In America, muesli is the best-kept breakfast secret. I’m convinced that only a few people know about the glory of muesli, and that they are trying to keep it away from the mainstream. But I believe in equally delicious breakfast for all, so I’m going to break the veil of silence.

Muesli is the result of a passionate threesome of granola, yogurt and oatmeal. It’s about as visually appetizing as an old sock, but after one bite, you’ll be hooked. You’ll find yourself going to bed early just so that you can wake to consume the muesli in the fridge that you made the night before.

What is muesli exactly? It’s a breakfast cereal that was created in Switzerland at the turn of the 20th century. According to varying recipes, muesli is usually made of rolled oats, nuts and fresh and dried fruits. Like granola, muesli can be found in the cereal aisle of many grocery stores.

First, you should toast the oats, nuts and coconut, then mix the dry ingredients with yogurt, and finally add spices. Toasting the oats gives the dish a deeper flavor; mixing the whole concoction — wet and dry ingredients alike — gives it a thicker consistency. Muesli also stores well overnight in the fridge and can even be better the next day. If the oats have soaked up too much of the yogurt, you can simply add more yogurt or a touch of milk.

After experimenting with a few varieties, here is the recipe that I have developed. It’s just a rough guideline; add different fruits or nuts to your liking.

Muesli:

– 1 cup rolled oats (not instant)

– 2 cups plain yogurt (I use low-fat)

– 1/4 chopped apple, 1/2-inch diced

– 1/4 cup slivered almonds

– 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

– 1/4 cup chopped dried fruits

– 2 tablespoons raisins

– 1 tablespoon honey

– 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange juice

– 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

– 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Using a frying pan over medium heat, toast the oats for about eight minutes or until they start to smell fragrant and appear pale golden. Remove from the frying pan.

Use the same method to toast the slivered almonds. Once they start to get a bit golden, add the coconut. The second they start to appear golden and smell, remove it all.

Mix the oats, nuts and coconut in a bowl; let it cool. Once cooled, add the yogurt. Stir in the chopped apple, dried fruits and raisins; add the honey, orange juice, cinnamon and vanilla.

Enjoy for breakfast, lunch, snack or dessert. Eating it for dinner is not forbidden either.