GREEK YOGURT PANNA COTTA WITH BLUEBERRY SAUCE
What part of the newspaper do you read first?
Not surprisingly, I don’t read read at all…hmmm, I mean, if you knew me, you would understand. 😎
Although my husband writes articles for the local newspaper at least twice a week for fun!! One would think it would spark some interest in me…don’t get me wrong I am super proud of him, but give me a juicy piece of gossip any day 😉.
SO, I do enjoy the tabloid section…please don’t judge me. Ok I will admit….. I probably have an unhealthy love for all things Bollywood and even some Hollywood. Alia Bhatt’s love life, the tea spilled on koffee with Karan or any new mini series on Netflix - not to mention the FRIENDS reunion - I pretty much want to know all about it.
OK CLEARLY WE HAVE DIGRESEED FROM THE TOPIC….
Regular panna cotta is made with (a lot) of heavy cream and sugar. It’s delicious and - unfortunately — not forgiving to your waistline.
This one right here is made with Greek yogurt, milk, honey and gelatin.
Still very delicious, and waaaaay healthier. That’s the point of this blog, right? Try to Make the stuff we love with a healthy twist. Obviously not with everything, but we can try.
Now, I know many of you are scared to use gelatin. Don’t be.
Making this panna cotta is easier than you think. People always think it’s this super complicated dessert that must have taken a lot of effort. It’s not…it takes about 10-15 minutes of prep time, mostly inactive, and then a few hours in the refrigerator to set. There’s minimal effort involved. It’s like a creamy jello, to be honest.
WHAT IS PANNA COTTA?
Panna cotta (which translates in Italian to “cooked cream”) is an Italian dessert made with sweetened cream that’s been thickened with unflavored gelatin. The cream might include flavors such as vanilla or coffee. Though cream is traditionally used, you can swap out the cream with milk or even non-dairy milk. Other add-ins like buttermilk can be used as well for flavor.
I added blueberry sauce on top because I thought it was a nice add-on. Feel free to play around though. Caramel sauce, hot fudge sauce, everything works with this uh-mazing Greek yogurt panna cotta. If there is a "one-size fits all dessert", this is it. You can even ditch the sauce completely and just put any fresh fruit on top.
You can prepare this ahead of time; it will keep in the refrigerator up to a couple of days.
It’s light, refreshing and totally awesome.
Serve it at a BBQ, brunch, picnic or as a sophisticated dessert at a romantic dinner for two, which, given the current world affairs is what you’ll probably be doing.
You can't go wrong with this Panna Cotta with Blueberry Sauce...it’s my husband approved!! 😉
INGREDIENTS:
Panna Cotta
1 ¼ cups / 300 ml milk (your choice, I used fresh low fat) you can even use almond or coconut
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract ( I used trader joes) the best I've used so far in my opinion, available in US.
⅓ cup honey
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
Blueberry sauce
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 teaspoons honey
½ teaspoon arrowroot powder*
2 tablespoons water
*arrowroot powder acts like cornstarch
Directions
In a small bowl pour ¼ cup of milk and sprinkle gelatin on top. Set aside for 10 minutes until gelatin becomes moist.
In a medium saucepan bring to a gentle simmer the remaining 1 cup milk. Add vanilla, honey and stir to combine.
Add the gelatin + milk mixture, and whisk vigorously until the gelatin is fully dissolved.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the Greek yogurt.
Divide Greek yogurt mixtures into 6 glasses, bowls or ramekins or into a pudding mold.
Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours, until firm.
The panna cotta will keep for 2 to 3 days.
