Here’s a great recipe to use up some of the dried fruit you made last summer. What is muesli? I like to think of it as hot oatmeal without the heat!

If you, like me, never could stand mushy oatmeal, muesli may be the answer. Made from whole grain oats, dried fruits and nuts, it is a filling and heart-healthy start to the day or an afternoon pick-me-up. Plus it’s only about 200 calories per serving, fulfills that desire to crunch, and is easy to make. For some reason, muesli is quite expensive to purchase (if you can even find it at the local grocery store), but is pretty inexpensive to make yourself.

Recipe:

• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup wheat flakes (I use Grape-Nuts Flakes)
• 3/4 cup dried fruit (combination of raisins, dried cranberries, blueberries, current, snipped apricots, raspberries, strawberries, etc.)
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans or any combination)
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp dried, non-fat milk (optional)

Mix all ingredients together. Serve 1/2 cup portions with milk, soy milk, or almond milk. Top with fresh fruit if desired. Store remainder in a tightly sealed container. Makes 6-8 servings.

Note: This particular muesli recipe is from The New Contented Heart Cookbook, Recipes for a Healthy Heart  

which can be purchased here on this site or over at Amazon. The recipes in The New Contented Heart Cookbook are all based on the Superfoods principle and follow the heart-healthy Mediterranean Diet.