Tag: strawberries
Mango Yogurt Panna Cotta
I made this for a dinner party we were having. I served a panna cotta that my cousin made for fourth of July- it was a vanilla coconut one with a mango sauce.
For this dinner I decided to experiment with a low fat version of a panna cotta. Usually this summer dessert calls for cream mixed in with gelatin. I used non-fat Greek yogurt and a bit of half and half. I heated the half and half and melted the gelatin and sugar before mixing it with the yogurt and the mango puree. That was it- I poured the mixture into containers and
I love making this dessert since it is so simple and quick to make. The low-fat version was an excellent try and a bit hit. It was a great combination of sweet and tangy. The mango puree brought it the delicious tanginess and the yogurt provided great creaminess without any of the fat.
Try this dessert for your next summer get together- it is delicious!
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Spinach and Strawberry Salad
This salad epitomizes summer according to me. It looks bright and colorful with the baby spinach and strawberries. It is super healthy and includes walnuts- which, just like spinach is a super food.
We were having one of our Friday pizza parties and I was grilling pizzas outside. I wanted to make a light, easy salad that will be delicious with the dinner.
I had lots of strawberries and always keep baby spinach in the fridge. I paired them together and added the walnuts to the mix. I came up with a simple balsamic dressing. Since strawberries were the main ingredient, I added some strawberry jam to the dressing. It added a great delicious tang to the vinaigrette.
Overall the salad was delicious. It went perfectly well with the grilled pizzas, in fact I think it will go well with any entree. I served a chilled white wine and the meal was great.
Try this salad this summer, you will love it.
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Mango Strawberry Smoothie
It was super hot and I was hungry. It was mid-afternoon and a few hours away from dinner. I wanted to eat something healthy but couldn’t think of anything. Of course the usual choices were right in front of me- fruit, yogurt, GG crackers, cheese or some junk food. Actually I try not to keep any junk food at home so at such moments I am not tempted to eat something I will regret later.
I thought of the mangoes I had in the fridge and a huge pack of strawberries I had purchased that morning. I of course have non-fat Greek yogurt always.
I decided to make a smoothie with the yogurt, low-fat milk, some mango and of course the juicy strawberries. To sweeten the drink, I added some delicious honey. All the ingredients used are good for you- so you can’t go wrong with this delicious drink. I added some ice and whipped it up in two minutes in my trustee blender.
My daughter and I enjoyed a glass each. It was delicious- not too sweet but just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. It had enough protein to fill me up.
It was a perfect snack that is tasty, healthy and easy to make. The mango strawberry smoothie is delicious!
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Orange Trifle with Strawberries
I would have to say, this is my all time favorite dessert. My mom has been making trifle for as long as I can remember. It is a very popular british dessert – my mom lived in London before she got married and learned some recipes from my English aunt.
Growing up the trifle was served in a lasagna pan- the flat casserole pan. The presentation was not as dramatic as it is in the trifle bowl- I love looking at the colorful layers of delicious heaven! I remember my mom would use canned mixed fruit and use the juice to soak the sponge cake. We also grew up with lots of custard and fruit for dessert- the custard was made out of a powder. I still remember my mom pouring the powder in hot milk to make the delicious custard. She would layer the soaked sponge cake with the fruit,custard and whipped cream. The dessert was topped with a thick layer of whipped cream and sprinkled with nuts. How good is freshly whipped cream?? I can taste it as I write about it- the fluffy and creamy goodness- so easy to eat lots of it without realizing how dangerous it is. I still remember when we first arrived in the US and I saw cans of whipped cream or the fake stuff you get in tubs- I was devastated! What happened to the real stuff- I couldn’t understand why someone would want to eat that stuff in the tub…
Once you learn the technique and process of making a trifle, sky is the limit. You can change the cake flavor, types of fruit and the flavor of custard or curd. I used to make a generic one most of the time, like the one my mom made- but then I started experimenting with the recipe. Last year I made a raspberry with mango curd trifle- it was out of this world! A few years ago I had a dessert tasting party and made a ginger bread and lemon curd trifle- it was very good as well!
It is a crowd pleaser- most people like it. In my case, I wouldn’t make it unless there was a crowd since I am quite capable of eating the entire bowl in no time!
Strawberry and Mango Dessert Sauce
A friend came over for dinner a few nights ago. I had a day notice and it was through the week- I wanted to make an easy entree and something I can assemble ahead of time. I decided to make a baked pasta with red peppers and zucchini (recipe to follow) and garlic bread. What about dessert??? I had plenty of ice cream in the freezer and of course lots and lots of mangoes! In the fridge, I also had a pint of strawberries looking a little sorry and not so fresh. I decided to cook the strawberries down and add chunks of mangoes in the sauce. First of all, the topping color made me happy- such bright red and yellow- my favorite colors, they are all over my house! I served vanilla ice cream with a big dollop of the topping. It was delicious! Great to have over a pound cake or even angel food cake. It’s actually great just by itself with a little whipped cream on top! It would be great to have in the fridge in the summer months with abundant berries and mangoes. I am sure raspberries would taste delicious with mangoes as well.
- 1 pint fresh strawberries- washed and cut
- ½ cup fresh mango and pineapple juice (orange juice will do)
- 2 teaspoons turbinado sugar (use according to how sweet the strawberries are)
- 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
In a medium pan, add the strawberries and the juice. Bring to a boil and lower the heat and simmer the fruit for 30 to 40 minutes. Add sugar as needed. The strawberries will cook down and have jam like consistency. Take the off the heat and add the mangoes. Chill the fruit mixture and serve on top of ice cream.
Fresh Ricotta and Strawberries with Toasted Banana Bread
We were going to have some friends over for dinner and I was debating what to serve for dessert. I had the banana bread I had baked the day before. I decided to take it a step further and make an actual dessert out of it. I had fresh ricotta in the fridge- I added some honey to it. It tasted like delicious sweet cream! I then sliced the strawberries and added some vanilla sugar to them. If you don’t have vanilla sugar, add some regular sugar with half a teaspoon of vanilla extract. I let them macerate (soak) for an hour- even if the strawberries are not sweet, this process makes them juicy and delicious! I decided to toast the banana bread to make it a bit more sturdy. I added a dollop of the sweet ricotta cheese on top of the bread and then added the strawberries with some juice. A sprinkle of powdered sugar finished the dish! It was quite delicious. Toasting the bread added another layer of texture to the dessert with the soft strawberries and the creamy ricotta! All in all it was a successful attempt! We finished off the night with some double espresso vodka!!
1 loaf banana bread (there is a recipe on the blog)- cut into one-inch slices
- ½ cup fresh ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup strawberries, sliced
- 1 heaping teaspoon vanilla sugar
- Powdered sugar for garnish
Add the sugar to the strawberries and macerate them for at least an hour. Mix the ricotta cheese with the honey and keep aside.
Toast a slice of the banana bread and place it on a serving plate. Top it with a dollop of ricotta cheese and then the strawberries. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!