Strawberry Yogurt Parfait

 

Sometimes I wish I could make more time for breakfast.  It's one of the meals I happen to "skip" over.  I'm just not hungry in the morning - and by the time I am, it's already time for lunch.

But a few weeks ago, when strawberries were still in full swing, I couldn't help but make these parfaits over and over and over.  I wish I had decided to take pictures of them when we had an abundance of strawberries, but I got around to it when we only had a few (so the layers aren't as pronounced - but it was delicious, nonetheless!).

I just might have to switch over to blueberries since they're the fruit of choice in our CSA right now.  Feel free to improvise with whatever fruits and yogurts you have on hand!



And don't forget to vote in the treat poll - I need something to make for the 4th of July!  There's a little bit of everything, and no matter what gets picked, I'll try to give it a 4th of July twist!



Ingredients:

1 cup strawberry-flavored yogurt (I used Stonyfield Organic Strawberry)
1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
2 strawberry-flavored Nutri-Grain Bars, chopped

In a small bowl, combine the strawberries and sugar.  Let sit for 10 minutes.

In a mason jar (or bowl/cup/container) spoon about 1/3 of the yogurt for the base of the parfait.

Add your chopped strawberries.  Top with another 1/3 of yogurt.

Add chopped Nutri-Grain bar pieces (you could also sub in some granola here, but I had the bars, so that's what I used).  Top with remaining yogurt.

And you've got breakfast in about 10 minutes!  I couldn't stop eating this - I was definitely sad when strawberry season slowed down.  But like I said, I just may have to switch up the flavors and try this with the blueberries!

What's your favorite way to use yogurt and fruit?

Hope you all have a fantastic 4th of July weekend!

Chicken Skewer Pitas w/ Cranberry Sauce & Tahini Yogurt

Okay, raise your hand if you're excited that it's Friday!  (Yes, I'm raising both hands just for good measure!) 

What does everyone have planned for the weekend?  Anything exciting?  Well, me... I've got an Open House to go to for the Culinary School that I applied for!  Hopefully can tour the campus and get in on some scholarship action.  So you guys will definitely be informed on Monday!

Anyway, it's supposed to rain for half the weekend, but it's going to be fairly warm, so that's good, right?  Spring is coming, and I couldn't be happier! 

So to keep happy spring thoughts going, I made these Chicken Skewers (although I didn't take them out back to grill them... but they would be perfect for grilling parties!) and thought of the flowers blooming, the warm weather, and how great it will be to have cookouts.

Ingredients:
 Adapted from a Bon Appetit recipe

Tahini Yogurt:

juice from 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup tahini

Cranberry Sauce - recipe from the Eggnog Pancakes post


1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
small handful fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon


Chicken:

1/2 onion, grated
juice from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
wooden skewers
pitas, warmed

For the tahini yogurt, in a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, oregano, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, and garlic.  Mix well.  Whisk in yogurt and tahini.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

I had some leftover cranberry syrup (that I had frozen) from these Eggnog Pancakes, and thought I'd incorporate it into this savory meal.  The original recipe called for a pomegranate relish, and not being able to find any pomegranates, I just decided to improvise a little bit.  So in a small bowl, combine the thawed out cranberry syrup, chopped pistachios, parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

For the chicken, in a large bowl, combine the onion, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, and nutmeg.  Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper and add to marinade mixture.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for about 2 hours.

30 minutes before the chicken is done marinating, place your wooden skewers in some water to soak (so they won't burn up under the broiler/grill).

Turn broiler to high (alternatively, you could fire up your grill under medium high heat) and place your rack about 6 inches from broiler (2nd highest notch for me). Thread the chicken pieces on the skewers (about 4 or 5 pieces per skewer) and place on a baking sheet.  Broil chicken in oven for about 5-6 minutes on each side.

When chicken is cooked, let rest just for a minute or two and then assemble your pitas with the tahini yogurt and cranberry sauce.

This would definitely win over at a cookout!  The chicken is absolutely moist and flavorful!  I was a little worried that the cranberry sauce would be a tad to overbearing or sweet, but it actually accompanied the chicken and yogurt very well!  Give it a shot, your guests will be amazed by the flavor and beauty of this dish! 

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!