Muesli with Blueberries and Pistachios

After unceremoniously bombarding you with some time-consuming, labor-intensive yet awfully tasty Romanian desserts, I’ve been delving into the realm of no-cook morning delights.  Yes, now I’m on a no-cook breakfast spree.  So, next on the menu is Muesli with Blueberries and Pistachios. 

Muesli is a big morning thing in Europe.  I was first introduced to it in the summer of 1997 when I spent a month at a tennis academy in Germany and every day, muesli was my go-to breakfast.  Eventually muesli slowly made its way into Romanian stores and dousing it in milk became my favorite morning treat.  That and a toast loaded with Nutella.  Can’t forget about that!

   

So when I happened upon this Muesli with Blueberries and Pistachios recipe, my curiosity was peaked and I had to give it a try.  I was not disappointed at all granted that it was a far cry from what I was used to growing up and there was no milk in sight.  In fact, this recipe is more elaborate, rich in flavors and bold in personality.  To be perfectly honest, the original recipe calls for pomegranate and almonds, which you should definitely fold in if you have them on hand, I did not unfortunately; that being said, pomegranate would add a brightly seasonal touch to this muesli in wintertime, so consider them when in season. 

This Muesli with Blueberries and Pistachios is a deliciously smooth contraption that you’ll demolish in mere minutes and will keep your tummy happy for hours.  In a nutshell, the oats are engulfed in a diluted sea of bright apple juice and water, allowed to soak and plump overnight while still maintaining that distinct grainy texture and clear taste ghostly tinged with a deeper aroma.  It might seem soggy at first, but the overnight preparation elevates it to a fine-looking, respectable concoction.  The mixture is then thickened with creamy, tart yogurt and drizzled with honey for good measure and an extra hint of sweetness.  The blueberries add a meaty sort of dimension and fruity consistency, while the toasted pistachios bring the smoky crunchiness. 

This dreamy dish will whet your appetite at first sight and will be a robust start to your day.  There’s nothing overly fussy about this bowl of goodness, just a plain old hearty breakfast; a thorough mélange of flavors and textures while still showcasing that pristine muesli identity.  Enjoy!    

Muesli with Blueberries and Pistachios

Adapted from Bon Appétit (December 2013)

Makes: 4 servings (bowls)

Ingredients:

·         2 cups old-fashioned oats

·         1 ½ cups apple juice

·         ½ cup water

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         Heaped ¼ cup raisins

·         2 cups plain Greek yogurt

·         1 cup blueberries (or pomegranate seeds or any other fresh fruit you prefer)

·         ½ cup chopped toasted pistachios (or almonds etc.)

·         Honey or agave nectar or maple syrup

Instructions:

Combine the oats, apple juice, water, vanilla and raisins in a large bowl.  Cover and chill overnight.  Mix the yogurt into the soaked oats.  Divide the mixture among bowls and, dividing evenly, top with blueberries and pistachios.  Drizzle with honey, if desired, and serve.    

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

Blood Orange Chia Pudding

All winter long I’ve been basking in the wonderful taste and nutritional value of the striking blood oranges.  And even though spring is well upon us, I’ve been lucky enough to still get my hands on them at the grocery store.  Now, the real magic happens when you marry blood oranges with yogurt and chia seeds to create an exceptional and lip-smacking treat that you’ll crave every morning.  Yes, we’re talking breakfast and the best part about this breakfast is that this Blood Orange Chia Pudding is a no-cook silky pudding that you whip up the night before.   

  

People have been going gaga over chia seeds for a long while now and I have been on the chia bandwagon myself.  Truth is, with all the nutritional benefits of fiber and omega-3s that they pack they are hard to ignore.  Plus, once drowned in the velvety blood orange juice and yogurt mixture, these chia seeds plump up and turn into tiny fat bubbles that burst onto your tongue and crack under your teeth.  As Giada de Laurentiis noted in her cookbook, they do remind you of tapioca pearls, which I happen to adore, but even if you’re not a tapioca fan, this Blood Orange Chia Pudding will convert you into a chia lover in no time.    

Although it might look like one while sporting a beautiful pale pink hue, this pudding is more than just a flavored, textured yogurt.  It is a smooth, pleasantly thick, creamy, tangy, citrusy and sweet pudding with a lovely somewhat bubbly texture that provides a substantial and filling breakfast in a tiny serving.  Top it with bright fruit and toasted pistachios and you’ve created the breakfast of champions.  

In addition, this Chia Pudding is quite versatile.  While I love the blood orange version, Giada offers a recipe that calls for vanilla-flavored unsweetened almond milk instead of orange juice.  So, you can definitely replace the blood orange juice with almond milk and still end up with a phenomenal and slightly creamier concoction.  Enjoy!    

Blood Orange Chia Pudding

Adapted from Bon Appétit (February 2016)

Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients:

·         ½ cup Greek yogurt (or plain yogurt)

·         ½ cup fresh blood orange juice

·         2 Tablespoons honey or agave nectar or maple syrup (whichever you prefer or have on hand)

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         Pinch of salt

·         ¼ cup chia seeds

·         Blood orange segments or blueberries or any other fruit you like

·         Chopped pistachios or sliced almonds, toasted

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, blood orange juice, honey, vanilla and salt.  Whisk in the chia seeds.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 8 to 24 hours.  When you’re ready to eat the pudding, stir the pudding and divide it between small bowls or glasses.  I, however, recommend that you divide the mixture between small bowls and glasses, cover them with plastic wrap and then chill for up to 24 hours.  That way, come morning, I only have to grab one of the glasses from the fridge, stir, top the pudding with fruit and nuts and enjoy.  

Before serving, layer the pudding with some orange segments (or other fruit you prefer).  Top with the chopped pistachios and remaining orange segments.  Drizzle with more honey if desired and serve. 

Note: To top the pudding with orange segments, cut the peel and white pith from 2 blood oranges.  How to do that: cut a slice off the top and bottom of the orange, making sure you cut just past the pith to expose the fruit underneath.  Stand the orange upright on a cut end.  Following the curve of the fruit, use a small knife to slice away the peel and pith.  Working over a bowl, cut along either side of membranes to release the segments.  

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

Yogurt with Fresh Figs, Honey and Pistachios

Eons ago, I heard Kelly Ripa on her morning show talk about how her breakfast for the past ten years consisted of Greek yogurt, fresh blueberries and pistachios.  To say that I was curious to try it myself is a major understatement.  Even funnier was that soon after, I discovered a recipe in Bon Appétit that was similar to Kelly’s version of the perfect breakfast and casted my beloved fresh figs front and center.  And did I mention that cooking was not a prerequisite?  I mean, you cannot possibly turn down a light yet nourishing morning treat that involves no cooking, but just some plain assembly of fresh ingredients!

This is a very simple yet nutritious breakfast meal, extremely easy to throw together yet complex in flavor.  Bottom line, you need only four ingredients to start your morning the right way.  I love Greek yogurt for its tanginess and nourishment; I adore pistachios for their sharp crunch and nuttiness; I’m into blueberries just like the next person but I’d gladly swap them for fresh, plump, meaty figs especially during the summer when they elevate this pristine breakfast to a definite elegance; and I prefer a little sweetness from the honey to bind all these ingredients together.  

You can easily substitute the honey with agave nectar if that’s all you have on hand, and if you’re not a fan of pistachios, try it with pine nuts; walnuts would be beautiful too, and even slivered almonds would nicely do the trick.  Whatever you decide to use, just make sure to toast them a bit before tossing them on top; the extra nutty, toasty crunch will send your taste buds into a delicious frenzy.  The best part about this recipe is that you should definitely play around and tailor it to your own taste or the ingredients you have available.  The possibilities are endless.  Enjoy!

Yogurt with Fresh Figs, Honey and Pistachios

By Simply Romanesco inspired by Bon Appétit (July 2014)

Makes: 1 serving

Ingredients:

·         ½ cup plain Greek yogurt

·         2 fresh figs, halved or quartered (or ¼ cup blueberries or blackberries, etc.)

·         1 heaped Tablespoon pistachios (pine nuts, walnuts or slivered almonds), roasted and unsalted

·         2 teaspoons honey 

Instructions:

If you can’t find roasted and unsalted pistachios at the grocery store, lightly toast them in a dry small skillet over medium-low heat, tossing often, until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes.  Transfer them to a plate.  

In a small bowl, serve the Greek yogurt.  Add the figs, top with pistachios, and drizzle with honey. 

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

Pumpkin Tiramisu

I was born in Arad, a fairly large city for Romanian standards located on the Hungarian border in the western part of Transylvania.  As I mentioned before in this blog, the German, Austrian and Hungarian influences are strikingly visible everywhere in my city from the grand architecture to the rich and flavorful food.  But recently, a thick tide of Italian interests, businesses and investors added a new dimension to the food scene of my humble hometown with Italian restaurants springing up like mushrooms after rain.  In no time, Romanians happily embraced the new cuisine with many local owners striving to keep it as authentic as possible with just the right amount of Romanian touch.  My parents were no exception and for several years, they owned the most popular Italian restaurant in town, Il Padrino. 

Il Padrino, a very suitable name for the two story restaurant, was a place that screamed Italian flair from the dark green linens and deep brown wooden chairs to the intrinsic movie-based artwork displayed all over the white walls, and the faithful, real Italian patrons that would mob to the restaurant every time they came to town.  The locale had an extensive menu that incorporated homemade pasta dishes, thin crust wood oven pizza, mouthwatering meat plates and antipasti, fresh salads, and delicious Romanian offerings interjected through the menu to satisfy the demanding local palette.  But what would please any palette, Romanian and Italian alike, would be the ever-present tiramisu.  This iconic coffee-flavored Italian dessert would always do the trick.    

Leafing through this month’s Food & Wine issue, I came across a very intriguing tiramisu recipe that brilliantly incorporates the season’s most valued ingredient.  Curiosity won out and I had to try it.  So glad I did!  The Pumpkin Tiramisu is everything a classic tiramisu should be plus the added bonus of the pumpkin.  The layers of coffee-soaked ladyfingers and smooth pumpkin-spiced mousse topped with sweet whipped cream, a dust of cocoa powder, shaved chocolate and peppery candied ginger meld in a beautiful carnival of autumn flavors.  Although this Pumpkin Tiramisu is intended to be a fancy trifle dessert, if you’re like me and don’t own a proper trifle dish and don’t entertain the thought of buying one, I can fully attest that the end result looks beautiful and is just as wonderfully tasty in a plain cake pan.  I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving!      

      

Pumpkin Tiramisu

Adapted from Food & Wine (November 2014)

Makes:  12 servings

Ingredients:

·         1 15-oz. can pumpkin puree

·         ½ cup light brown sugar

·         ¾ teaspoon ground ginger

·         ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

·         Pinch of ground nutmeg

·         ¾ cup granulated sugar

·         1 ½ cups mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

·         2 ½ cups heavy cream

·         2 cups brewed coffee, cooled

·         2 7-oz. packages dry ladyfingers

·         Cocoa powder, chocolate shavings and candied ginger, for garnish

Instructions:

In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree with the brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and ½ cup of the granulated sugar.  Add the mascarpone cheese and 1 ½ cups of the heavy cream.  Using an electric mixer, beat the pumpkin mixture at medium speed until soft peaks form; do not overbeat.  

In a medium bowl, whisk the brewed coffee with 2 Tablespoons of the granulated sugar until it’s dissolved.  Dip both sides of the ladyfingers in the coffee and arrange them flat, one by one, in a single layer in the bottom of a 14 by 10-inch baking pan.  Spread half of the pumpkin mousse on top.  Layer the remaining ladyfingers over the pumpkin mousse.  Spread the remaining pumpkin mousse on top.  Cover and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight. 

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1 cup of cream with the remaining 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar until soft peaks form.  Spread the whipped cream over the tiramisu, dust with cocoa powder, garnish with shaved chocolate and candied ginger and serve.

Note:  If you have a trifle dish and intend to use it, this is how you adjust the recipe.  Follow the instructions up to dissolving the 2 Tablespoons of sugar in the brewed coffee.  Then, dip both sides of 6 ladyfingers in the coffee and arrange them in a single layer in a 4-quart trifle dish.  Spread 1 cup of the pumpkin mousse on top.  Repeat the layering 5 more times, ending with a layer of the pumpkin mousse.  Cover and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.  Once you’ve prepared the whipped cream, dollop the whipped cream over the tiramisu, dust with cocoa powder and garnish with shaved chocolate and candied ginger and serve.  I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving!      

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)