Cherry-Coconut Greek Frozen Yogurt

July 31, 2014April 28, 2018Leave a comment

Cherry-Coconut Greek Frozen Yogurt | Mimi's Fit Foods I love sweet cherries. When the fresh, sweet cherries start to make an appearance in summer I always find something delicious to make with them (in addition to just snacking on them). This summer I went for frozen yogurt! I followed a recipe from Cookin’ Canuck, a healthy food blog that I love to follow (you just might want to check her stuff out too!).

Now, I know cherries aren’t everyone’s favorite. And truthfully, the only reason I know this is because my hubby isn’t the biggest fan. Before I married him, I couldn’t imagine anyone disliking sweet cherries. I still kind of think he’s tricking me and that he secretly loves them. Ha, ha! After all, he did like this frozen yogurt. I’m sure the coconut milk had something to do with it.

This recipe only has four easy ingredients. Cherries, light coconut milk, Greek yogurt, and honey. You mix it all together, throw it in your ice cream maker, and within no time you have fresh and creamy frozen yogurt. The blend of the cherries and coconut milk is AWESOME and I love that it’s sweetened with a little bit of honey.

I made this for a family function and cherry lovers and non-cherry lovers all ate their given portions. Hmmmmm…..A definite win! I must add that this version of frozen yogurt is extra yummy with Dark Chocolate Magic Shell drizzled over the top. I mean, cherries and chocolate are one of those pairs that were meant to go together. Just sayin’!

The hardest part . . . waiting the 25 minutes it took to “freeze” before we could eat it. Just ask these two cutie pies!

Hard to Wait for Frozen Yogurt | Mimi's Fit Foods

Cherry-Coconut Greek Frozen Yogurt
Mimi’s Fit Foods
Adapted from Cookin’ Canuck

Ingredients:
1 (14 oz) can light coconut milk
1 1/2 cups non-fat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup + 3 tbsp honey
3/4 lb. fresh cherries, pitted

Directions:
In a large bowl or measuring pitcher (for easy pouring), whisk together the coconut milk, Greek yogurt and honey. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Place 3/4 of the pitted cherries in a blender or food processor and blend until almost smooth. Stir the pureed mixture into the yogurt mixture.

Pour the yogurt mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Chop the remaining cherries. When the frozen yogurt is almost finished processing, add the chopped cherries to the mixture and finish processing.

Serve immediately or place in the freezer in an airtight container. If you freeze the mixture, warm it at room temperature for about 1 hour before serving.

Serves 8.

Dark Chocolate Covered Frozen Banana Bites

July 22, 2014April 28, 2018Leave a comment

As promised, I’m brining you some delicious and pretty healthy summer treat options using that delicious Homemade Dark Chocolate Magic Shell! These are seriously so amazingly delicious! Frozen banana offers such a creamy texture, if blind folded, I wonder if you would honestly think you were eating ice cream. So, to have it covered in chocolate . . . . yeah, pretty awesome!

These are a cinch to throw together. All you do is cut up your bananas, freeze them for a bit and then dip them in the Magic Shell. Since that Magic Shell takes all of about 2 minutes to complete, you can have you a delicious summer treat in no time.

I gotta tell you. . . sometimes I fear dipping stuff in chocolate because it seems like every time I do, it’s a disaster. The chocolate never sticks, and if it does, it looks like my two-year-old did it. I was THRILLED when I simply dipped my bananas, pulled them out, and found that they looked absolutely beautiful.

After dipping you can sprinkle them with other toppings if you want. My little babe is loving sprinkles as of late, so we did some with sprinkles just for fun. Think of how fun it would be to use sprinkles that are centered around a particular holiday (like red, white and blue for Independence day). Oh . . . so cute!

While I think these make for a perfect summer treat or snack, don’t be thinking that they wouldn’t be good year-round. Oh, I’ll be making these quite often . . . regardless of the season. I’ve been using these babies for a quick fix when I’ve wanted a treat. You know . . . instead of running out for a triple sundae, or sneaking a full size candy bar, I’ve just popped one of these Banana Bites in my mouth and my treat fix has been cured. My banana bites are slowly disappearing, but I’m happy to report that my waist size isn’t growing. LOL!

Go! Make you some Frozen Banana Bites! You’ll be glad you did.

Dark Chocolate Frozen Banana Bites
Mimi’s Fit Foods
Adapted From Gimme Some Oven

Ingredients:
3 medium ripe (but not soggy) bananas
1 batch Homemade Dark Chocolate Magic Shell (follow link in blog post)
popsicle sticks
sprinkles, optional

Directions:
Cut the bananas into six equal bite-sized pieces. Place on a foil- or parchment-covered baking sheet. Then poke them with the popsicle sticks. Freeze for at least 2 hours or until frozen.

Remove and dip each banana in the magic shell until covered. (I used a tall jar . . . the one pictured in the Magic Shell post . . . so that it would be easier to dip.) Sprinkle with sprinkles, if desired, and place back on cold baking sheet until dried.

Serve immediately or re-freeze.

Yields 18.

Lime Kissed Fruit Salad

July 9, 2014April 28, 2018Leave a comment

Lime Kissed Fruit Sald | Mimi's Fit Foods

With it being summer and having all this lovely fruit in season, fruit salads are all the craze! I absolutely love eating fresh fruit in the summer and find that it makes a delicious, light, and beautiful side dish to almost any meal. That being said, this has become my most favorite way to serve it as of late!

This fruit salad is oh-so-simple, takes very little time, and seriously takes that fresh fruit up a gazillion notches to SUPER awesome! I’ve been toting this fruit salad to family and friend BBQ’s all summer long and every. single. time. I am asked how to make it because everyone is drooling over every bite.

I’ve found that the fruit options are endless. I typically make it with whatever fruit I have on hand or with whatever fruit I am in the mood for. Being summer . . . there is usually melon and strawberries in it for sure. Then, I add others. You can change things up to your liking.

One little note that I must mention is that you should not “dress” this salad until it is time to eat it. It only lasts a couple of hours before going “mushy” and gets all juicy. (I mean, the mushy and juicy fruit is still to-die-for, but you know . . . not the most optimal to serve.)

All I’m saying is that if you want to be praised for your little-to-no-effort salad, this is it folks! Make it for your next BBQ. Or, if you don’t have a BBQ, make it for yourself. You’ll be in heaven! And, keep it in mind for the fall/winter months too because it’s even delicious with canned fruit. No kidding!

Lime Kissed Fruit Salad
Mimi’s Fit Foods
Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
3 cups watermelon, cubed
2 cups strawberries, quarters
1 cup grapes, halved (red or green)
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained well
1 banana sliced
zest from one lime
2 tablespoons honey

Directions:
Combine the fruit in a medium-large serving bowl. Add the lime zest and gently toss.
Drizzle the honey over the fruit and again, gently mix until the fruit is evenly coated with the honey. Serve.

Greek Yogurt & Mixed Berry Parfait

May 9, 2014April 28, 20182 Comments

Thank you for being patient with the new site conversion. I know it has some bugs, and I’m working on getting those fixed. I’m also still learning how to navigate and use the new site. Thus . . . the continued slow down of posting. But, I’m getting MUCH closer to getting this under control, and then you’ll get some more consistent posts. Yay!

Today I’m bringing you a delicious breakfast idea for Mother’s Day. Of course you can make this for any day, but I also think it would be so great for Mother’s Day. It seems like we’re always looking for great breakfast/brunch ideas for this sweet day, and I decided that a parfait is at the top of my list this year. Not only do I love me a good parfait, but this definitely reminds me of my sweet mom. My momma loves her some good granola stirred right into her yogurt. While a parfait is pretty much that idea, it sure looks a lot prettier. And, don’t you think your moms deserve “pretty” on Mother’s Day? I certainly do.

These parfaits come together in a flash. All you do is layer your favorite non-fat Greek yogurt, Fit Granola, and chopped berries. Easy, delicious, and oh-so-yummy! As you can see, I made my own granola so that I could watch the calories here. (Granola is a tricky food that sometimes makes us feel like we’re eating healthy, when really we’re eating oats covered in sugars. If you click over to my Fit Granola, you’ll see a lighter version that is much better for you than most varieties you’ll find at the store.)

Being a mom myself, I might just throw in a Mother’s Day request to my hubby for this parfait. He’ll be glad I want something so easy for my Mother’s Day breakfast.

Greek Yogurt & Mixed Berry Parfait
Mimi’s Fit Foods

Ingredients:
5.3 to 6-ounce container of non-fat Greek Yogurt (I used Yoplait’s Strawberry/Raspberry)
1/3 cup Fit Granola
1/2 cup mixed berries, chopped (I used strawberries and blackberries)

Directions:
Using a clear drinking glass (or ice cream dish, or other container of your choice), put 1/3 of the Greek yogurt in the bottom, layer with 1/3 of the granola, and then 1/3 of the chopped berries. Repeat these layers two additional times.

Serves 1.

Berry Heart Skewers

February 12, 20142 Comments

Since Valentine’s Day is in two days, I thought I would share a fun and easy idea into the mix. These Berry Heart Skewers are so EASY, but beyond that I think they are so super adorable.

There’s not a real recipe that goes with this post as it’s more of a simple method to ensure you get a heart shape out of your strawberries. It’s pretty simple since strawberries already come in a shape that resembles a heart.

All you do is core the strawberries. Then, taking a paring knife, simply cut a v-shape out of the top of the berry. I cut one slant down, and then I make my other cut on the opposite side. I found that the strawberries look best if the cut is not too deep.

That’s it! You can skewer them however you wish. I thought the addition of blueberries was way fun and festive.

You can put these out as a snack for the kids, put them in your hubby’s lunch, or you can have them as a side dish for dinner or lunch.

My sweet little toddler has been enjoying them with her PB&J for lunch! And, because it’s Valentine’s week . . . her PB&J is shaped like a heart too (using a cookie cutter).

Most importantly, I hope you have a love-filled Valentine’s Day!

Triple Berry and Carrot Juice Detox and Antioxidant Smoothie

January 13, 2014Leave a comment

We caught some of the nasty winter germs that have been going around and have been down with colds in our house. Ugh! In order to help boost our immune systems we’ve been trying hard to get in as many fruits and veggies as possible.

This little smoothie has become our breakfast drink for the past week. The berries are LOADED with antioxidants and I love sneaking veggies in the smoothie without anyone even noticing they’re there . . . thus, the addition of carrot juice. Fruits and veggies will help us to naturally detox and cleanse our bodies too, so this smoothie is great for any of us who may have indulged a little over the holidays.

If you’re wondering, I buy my triple berry mix from Costco. I also found the carrot juice at Costco and have noticed that I can get the three bottles at Costco for almost the same price it costs for 1 bottle in the grocery store. Since we won’t be drinking ALL that carrot juice before it goes bad, I’ve decided to freeze it until I need it.

If you’re in need of a handy-dandy way to get in your fruits and veggies, here’s a great solution. Your kids will love it too. My little babe sees it mixing in the blender and starts chanting, “num, num, num.” Smoothies just seem to be a special treat!

Triple Berry and Carrot Juice Detox and Antioxidant Smoothie
Mimi’s Fit Foods

1 cup frozen mixed berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)
1/2 cup carrot juice
1/2 cup cold water
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (depending on taste)
crushed ice, optional

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (about 30 seconds).

Serves 2.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (Per Smoothie)
Calories: 110.2
Protein: 4.8g
Carbs: 22.6g
Fat: 0.4g (0.1g = Sat.)
Fiber: 2.7g
Sugars: 18.4g (mostly all natural from the berries)

Grilled Peaches With a Raspberry-Lime Marinade

September 26, 2013September 22, 2013Leave a comment

Have you ever had grilled peaches before? They are delicious and make such a sweet little dessert without loads of calories. We have them every fall when the peaches are in season. I tried this new variation of them and they turned out so awesome. The peaches get to take a 30-60 minute soak in a flavorful marinade made up of brown sugar, lime juice, and raspberries. Holy moly! So good, right!? This marinade just adds an extra fabulous layer of taste to the grilled peaches and we were all smitten at our house.

The grilled peaches are delicious plain (well, topped with a little extra marinade, of course) . . . especially if you’re using them for a side dish. If you want to take them to an extra dessert-ish level, you can add ice cream. We totally did this (because, why not!?) and we chose to top our peaches with Dryer’s Slow Churned Frozen Vanilla Yogurt. YUM!

Grilled Peaches With a Raspberry-Lime Marinade
Adapted from sparkrecipes.com

2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (usually 1 lime)
1 cup fresh raspberries
5 medium unpeeled peaches, halved and pitted
(vegetable oil to coat the grill)

Comine sugar and lime juice in a shallow dish; mix well. Add 1/2 of the raspberries and mash.

Add peach halves, turning to coat and marinate at room temperature, cut sides down for 30-60 minutes.

Clean and pre-heat grill to a medium-high heat. Coat grill rack with oil and place peaches cut sides down (save marinade). Turn peaches over after two minutes, reduce heat to low-medium, then cook for another 15 minutes or until tender, basting once with half of the reserved marinade. Remove from grill.

Stir remaining raspberries into reserved marinade and spoon over peach halves. Serve warm (and top with your choice of ice cream, if desired).

Serves 5.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 2 Peach Halves)
Calories: 75.8
Protein: 1g
Carbs: 21.7g
Fat: 0.2g (0g = Sat)
Fiber: 3.7g
Sugars: 7.5g

Nutritional Information
(Per Serving = 2 Peach Halves + 1/4 Cup Dryer’s SC Frozen Yogurt )
Calories: 125.8
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 30.2g
Fat: 1.7g (0g = Sat.)
Fiber: 3.7g
Sugars: 7.5g

Cantaloupe and Avocado Salad with Agave-Lime Dressing

July 24, 2013July 23, 2013Leave a comment

Ok. Ok. So, this might seem like a weird combination. However, let me be the one to convince you that it is a mightily GREAT combination. We like both cantaloupe and avocado in our house. We like it a lot. We also love lime. Thus, I knew I had to give this a whirl to see if the flavors would meld well together. Oh man! We love cantaloupe, avocado, and lime EVEN more now. This salad was screaming SUMMER and it tasted fresh, with a hint of sweetness, as well as a hint of tartness. It was a perfect side dish to our dinner. My cute little baby even GOBBLED this right up. I seriously put a good portion size on her serving tray, turned around to do something, turned back around to check on her, and it was all gone and she was begging for more. I kind of wish I could act like a baby sometimes and cry and grunt for more too . . . even when I know I’ve had way over my portion allotment.

I’m SUPER glad I found this recipe and had the curiosity to try it because it’s going to make several more appearances at our lunch/dinner table (and probably others too when we are asked to bring fruit to the next BBQ) this summer. It’s not only unique, but so, so, so, SO good.

Cantaloupe and Avocado Salad with Agave-Lime Dressing
Adapted from Whole Living

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Agave Nectar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt
1 cantaloupe (3 pounds), quartered and seeded
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and skinned

In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, Agave, oil, and salt; set aside.

Cut each cantaloupe quarter in half lengthwise. Run a knife between the flesh and the sin of the melon; discard skin. Cut each wedge into 1/2-inch pieces.

Cut each avocado half again length-wise and then into 1/2-inch-thick chunks. Add cantaloupe, avocado to bowl with dressing and toss to coat. Divide among 6 plates.

Serves 6.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1/6 the Recipe)
Calories: 142
Protein: 1.9g
Carbs: 18.9g
Fat: 7.5g (0.4g = Sat.)
Fiber: 2.2g
Sugars: 14.6g

*Note: If looking to cut calories, you can cut the dressing in half. There is PLENTY of dressing, so that wouldn’t be much of a sacrifice in flavor and will cut about 20 calories. You can also eliminate the avocado which will save an additional 45 calories. (So, if you eat this with half the dressing and no avocado your calorie count will be closer to 82.)

Watermelon, Strawberry, and Feta Salad With Balsamic Reduction

June 25, 2013June 25, 2013Leave a comment

Those of you who have had tried a balsamic reduction over your fruit know exactly where I’m coming from on this post. Those of you who have not tried such a thing . . . well, it’s time you jumped on the wagon because you’re seriously missing out. I know, I know. It sounds completely weird and it’s hard to even imagine that such a concoction would taste so awesome. But, I’m here to tell you that it is seriously awesome!

My sister-in-law reminded me of this beautiful combination when we had lunch a couple of weeks ago. I was then asked to bring fruit to a family party and I didn’t even think twice about what I would take. I put the fruit in a big bowl and then allowed everyone to add their desired amount of balsamic reduction and feta cheese to their own portions. This worked out perfectly because most of the kids just had plain fruit while several of the adults had the more “sophisticated” salad. I’ve been eating this for a snack or side dish almost every day since (because the balsamic reduction goes a LONG way). It’s sweet and savory all at the same time. If you haven’t tried this, you just have to give it a whirl. If you have tried it, may this be your mouth-watering reminder to make it again.

Have I mentioned how much I love summer?

Watermelon, Strawberry, and Feta Salad With Balsamic Reduction

1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
watermelon, cubed
strawberries, sliced
reduced fat feta cheese, crumbled

Place balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, and then turn down the heat so that the boil reduces to a simmer. Stir occasionally and allow to simmer until the vinegar has reduced by at least half (for a thinner reduction) or to about 1/4 cup (for a more syrupy consistency – which is what I prefer). This can take up to 20 minutes. Allow to cool and transfer to an airtight container. You can store the balsamic reduction in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For each serving, place about a cup of mixed fruit (watermelon/strawberries) on a plate. Drizzle with balsamic reduction and 1 tablespoon feta cheese.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
Calories: 66.3
Protein: 2.4g
Carbs: 12.8g
Fat: 1.3g (0.6g = Sat.)
Fiber: 2.3g
Sugars: 9.4g

Fresh Raspberry Freezer Jam With Agave

June 19, 2013June 16, 20132 Comments

I grew up on homemade jam. I have a HUGE preference for the stuff over store-bought jams. There’s just something about the freshness and the quality of doing it yourself. Most homemade jams are loaded with sugar (no wonder I’m in love with the stuff, right!?), which is still usually healthier than buying what you find on the grocery store shelf. At least you don’t have all the preservatives and such. This year I decided to try making jam with an alternative sweetener. I’m not a lover of large amounts of Splenda, so I decided to go with a more natural sweetener . . . Agave.

Agave is a sweet nectar that is plant-based. It actually is a product of the agave cactus. It most closely resembles honey in both texture and taste (although I think Agave is a little sweeter, which means we can use less of it as compared to honey).

The only tricky part about making this jam was finding a pectin that would respond to Agave so that I would still have that nice, jam consistency. After doing my research, I decided to buy Pamona’s Pectin. It’s not sold everywhere, but I’ve found that it is sold in most health food stores. I bought mine at Good Earth without any problems.

One other issue I encountered was that I was slightly nervous about the consistency of the jam when I was done making it. I was worried it wouldn’t set up and resemble the jam texture I am used to. Thus, I put my jam in a large pot, brought it to a boil, and then immediately took it off the stove. I put the jam into jars and as soon as it cooled, the consistency was perfect. If you like your jam a little runnier, this step can be completely omitted.

The jam turned out beautifully, you guys! It tastes so yummy and it still holds that freshness that I adore about freezer jam. I will fully admit that it doesn’t taste as sweet as the traditional, sugar-loaded stuff. But, it’s not far off. And, for the calorie and sugar savings that my body will appreciate, I’m MORE than happy with the trade-off.

I’ve had several people ask me about how to make low-sugar jam, so I am now happy to offer a solution that I completely love.

Fresh Raspberry Freezer Jam with Agave
Slightly adapted from the Pamona Pectin Recipe

8 cups mashed raspberries
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups Agave
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons Pamona Pectin powder
5 tablespoons calcium water (comes in Pamona Pectin packet)

Wash and rinse jam containers (I used pint jars).

Prepare calcium water in a jar (as per Pamona instructions which is adding the entire calcium packet to about 3/4 cup water). Set aside.

Prepare fruit. Measure fruit into large bowl and add lemon juice and agave. Sir well.

Bring water to a boil. Put in food processor and add pectin powder. Vent lid and blend 2 minutes until all powder is dissolved.

Add hot liquid pectin to suit; stir until well mixed.

Add calcium water from jar; stir well.

If jam does not seem to jell well, but runny jam in pan, bring to boil, and immediately remove from heat. It jells when cool. (Omit this step if you are satisfied with the consistency of your jam.)

Fill containers to within 1/2″ of top. Put on lids. Store in freezer immediately. Keep in refrigerator to eat and after thawing. Lasts about 1 week in refrigerator.

Makes approximately 5 1/2 – 6 pints.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1 Tablespoon)
Calories: 11
Protein: 0.1g
Carbs: 2.8g
Fat: 0g
Fiber: 0.4g
Sugars: 2g

*For the record – Smucker’s Red Raspberry Jam contains 50 calories per tablespoon. I’m feeling pretty good about my jam right about now. 🙂

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Category: Fruit