Happy 4^th of July!  To celebrate our nation’s summer holiday, I’d like to share a festive and healthy dessert recipe.

We thank the Italians for this lovely summer pairing. The slightly acidic balsamic vinegar complements the sugary strawberries beautifully. With some added color from the blueberries, a fresh pop of mint, and creamy honeyed yogurt, we can create a delightful combination to enjoy on this sweltering holiday.

I know it can be hard to find desserts that satisfy our sweet tooth without making us feel stuffed to the brim.  I find a helpful trick to combat the sugar overload is to sparingly add your own sugar whenever you can. We can be more mindful of our sweet tooth when we add honey to yogurt rather than buy the already sweetened variety.

Berries with Balsamic Yogurt and Mint

Serves four.
Inspired by the vegetarian recipe blog “A Couple Cooks”.

Ingredients
2 cups strawberries (1 pint)
1 cup of blueberries (1/2 pint)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
15 ounces yogurt (I like Greek yogurt best)
2 tablespoons honey
A few mint leaves
Fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Wash the strawberries and slice them. In a small bowl, mix the strawberries with the maple syrup and the balsamic vinegar. Add a few grinds of fresh pepper.
2. In a small bowl, combine yogurt and about 2 tablespoons honey, or more or less to taste.
3. Thinly chop the fresh mint leaves.
4. To serve, place a hearty scoop of the yogurt in a bowl. Top the yogurt with the strawberries, blueberries, and mint.

Enjoy.

-Kelli Christianson

(Photo by Flickr user Angeloangelo)

Click here for another healthy summer treat recipe