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.

Triple chocolate mousse parfait

I was in the mood for a parfait recently and being the chocoholic that I am, I dug up a recipe I've long tagged for triple chocolate mousse.  It's got all the bases covered with milk chocolate, white chocolate, and dark chocolate mousse all together in one glass.  

When I think parfait, I see layers of cold treats - anything from ice cream to pudding, custards, whipped cream, fruit, or even jello.  It might have made sense to go with something light and fruity given how incredibly hot it's been but you know me...I always think chocolate.  I know I really should have worked "chocolate" into the title of my blog since most of my recipes feature it!

Here's the rundown on this triple chocolate mousse.  It contains heavy cream and egg whites (no yolks). If using raw egg whites bothers you, you can look for pasteurized egg whites.  You can refrigerate or freeze these parfaits, and the texture of this mousse is actually quite firm (as opposed to airier versions like this French chocolate mousse), which makes sense since we're stacking them here.  In fact, you can actually make this into a triple chocolate mousse cake - literally sliced to serve - if you're so inclined.  The cake idea is an impressive one but I like the simplicity of the little parfaits.

For my own needs and preference, I scaled the original recipe way down to one-third the original, using 3 ounces of each chocolate.  This made about 2 1/2 parfaits in my case but it all depends on the size of the serving dish you use.  If I had smaller glasses, I would've liked to make a few more, smaller portioned ones. 

Working on a small scale makes the process more manageable and it really isn't as involved as it might seem. If you have three mixing bowls and spatulas, you're in business, because all you're really doing is folding whipped cream, then egg whites, into each melted chocolate to make the mousse before layering them on top of each other.

I considered making a bit more of the dark and milk chocolate layers and going light on the white since I'm not a big fan of white chocolate. The idea seemed a little complicated so I abandoned it, thinking I could always use a little less white chocolate mousse when I assembled my parfaits. I probably should have gone with my original inclination because I have to say the white chocolate layer on its own was my least favorite.  I do realize, however, that it's not intended to be eaten alone and the white chocolate does work in combination with the dark and milk chocolate mousse.  Like life, it's about balance.

As you can see, my intention of using less of the white chocolate mousse did not pan out. While I made the same amount of each chocolate mousse, the dark chocolate is denser (so it looks like less) and I really didn't make enough all together to skimp on the white chocolate if I wanted to make full parfaits in the glasses I used.  Plus, I think the white chocolate looks kind of nice and makes for good contrast.