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| Bilberry Apple Walnut Breakfast Bowl |
Happy days start here.
This is the simplest of breakfasts, has a pile of protein, great flavor, a nice crunch from the apple and chia, and a touch of sweetness from the jam.
First you need to understand why I need the color and super foods in my life: Winter has finally arrived in all it’s snow-covered, long-lasting, sigh-begetting glory. I am not a fan. I much prefer the rainy days of a milder winter, but nonetheless, here we are, parkas unpacked, hats unrolled, scarves unfurled, ready to face a morning commute, and the only thing between us and departure is breakfast. We might as well make it a very good one!
Any apple will do here. You could even substitute pears or pommelo, pineapple or pomegranate seeds – or even thawed berries that you lovingly froze last summer. Any jam will do too: I happened to have an open jar of Bilberry Thai Basil jam, so I used a generous spoon of that.
Any type of yogurt that makes you happy works well too – or do as I did one morning and use viili instead. Delicious! Chia seeds and walnuts could be replaced by sunflower seeds, sesame seeds or ground flax seeds, almonds, cashews or pecans – or a few spoonfuls of your favorite muesli. You can really make this one your own. And it’s dead simple: layer the ingredients in the bowl, one on top the other, grab a spoon, and indulge sitting, or standing, or on the bus. Your call.
One side note on viili: once you have some, you can easily make your own from there on out. All you need to do is save one tablespoon of viili. Put it into a clean one liter bowl or container and smear it around the edges of the container. Add one liter/quart of whole milk (or other milk if you insist – even coconut milk will work), cover, and leave at room temperature for 24 hours. The natural cultures in the viili will inoculate the milk, and there you’ll be, smiling into your breakfast bowl. If you live outside of the Nordics, here’s one source for the cultures.
Bilberry (Blueberry) Apple Breakfast Bowl
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup yogurt (or viili)
1/2 apple, core removed, diced
1 heaped tablespoon of bilberry, blueberry or jam of your choice
8 walnut halves, crushed in your hand
1 heaped teaspoon of Chia seeds
Layer the ingredients in a bowl in the order listed. Sprinkle Chia seeds over the whole thing. Grab a spoon, take a seat, enjoy. This also travels well – so make a second one in a portable container while you are at it, and enjoy it as an afternoon snack!
Serves 1.