Desserts

Greek Yogurt with Warm Berry Sauce

Are you one of those people who doesn’t like a really sweet dessert?  Or are you someone like me who loves sweet dessert but doesn’t want to feel guilty after eating it?  And are you also someone like me who keeps frozen fruit on hand for smoothies?  If so, Greek Yogurt with Warm Berry Sauce is just for you.

Frozen blueberries and blackberries are simmered with sugar, water, and lemon juice to create a rich and vibrant berry sauce that is spooned over plain Greek yogurt for a slightly tart yet slighty sweet and overall delicious dessert treat.  The smell of cooking berries permeates the kitchen so beautifully that you wonder why you ever bought a berry-scented candle before.  This berry sauce is beautiful and would be delicious over ice cream, pancakes, waffles, or anything else you can think of.  Use any mixture of berries you like as I think strawberries or raspberries would be delicious too. 

The ingredients:

Combine blueberries, blackberries, water, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan.  Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low, simmering for 10 minutes

Stir in butter until melted.

Spoon 1/2 cup yogurt into each of 4 bowls and top each serving with about 1/4 cup sauce.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Sour Cream Raspberry Swirl Loaf

People often ask me if I’m spending a lot of money buying ingredients for this blog but the truth is, when I’m planning what to make, I always take into account what I already have in my pantry or fridge. It’s very hard for me not to make dessert after dessert because I always have flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda on hand. But that would just be disastrous for my waistline so I have to be careful. This recipe for Sour Cream Raspberry Swirl Loaf is a perfect example of something I easily made without having to buy a single thing at the grocery store. It’s been tucked away in my files for ten years (really!) and this is the first time I’ve made it. I found it after looking for a way to use up the soon-to-expire sour cream sitting in my refrigerator.

This is a loaf that is part cake, part quick bread and is light and moist enough for breakfast but also slightly sweet enough for dessert. I love the fruity punch of the raspberry jam and think this would also be great with orange marmalade or any other berry jam. Lemon zest gives this dish a real freshness that is soothing without being overpowering and the walnuts provide a delicious crunch. This is a definite keeper.

The ingredients:

Combine jam and walnuts in a small bowl and set aside.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.

In another bowl, mix the sugar, butter, lemon rind, vanilla, egg, and egg white with electric beaters. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and sour cream until a batter forms.

Place half of the batter into a loaf pan sprayed with non-stick spray. (The batter may be sticky and if so, wet the back of a spoon or your hands to spread the batter.)

Spoon on the raspberry-walnut mixture.

Pour the remaining batter over the top.

Bake in a 350°F oven for 55 minutes. Allow the loaf to cool completely and drizzle the icing over the top if using (I didn’t).

Additions: None

Omissions:

  • Powdered sugar
  • Milk

Substitutions:

  • 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour for white flour
  • Light sour cream for fat-free sour cream

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Baked Chocolate and Banana Ravioli

I’ve been very good (and very disciplined) on my diet but since it’s Valentine’s Day, I think it’s okay to splurge a little and have something chocolatey, don’t you think?  I found a recipe for a fried version of Chocolate and Banana Ravioli on Food Network’s website so I decided to adapt it to something a little healthier.  These Baked Chocolate and Banana Ravioli are baked, not fried, and include nothing else but chocolate-hazelnut spread, bananas, and walnuts.  Simple.  Since bananas are already naturally sweet, I didn’t see any reason to include additional sugar.  These have a yummy banana flavor and the Nutella is creamy and rich making these taste decadent without being terribly fattening.  If you don’t like Nutella, you could easily swap it out with your favorite chocolate chips or regular peanut-butter.  Eat these as-is, with a little bit of chocolate or caramel dipping sauce or a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Baked Chocolate and Banana Ravioli (makes 16 ravioli)

Recipe adapted from Food Network

  • 1 medium banana
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/3 cup Nutella
  • 16 wonton wrappers
  • non-stick spray

The ingredients:

Cut up the banana into small pieces or mash it in a bowl.

Add in chopped walnuts.

Lay out a wonton on a flat surface.  Place one teaspoon of chocolate-hazelnut spread into the center of the wonton.

Add one teaspoon of the banana mixture into the center of the wonton.

Using your finger or a pastry brush, brush the edges of the wonton with water.  Fold one corner over to the opposite corner and press the edges together.

Place ravioli on a parchment-lined baking sheet coated with non-stick spray.  Spray the tops of each ravioli with non-stick spray also and bake in a 350ºF oven for 11 minutes until golden brown.

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