I've never been one to skip breakfast, but I really don't enjoy spending time preparing it, which is why boxed cereals are so appealing in many ways - but they are so often full of nasties and don't end up filling you up for long. Bircher muesli covers both of these in my opinion - it's filling, full of protein, fibre and good complex carbohydrates and since you have to prepare it the night before, you get to congratulate yourself for your excellent forethought when you lift it out of the fridge in the morning for breakfast. It tastes all the better for it! My version isn't overly sweet - the dried and fresh fruit provide a perfect balance of sweetness for me. Traditional bircher muesli is often soaked in fruit juice, usually apple. I find it sickly and far too sweet this way, but by all means, omit some of the milk and add fruit juice instead if that's what you like.
This recipe makes 1 bowl, so you can make it directly in to the bowl from which it will be consumed. Usually I make two bowls for myself and my husband (my children aren't convinced by this yet), but sometimes I can't be bothered or there isn't room in the fridge, so I just make it all in one container and we help ourselves the next morning.
Per bowl:
¼ cup porridge oats
¼ cup natural raw muesli (I use Dorset Cereals 'Simply Delicious')
or just mix some whole oats with a few raisins and nuts)
½ apple, skin on, grated
10 black grapes, halved
4-5 raspberries
small handful pomegranate seeds
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 heaped dessert spoons plain unsweetened yoghurt
¾ cup unsweetened soy milk/oat milk/almond milk/cow's milk - whatever you like!
Mix it all together carefully, cover, then refrigerate overnight. Then pat yourself on the back the next day :)
Obviously there's plenty of scope to add your own favoured fruits. Any berries work well of course, and I've been known to add chopped banana just before I eat it. But the apple is pretty essential - I prefer to keep the apple skin on for extra fibre, but feel free to peel!
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