This lovely Bircher muesli is from Rose Elliot’s book, Vegetarian Cookery, which I’ve had for ever. I use lots of recipes from it and it was one of my standby books when we were both vegetarian.

The muesli is wonderfully delicious. Rose recommends having it with thinly sliced wholemeal bread, spread with butter and honey, and I can confirm, that combination is sublime.

This is Rose Elliott

Serves 1
2 tblsps oats, 20g, 75p/kg, 1p
1 tblsp condensed milk, 30g, £1/400g tin, 4p
3 tblsps cold water
Half a lemon, zest and juice, Asda 30p, 15p
Or 1 tblsp lemon juice, Asda 50p/250ml, 3p
100g grated apple, Asda smartprice 500g/75p, 12p
1 tblsp chopped nuts, 15g, Asda salted peanuts, 48p/200g,4p
Total cost, using half a lemon, 36p
Using just lemon juice, 24p

Per serving 282 cals, 8g protein, 37g carbs, 12g fat, 3g fibre

You can leave out the lemon zest if you don’t have whole lemons, it will still be lovely, although the lemon zest does make it extra special. If you have half a lemon available, zest it and use the juice as well.

Mix the oats, condensed milk, water, lemon zest and juice together. The condensed milk gives the most gorgeous, thick and creamy consistency.

Grate a whole apple, skin and all, right down to the core. Mix into the oaty mixture.

Rinse the salt off the nuts and pat dry. Chop them up small and sprinkle over. Or of course, leave the salt on if you like that.

The fruit can be anything you have, is in season, is growing in the garden etc. I have found that peeled and sliced apples freeze beautifully, and unusually for frozen produce, can still be used uncooked. I have had this using raspberries from the garden. It would be good with rhubarb compote, fresh plums, apricots, blueberries. Apples caramelised in butter, roasted plums or peaches. You could use tinned peaches, apricots or cherries from a jar. Or a mixture, so caramelised apples and fresh blueberries, or chopped tinned peaches and apricots, or grated apple and chopped apricot, whatever you fancy and have in the cupboard.

At 36p, this is more than our usual breakfasts, but still eminently doable in a £1 a day budget. You could have, for instance

Bircher muesli, 36p
a Beef & Sun Dried Tomato sandwich, 13p, with a carrot ribbon and olive salad (15p)
Beetroot & Feta Tart, 24p, for tea, with some green beans (10p)
total of 98p

or

Bircher muesli, 36p
a pitta, with carrot, lemon and soft cheese, 24p, one of my favourites
and maybe some gorgeous Peanut Butter Noodles for dinner, 23p
total of 83p