Yogurt seems to be one of those required “acquired” tastes a person is supposed to have by the time they reach adult size. There’s a lot of such palate challengers on the way to grown-up eating: coffee, of course; buttermilk, sour cream, mushrooms, whiskey. I still can’t do truffles.
And I never saw the appeal of yogurt, health benefits or not, until one day I was handed a frozen yogurt when I thought my friend ordered ice cream. Can you tell the difference between them in a taste test? Maybe I could now, but at the time, I was astonished to learn I had eaten yogurt — Oooo. Yuck! And liked it!! Oooo. Yumm!
Use these homemade frozen yogurt recipes for cooling down the still-hot days. Easy, very fast prep, healthy — for most fruit, you can leave the skin on — and perfect for snack or dessert.. Plus, they are deliberately chosen to NOT need an ice cream maker, just a blender or food processor.
The frozen fruit or yogurt in these recipes adds the cold needed to make the desired, chilly, consistency. The banana in the smoothies is not to add flavor (and is usually not noticed). It adds the creamy, thick smoothness when blended in. If you dislike or are allergic to bananas, substitute 1/2 to 1 cup of quick oats, soaked in 1/4 to 1/2 cup (more as needed) of hot water until softened, about 15 minutes. Cool fully in fridge. Add water if too thick to process properly.
YOGURT-FRUIT SMOOTHIE
Best taste? Seasonal Jersey fruit, cut up as necessary, and frozen solid
2 C milk (low or fat-free is fine) 1 (8-oz) container vanilla yogurt (regular or low-fat) 1/2 C thawed pineapple-orange juice concentrate 2 C frozen fruit, without stems or pits, such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peach slices 1 banana, peeled, coarsely chopped Process all ingredients in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Serve immediately. Makes 4 cups.
PEANUT BUTTER CUP SMOOTHIE
Really does taste quite like the candy.
1 C ripe banana, sliced 1 C chocolate milk (can use low-fat) 1/2 C vanilla yogurt (regular or low-fat) frozen 1 (8-oz) carton vanilla yogurt, (regular or low-fat) not frozen
2 Tbls creamy peanut butter Place banana slices in freezer and freeze until firm (about an hour). Remove and let stand 5 minutes. Place banana with remaining ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Serve immediately. Makes three cups.
FRESH FRUIT FRO-YO POPS
Fresh is the magic ingredient. A kid favorite.
2 containers (6 oz each) vanilla or French vanilla yogurt (regular or low-fat) 2 C cut-up fresh fruit such as blueberries, bananas, cherries, grapes, papaya, peaches, oranges or raspberries 1 Tbls honey Place all ingredients in a blender or processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Divide the mixture among six (5-oz) paper or plastic cups. Cover cups with foil; insert a popsickle stick (from supermarket) into center of each pop. Or fill popsickle molds according to manufacturer’s directions. Freeze about 6 hours or until frozen. Serves six. Note: This treat can also be made with strawberries, citrus fruit, plums, mango, pineapple — practically any fruit or fruit mix.
FRUITY FROZEN YOGURT
A healthy after-school snack or dinner dessert in just 5 minutes.
1 (16-oz.) bag frozen peaches or 4 Cs fresh peach slices, frozen solid 3 Tbls agave nectar or honey (more, if sweeter is desired) 1/2 C plain yogurt (low-fat or regular) 1 Tbls fresh lemon juice Add the frozen peaches, agave nectar or honey, yogurt and lemon juice to the bowl of a food processor. Process until creamy, about 5 minutes. Serve the frozen yogurt immediately or transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 1 month. Garnish with fresh fruit or mint leaves. Serves four.
Note: Any pitted fruit can be used, or several together, as long as it’s frozen fruit. Strawberry and pineapple make a good mix or try mango and strawberry, cherries and pears – you can be creative.
