310. Overnight Muesli Oats

There is something about January that makes me want oats in some form or another.
Although I have posted oatmeal cookies, muesli, and muesli bars, I've known this overnight muesli recipe the longest. It is by Jamie Oliver, and he named it pukkola, based on his favorite word pukka, which I suppose is the equivalent of fantastic. And fantastic it is. The overnight soaking makes the oats wonderfully thick and gooey, and even slightly dissolves the dried fruit to develop a wonderful sweetness regardless of the absence of sugar.

309. Freekeh Green Wheat Pilaf

Freekeh (الفريكة) dates back to ancient Mesopotamia, where it was cooked as commonly as we would cook rice today; as an everyday meal staple.
It is basically wheat grain, picked when it is still green. It has since gained popularity and is being enjoyed as a superfood across the globe.

308. Beetroot and Green Apple Salad

I love happy accidents.
I came across this salad quite accidentally, at a lunch I had no intention of attending yet circumstances led me to do so. And this salad made it so worth it!
It's child-simple really: cubed beetroot and green apple, tossed in a simple vinaigrette.
But I absolutely loved it.

307. Cranberry Up-Side Down Cake

Upside down cakes are so much fun.

The fruit caramelizes to an amazing richness and the flavor is so very intensified.

In this cranberry upside down cake, the fruit simmers in a spicy sugar mixture to deliver a cosy and warming taste very different from refreshing summer cakes. A dollop of whipped cream on top of a slice when serving is perfectly complementary to the spice flavor.

306. Kofta Flowers

Kofta is the generic Arab term for a minced meat patty, usually shaped longitudinally.

This is kofta autrement, presented in a creative and modernized manner.

For some people, roast meat with gravy and mashed potato is the epitome of comfort home cooking.

This innovative recipe plays along that concept, with just 20 minutes of oven time!

The steps may be many, but they are as simple as can be.

305. Iraqi Tea: Chai Istikan

Great poetry has been written about the perfect brew of tea.

Tea has been around for much longer than coffee, and holds a place near and dear to every culture on the face of this Earth.

304. Muesli Breakfast Bars

Whether you are a student, employed, or just stay-at-home, there will be times when you need a fast breakfast. A fast breakfast on the go does not necessarily mean unhealthy and fattening.

These muesli oat bars are the ideal thing for just that.

They are fantastically healthy, absolutely delicious, and oh-so-easy to make: all you need is muesli and a can of sweetened condensed milk.

They reminded me of flapjacks, except I liked them more.

Make a batch of these, store them in an air-tight container, and you've got breakfast for the entire week ahead.

303. Muesli: Swiss-German Granola

As I have mentioned in the granola post, muesli and granola differ mainly in that the latter is baked, whereas the former is raw.

Muesli is a popular Swiss breakfast consisting of four main groups: grains (almost invariably oats, but can also have millet, puffed rice, bran, cornflakes...), dried fruit (raisins and sultanas most commonly, but really any dried fruit will do: blueberry, cranberry, dates, apricot...), nuts (brazil nut, almond, hazelnut, pecan, walnut, pistachio, coconut, peanut...), and seeds (shelled of course: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds...).

302. Oatmeal Cookies

Every super food list I come across has to have oats somewhere in the top ten.

Healthy doesn't necessarily mean boring or distasteful. So although oatmeal cookies may not be the ideal form of consuming oats, it is nonetheless and a satisfying and delicious one.

These cookies are the plainer sister of the oatmeal m&m cookies I promised a while back.

You can eat them any time throughout the day, but I prefer them best for breakfast. That way, I won't be dizzy with hunger by lunchtime.

301. Noodle Broccoli Stir-Fry

Noodle stir-fry is my go-to dish in case of intense hunger that needs to be satisfied within the span of 10 minutes. You can really adapt the recipe to whatever you have on hand, not unsimilar to broccoli stir-fry. The type of noodles is the Chinese or far East Asian type, known generally as chow mein. The ones I had on hand have seasoning pouches in them, but they are by no means essential to the recipe: soy sauce and oyster sauce will suffice.