Toasted Muesli

As the mornings get colder (and often wetter) firing up the oven and making your own muesli is the perfect way to toil away a wet weekend morning. This version is refined sugar free and is loaded with delicious clusters of crunchy oats as well as being loaded with nuts and seeds. 
Feel free to adapt it as you like. Here I've used a mixture of quick cooking oats (for the clusters) and larger wholegrain oats, but if you want a richer clusterful muesli, omit the larger oats at the end. 
Also feel free to adapt the combinations of nuts and seeds which are added. I love walnuts, so went with that this time, but cashews, macadamia, almond or pecan would also be delicious and no doubt I'll be mixing it up with my next batch. If you're a dried fruit fan, you can add that at the end once it has finished cooking. 

Ingredients (makes 10 cups of muesli; 20-30 serves):  

• 3/4 cup dried pitted dates
• 2 tsp vanilla essence 
• 1 tbsp cinnamon 
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup water extra
• 3 cups of quick cooking oats
• 1 cup coconut
• 3 cups of traditional wholegrain oats - I used Harraways 
• 1 cup nuts - walnuts, almond, cashew, macadamia, pecan or a mixture
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup chopped dried fruit of your choice - sultanas, apricot, cranberries etc (optional) 

Put dates, vanilla, cinnamon, and 3/4 cup of water into a small saucepan. Simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes stirring frequently. We want the dates to begin to dissolve in the water, and the water to reduce so the result is a date paste. 

Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius, and place 3 cups of quick cook oats and coconut into a large roasting dish. 

Add 1/4 cup of oil, and another 1/4 cup of water to the date mixture. Mix well to combine, then stir through the oats. It should be a sticky mess at this stage. Excellent. 

Spread evenly across the roasting dish and break up any large clusters. 

Roast for 40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. You want the oats to dry out. 

Now add the remaining wholegrain oats, nuts and seeds. Continue cooking for another 10 - 20 minutes turning once. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. If using dried fruit add it once cooled. Finally, store your muesli in an airtight container for up to a month. 

Serve with your choice of fruits, yogurt and milk.    

Fresh Chicken Noodle Soup

Seriously easy, seriously nutritious, and seriously fast way to get your chicken soup fix. 


I've used a whole chicken, skinned, jointed and breasts removed. I find this is the most cost effective way to make this soup, plus boiling all the bones means that all that goodness is added to the broth. I don't bother using the chicken breast meat in this soup, as it can get tough when poached, and is far more valuable to use for another meal - like my tasty chicken Hawaiian Chicken Burgers, or Chicken Burrito Bowl with Mango Salsa for example. 


Also, DO NOT throw the skin away... I never like wasting anything! Check out this tasty way to make the most of it...  

What to do with #leftover #chicken skin? Salt and bake on a tray at 180•C for 20-30 mins till golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels and devour.... Reserve the fat in a container in the fridge for next time you're roasting potatoes #chickenskin #lard #chickenfriedpotatoes #naughtytreats #youknowyouwantsome

A photo posted by Stef Parker (@sparkmypantry) on Aug 13, 2016 at 11:22pm PDT

Make sure you drain off the fat before it cools. Store in a glass container in the fridge to use the next time you are roasting potatoes. Plus the chicken crackle makes a tasty snack while the soup simmers. 

Ingredients (serves 4): 
Soup 

• 4 cloves garlic 
• 1/4 c sliced fresh ginger
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
• bunch of coriander - wash and pick the leaves off. Set them aside and use the roots and stalks in the soup
• 1 whole free range chicken, jointed, skin and breast meat removed. 
• 300 grams dried egg noodles 

For the bowls

• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1/4 cabbage, finely shredded
• 6 mushrooms, finely sliced or quartered
• 2 carrots, grated or julienned
• coriander leaves

Joint the chicken, and remove the skin and breast meat. 

Simmer all of the soup ingredients - except the noodles - in a large soup pot for 20 minutes, till the meat is cooked through. 

Meanwhile shred the cabbage - a food processor works well here - grate the carrots, slice the mushrooms and spring onion. Divide the vegetables and coriander leaves, among four large soup bowls. Set aside. 

Remove the chicken - bones and all - from the soup pot, and set aside till cool enough to handle. Now add the noodles and continue boiling for 3 - 10 minutes (according to the packet directions). 

Remove the meat from the chicken bones and divide among the serving bowls. Use tongs to serve the noodles on top, then ladle the boiling broth over it all. Stir, leave for a few minutes to poach the vegetables, and make it cool enough to eat. Serve with soup spoons and chopsticks.