple of days. Cover with milk, grate in half an apple per person and stir immediately to stop the apple discoloring. Place in the refrigerator.
Tucking in and Eating
- 1/2 banana per person, peeled and sliced or mashed (it’s better mashed)
- honey to taste
Remove the bowl from fridge. You will find that it has softened and thickened, so loosed with a little milk. Add your banana. Add honey to taste. Serve with a dollop of yogurt and some fresh mixed berries.
Stay tuned for the Tucking and Eating part tomorrow! The solid test is if the hubby likes it. He hates oats, but now has an open mind considering he liked the use of oats in the Apple Crisps we had for dessert tonight.
Fingers crossed! Don’t fail me now Jaime…
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