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Dulce de Leche Yogurt Parfaits

March 7, 2017 by Kate Ramos Leave a Comment

Thanks to La Lechera for sponsoring this post. All ideas and opinions are my own.

As much as I’d like to quit sugar, I just can’t. I know I’d probably be healthier without it, but life without sweets is not a life I’d like to live. I try, however, to keep it as small and as healthy-ish as possible, especially when the kids are involved.

Every afternoon after school Louisa comes home and asks for her “candy snack” (I guess the sweet tooth doesn’t fall too far from the tree). Instead of offering her actual candy (which I admit sometimes happens) I like to give her something that offers at least a little nutritional value.

Instead of buying sweetened, fruit-flavored yogurt I like to buy plain Greek yogurt and sweeten it myself with maple syrup, honey, jam, or my favorite—dulce de leche. A dulce de leche yogurt parfait is an effortless “candy snack” and you can add as many variables as you’d like. I’m a particular fan of making a little sweet salsa with fresh blueberries, toasted, sliced almonds, and toasted shards of unsweetened coconut—you know me and my need for something crunchy. Layering this fruity, nutty layer in the middle makes the parfait feel indulgent while actually adding some nutrients to the mix.

This is real life, so if layering stuff in a cup seems a little too, I don’t know, annoying, I get it. You don’t really need a recipe to make this just spoon the yogurt in a bowl and drizzle as much dulce de leche as you’d like over the top (you can scoop a few spoonfuls into a microwave-safe bowl and warm the dulce de leche slightly if it is too thick—20 seconds or so in the microwave should do). Add the blueberries, almonds, and coconut or some other crunchy accouterments like chia seeds, granola, freeze-dried fruit, or get real fancy and crush up some store-bought gingersnap or meringue cookies.

The unsweetened coconut chips I found at Trader Joe’s (they’ve been added to my TJ’s must-have list) but I know Bob’s Red Mill also sells them in the organic or health food section of most grocery stores, otherwise you could use shredded coconut too.

Last but not least, these decadent, layered yogurt parfaits would make a beautiful and impressive (not to mention easy) dessert for Easter brunch so keep this one around for any upcoming spring parties friends.

Dulce de Leche Yogurt Parfaits

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 minute

Total Time: 11 minutes

These easy dulce de leche yogurt parfaits have creamy layers of Greek yogurt, dulce de leche, and blueberries. Try for breakfast or an after school snack.

Ingredients

1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut chips
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups non-fat Greek yogurt
3/4 cup La Lechera Dulce de Leche

Instructions

Toast almonds and coconut chips in a medium frying pan over medium heat until lightly browned and fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate to cool.
Toss blueberries with coconut-almond mixture.
Spoon about 2 tablespoons of yogurt in the bottom of 4 glasses. Add about 2 teaspoons of dulce de leche then cover with a small spoonful of blueberry-coconut salsa. Repeat layers, making three total in each glass. Enjoy!

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These easy dulce de leche yogurt parfaits have creamy layers of Greek yogurt, dulce de leche, and blueberries. Try for breakfast or an after school snack. #yogurt #yogurtparfait #dulcedeleche #healthytreat #coconut #blueberries

What We’re Eating and Reading This Summer

June 21, 2013 by Kate Ramos Leave a Comment

One thing I love almost as much as food is reading. That’s why I am so excited to announce a new collaborative effort here at ¡Hola! Jalapeño. Once a month the folks over at Zoobean will recommend a fantastic children’s book and I will try to come up with an equally fantastic recipe to go along with it.

Zoobean is an incredible site of parent-curated children’s books with specific search categories such as age, social development, and ethnicity to help you find the exact book you are looking for. Every book is parent recommended so you know you are guaranteed to find a book you will enjoy reading as much as your kids do, you can even sign up for a subscription and get their featured book every month right on your doorstep.

Since summer is made for reading…..and eating. We thought we’d kick things off with a slideshow of some of Zoobean’s favorite books about food and I’ll give you some recommendations for my favorite summer recipes.

Summertime is state fair time and nothing is more emblematic of a state fair than corn dogs. These Corn Dog Bites on a Stick are perfect for kid’s parties as they are easy to pull-off and fun to eat. And if you haven’t read The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog by Mo Willems well, you must.

If you are looking for a little island inspiration pick up Georgia in Hawaii by Amy Novesky, an appealing and slightly humorous tale of Georgia O’Keeffe’s time as a painter-for-hire for the Hawaiian Pineapple Company. While you’re at it try these Pineapple-Pomegranate Popsicles or how about Banana-Coconut Pops?

Fire up the grill for these Five-Spice Beef Kabobs and for a little more of a Middle Eastern vibe check out Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns by Hena Khan, a Muslim book of colors.

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey is one of my all time favorite books. This endearing story about a child and a baby bear who both get separated from their mothers while picking blueberries is a classic tale that has endured the test of time. And while I don’t have a blueberry pie recipe on the blog yet…this Wild Blackberry Pie is pretty spectacular.

Pretty soon everyone across this country will be swimming in fresh tomatoes and Pico de Gallo is one of my favorite ways to eat them up. In step with Mexican fare is Chato’s Kitchen by Susan Guevara a witty story of Chato a clever cat and Chorizo an even more clever dachshund.

Everyone loves rocky road ice cream now imagine that delicious combination of flavors in a brownie. These Rocky Road Bars are a killer combination of chocolate, marshmallows, and nuts (you can still serve them with a scoop of ice cream if you need to). While you are enjoying your brownie sundae you can read The Black Book of Colors by Menena Cottin this month’s featured Zoobean book.

Last but not least, what’s summer without a tomato salad? This Sweet Cherry and Tomato Salad combines sweet tomatoes with even sweeter cherries and tons of fresh basil. So dive in, enjoy summer and savor these long, lazy days of books and sun and food and fun.

Triple Berry Pancakes {Dairy-Free}

May 27, 2013 by Kate Ramos 2 Comments

Gardening season has begun! Well….kind of. I should clarify and say I’ve tilled the compost into our garden spot and tilled up the other side of the yard to grow a corn patch. I’ve made it to my heirloom dealer and bought my tomato and pepper stash…….but nothing’s made it into the ground yet. It has been cold, then rainy, then windy, then cold some more but I do get a tinge of excitement every time I walk past the spindly green plants that sit patiently by the window.

Norma, who has been heading up the Farmer’s Market since before I was born gave a gardening talk at the local mom’s group a few weeks ago and I asked her where one would find heirloom tomato plants near by? She said they had some Brandywines down at the Cenex (a pop-up garden store from May to July and a gas station the rest of the year). After the meeting my friend Susan pulled me aside in a covert kind of way and said I know where you can get some heirlooms. I know a woman. I’ll call you.

Two weeks later I find myself meeting Susan in a empty church parking lot in Fargo and following her through twisty back roads to Karen’s house. Karen, it turns out, is a nurse, who loves gardening, has a cat, and turns a corner of her living room into a greenhouse every spring.

She grows more stuff than she knows what to do with and had some plants to share. I was happy to take a few off her hands. I got three different cherry varieties, a variegated roma, a Dakota hybrid, and a couple of others along with some hot peppers that Armando will love. So now I just sit…and wait….for this North Dakota spring to cooperate.

While I’m waiting, I’ll make some pancakes. The berries have been extraordinary this spring and I find myself putting them in everything—and eating them by the handful, slightly damp from the strainer. They feel right at home in these hearty whole wheat pancakes, adding a touch of tartness to an otherwise sweet breakfast treat. Pile some more on top if you like more berries than could every possibly fit inside, but don’t forget the butter (which by the way no longer makes them dairy-free), and the syrup…warm maple syrup.