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Strawberry and Yogurt Filled Pastry Desserts

Summertime is the perfect season to enjoy fresh fruit as part of a healthy dessert.  If you are entertaining or having a special dinner, try this easy and elegant dessert that uses sliced strawberries and creamy yogurt and pudding to lighten up the end of a hearty meal.  Strawberries are naturally sweet and an excellent source of vitamin C.  By using vanilla no-fat or low-fat yogurt to replace part of the whipping cream traditionally used in such recipes you can cut the fat content without sacrificing creaminess.

Ingredients:

1 sheet of frozen phyllo or puff pastry

1 package low-fat instant vanilla pudding

1 cup 1% milk

1 cup vanilla yogurt

2 pints fresh strawberries

3 tablespoons icing sugar

Method:

Take one sheet of frozen puff pastry from the package and thaw it on a plate. This takes about half an hour.  Do not unfold it.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  On a wooden or glass (sterilize it first) cutting board or block, unfold the pastry carefully. Cut it into four strips of equal width of about 2 and 1/4 inches wide.  Use a pizza cutter sprayed with cooking spray for a sharp cut.  Cut each strip crosswise into 3 pieces.  Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed up and golden in color.  Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and place the sheet on a wire rack to cool.

While your pastry is cooling, use a medium mixing bowl to prepare your vanilla pudding according to the directions on the package.  ***Use one cup of 1 percent milk and 1 cup of vanilla yogurt in place of whatever liquid is called for.

Use a sharp serrated knife and halve the pastries horizontally as you would cut a hamburger bun or a dinner roll.  Wash and slice the strawberries. On 12 plates, place the bottom halves of the pastries.  Spoon 3 tablespoons of pudding onto the bottom halves, and then spoon the sliced strawberries over the pudding yogurt mixture.  Cover with the pastry tops and sift icing sugar over the whole dessert.  Garnish with a sprig of mint and serve immediately.  This recipe makes 12 servings, but you can refrigerate the puff pastry once it has been baked for about three days in an airtight container.

Chicken and Yogurt Recipes

For those of us who don’t want to surrender great taste in our search for low-fat recipes, chicken marinated in yogurt is a wonderful option.  The good bacteria in the yogurt helps tenderize the chicken, keeping it moist and meaty and infusing it with the spices or rubs that are added.  Here are two fusion style chicken yogurt recipes that are perfect for hot summer barbeques.

Basil Lime Grilled Chicken with Yogurt Curry Sauce

This is hands-down my favorite chicken recipe for the barbeque.

For the Chicken Marinade Recipe:

1 pound of  boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4)

2 tsp grated lime zest

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil (use 2 tsp dried basil if you don’t have fresh)

4 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1/4 tsp dried)

freshly ground pepper

Yogurt Curry Sauce Recipe

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

1/4 cup low-fat plain organic yogurt or homemade yogurt

1 tsp grated lime zest

1 tbsp lime juice

1/ tsp curry powder

Method:

Use a flat glass rectangular dish (like a lasagna dish) and place chicken in a single layer. Combine  lime zest and juice, basil, mustard, thyme and pepper to taste. This is your marinade. Do try to use fresh basil if you can, it really makes the recipe stand out.  Pour marinade over the chicken, cover with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 5 to 12 hours.  Turn the chicken if you can so it is completely covered.  Remove from fridge and grill on the barbeque until it is no longer pink inside.  Discard any remaining chicken marinade.

For the yogurt curry sauce, simply combine all ingredients in a small bowl, and chill.  Serve either drizzled over the chicken pieces or as a dipping sauce.  This also makes a great dipping sauce for barbequed pork kebabs and grilled vegetables.  Serve this dish with naan (Indian flatbread) or rice, and a dark leafy-green salad.  This recipe makes four servings.

Yogurt Curry Chicken for the Grill or Barbeque

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup plain organic or homemade yogurt

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1 to 2 cloves garlic, crushed, or 1 to 2 teaspoons of garlic in oil

1 tsp grated lime zest

2 broiler fryers OR 5 pounds of chicken pieces, bone-in

2 tsp dried ginger or ginger paste

2-3 tsp ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

Method:

Use a large shallow glass dish to mix all the ingredients together, except the chicken pieces.  This is your marinade.  Marinate chicken with yogurt, coating each piece well, and cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Remove chicken from marinade, and grill on the barbeque until thoroughly cooked.  Discard all remaining marinade.  Serve with a mixed green salad or a  cucumber-raita salad, basmati or brown rice, with fresh fruit and yogurt dip for dessert. This recipe makes 8 servings.

 

Pumpkin Lime Tart

Looking for some more pumpkin recipes? Here is a new twist on pumpkin pie. Lighten things up and add a tangy taste with by using light condensed milk, a yogurt based pastry, and some lime juice. This tart is as pretty as a picture, and provides a healthy portion of Vitamins A and C, beta-carotene, fiber and calcium. Bake this on a day when you have at least two hours to prepare it – a good Sunday dessert.

Ingredients:

2 cups canned pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin puree

1 can (14 ounces) of  light sweetened condensed milk

1 large egg that has been gently beaten

2 egg whites, also gently beaten

2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice

1 teaspoon of organic vanilla extract

Pastry:

1 1/2 cup organic all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons chilled, unsalted margarine, chopped into small pieces

1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt

 

Method:  Begin by making the pastry for the tart shell.  Use a large bowl and mix the flour and salt together.  With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the margarine to the flour mixture and continue cutting the mixture until there are large crumbs or green-pea sized little lumps.  Pour in the yogurt and use a fork to mix until you have a nice soft dough.  Shape the dough into a flat disc, and wrap it up in saran wrap.  It will go into the fridge to chill for about half an hour.

Set your oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Roll out your chilled dough on a lightly floured counter or board, and don’t forget to flour the rolling pin too to prevent sticking.  Do your best to roll out the dough into about an 11 inch circle, as it will have to fit into a 9 inch tart pan.  NOTE: a nine inch tart pan with fluted sides and a removable bottom are best, though I have made this in a 9 inch spring form pan that I usually use for cheesecakes and it was okay too. You will be baking the tart shell prior to adding the pumpkin filling, so line the tart shell carefully with tin foil, and if you have pie weights to keep the foil down then place them on top.  If you don’t, try using an empty round eight inch casserole. Place the whole thing in the oven and bake for ten minutes, then take it out of the oven and remove the foil and casserole or weights.  Cool the pan down completely on a wire rack.

Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and clean out your large mixing bowl. Combine pumpkin puree, milk, egg, egg whites, lime juice and vanilla, mixing well so there aren’t any lumps.  Use a large spoon to carefully fill the tart shell, and use the back of the spoon to smooth the top. Bake until the filling is set in the middle, about 55 minutes to an hour. The tart will be cooked when then fillings looks just a little wobbly in the middle – it will firm up more as it cools.  Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

This recipe makes 8 servings. It has 344 calories per slice, 9 grams of protein, 12 grams of fat, 51 grams of carbs, 44 grams of cholesterol, and 162 mgs of sodium.