Mango-yogurt parfait

I've got something healthy and super simple to share today.  As a little balance against that rich triple chocolate mousse I made recently, I'm offering another parfait - but one that's far lighter. This everyday parfait is perfectly good for you and makes a beautiful and very tasty breakfast, snack, or even dessert.  It so simple - just pureed mango and Greek yogurt.

Yes, it's totally like the yogurt cups you buy with the fruit at the bottom or in a separate compartment, but homemade, without all the added sugar. It's the best kind of DIY because it tastes better and is better for you, plus it doesn't require a lot of work.  All you have to do is puree some mangoes until smooth and you can store it in the refrigerator for up to a week to enjoy with your yogurt as you like.

I'm actually amazed I'm writing about yogurt like this because I didn't start eating it - really eating, not just baking or cooking with it - until just a few months ago. I didn't think I'd ever get into that extreme tang or tartness, and the whole idea of dousing it with sweetener seemed to defeat the whole eating-healthy purpose. I don't know what's happened to me but this chocolate "junkie" has turned into a bit of a health-food junkie as well in recently years so I gave yogurt another try and now I'm fairly hooked on Greek yogurt (and going broke buying those big tubs every week)! My standard way of eating it is without any sweetener but with crunchy toppings like nuts, sunflower seeds, and a little flaxseeds thrown in.  

I love mangoes so when I came across this mango-yogurt parfait idea from Martha, I had to try it.  Now that I've made it and been enjoying it thoroughly, I'm reluctant to eat my yogurt without some mango puree these days.  It almost tastes too good to be natural and good for me but it truly is.

Let me make a little confession: I didn't have any ripe fresh mangoes on hand and impatient to give this a try, I simply used frozen mango chunks. Yes, I did! To be specific, I used Trader Joe's organic frozen mango chunks, which I heard and can now confirm is very good. I simply defrosted the mango overnight and gave it a blitz in my blender in the morning with a splash of water.

And would you believe I did not add any sugar to my mango puree!  Seriously. Essentially, my parfait is a 2-ingredient one of pure mango and Greek yogurt. You may choose to add sugar but I encourage you to taste the puree before sweetening it. I realize it's a matter of preference and it all depends on how much sweetness you need/want to go along with your yogurt.  It also depends on the mangoes. The frozen mango chunks were truly sweet enough on their own for me and I imagine it'd be even more so if I'd been using some fresh ripe Champagne mangoes (my favorite).

I'm sure you could try this with other fruits.  I just love mangoes and with the frozen chunks working so well, I can make this year-round.  

Now I know why those fruit yogurt cups are so popular.  I hope you give this simple homemade version a try.  It's really delicious, with minimal work. The healthy aspect is a huge bonus.

Mango pudding

We had quite a mild winter around here this year.  Aside from that unusual snow storm back in late October, it was fairly calm and practically balmy for much of the season.  After the very rough winter we had the prior year, I think we deserved it even if it did feel a bit odd.  And speaking of odd, the robins came back early and plenty of plants are already in bloom.  And I've been seeing spring and summer produce in serious abundance at the supermarket.  Mangoes were one thing that struck me.  Don't we typically come into the height of mango season some time around May/June around here?  But I've been seeing plenty of them since early March - and really good ones to boot.  (I expect to see watermelons soon at this rate.)

So when I was grocery shopping the other day, I stumbled upon some real good looking mangoes.  It made me want to make a big pot of mango sago for my husband as a little surprise that night (it's one of his favorite desserts that I learned how to make last summer).  But since I didn't have any mango juice at home or a place nearby to buy it, I opted for mango pudding.  It's another Asian dessert my husband likes and I've wanted to give it a try.  These mango puddings are made from a puree of fresh mangoes, mixed with some evaporated milk and sugar, and set with plain gelatin.

I think the flavor was on point with this mango pudding, thanks to some very sweet and ripe champagne mangoes (I think they're also called "Ataulfo" and by other names but the label on them says "champagne mango"; they are my favorite since they don't have much fiber).  But we found the texture a bit too dense.  I think I was a little too heavy-handed with the gelatin because I was afraid the pudding wouldn't set.  Next time around, I'd try easing up on it (I've adjusted the amount of gelatin in the recipe down a little).  Overall, I think this pudding is a nice spring or summertime dessert if you're looking to have a fruity treat or want to change up the dessert routine.  Maybe you have a big box of mangoes ripening quickly and need ideas to use them up.  But I have to admit that we much preferred the cold mango sago dessert soup over this pudding and when you have seriously good mangoes, you also can't beat just peeling it and taking a big bite.