Jazz up your yogurt with maple syrup & cinnamon glazed apples, walnuts and raspberries! I know there are a ton of nutrients in yogurt such as calcium, vitamin B-2, vitamin B-12, pottasium and magnesium and it’s an excellent source of protein. Even more importantly yogurt has probiotics which are said to contain “friendly bacteria” that can boost your immune system and help promote a healthy digestive tract. All good things! But yogurt to me is boring, tart and plain and unless it is couched with other ingredients in say; a sauce or a dressing, I’m not real fond of it.
In finding a way to make it more enjoyable and tasty, I went to my refrigerator and looked to see what fruit I had available. I had some nice crisp fuji apples and plump fresh raspberries from my Talley Farms CSA box. Ok, I can work with that! I decided to cook the apples in a maple syrup & cinnamon mixture to get them tender and glazed, adding in the walnuts and raspberries toward the end. I layered some fresh greek style yogurt, a handful of granola and topped it with my glazed fruit & nut mixture. Wow, did it change that boring yogurt into something sensational!
Of course, this is only one example of what you can do to boost the flavor of your yogurt breakfast. Get creative and look at what you have in your fridge or pantry. You might come up with your own wonderful concoction. And if you do, please share it with us!
How to make a Maple and Cinnamon Glazed Fruit & Yogurt Parfait:
Start with a little butter in a non-stick sauté pan. Add some peeled and sliced apple chunks and toss to coat. (I use my handy apple/peeler/corer for this part as it is super quick and easy) Sauté over medium heat adding a splash of pure maple syrup and a sprinkle of cinnamon to taste. Mix until all of the apples are coated and continue to sauté them for about 4 minutes. Add a handful of chopped walnuts and fresh raspberries. Continue to sauté until the flavors meld and the apples are tender, just another minute or two.
To serve: layer a stemmed glass with a couple heaping tablespoonfuls of yogurt, top with a handful of your favorite granola and a scoop of the maple and cinnamon glazed fruit mixture. (One apple will be enough to serve two large or four small sized parfaits)
Enjoy!