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Friday, January 13, 2012

Some Scinitillating Strawberry Parfait and the year to come !

So is too late to wish you a Happy new year?  How has been the new year so far? What are your resolutions for the year or is it not to have any more resolutions? 


When each year passes by, don't we all make a mental note of our achievements and disappointments of the year left behind. Well.. I too am no stranger to this phenomenon.


I would brand myself otherwise to be a care-free and maybe even happy-go-lucky person following the mantra - "Let me take life as it comes" . I never believed in taking hard- lined resolutions at the beginning of each year as I felt that things in life come unexpected and most of which are beyond one's control. Though this was true to an extent and a carefree attitude is good at most times except that I wasn't doing any self-evaluation or feeling any sense of achievement at the end of every year.


But when 2011 has been radically different for me and enriching with its own share of ups and downs, it got me thinking. From being a new wife learning the ropes of handling all the domesticities such as cooking, re-arrangement of my daily life around a whole new person, acquiring skills of (amateur) baking or other things such as learning to drive to even writing a blog and actually continuing it, it was one swell year. If it doesn't sound too childish, I am going to gloat shamelessly about it. :-)


That's when the idea kicked in that probably it is time that I consciously do something distinct in this new year of 2012. For once let me actually have an proper plan of the things I want/need to do during the year and evaluate myself at the end of the year.


So here goes:
  • Getting back into shape and start exercising regularly and availing the free gym facility extended to us at my apartment. This is intended to be implemented and monitored not just for me but also for the husband.  Alas ! This was bound to happen with all the excessive baking I was doing. 
  • Learn a minimum of one new language - priority being Arabic. It just hit me so hard to the point of embarrassment that even after living for almost 20 years of my life in the Middle east, I barely know the local language. Ofcourse, not forgetting the edge I expect it to give me at my work place. 
  • Set a couple of baking milestones for myself during the year which will be set as I proceed along the lines of advanced cake decorating, cupcake frosting and also to know my way around using coloured fondants not to forget certain specific pastries I intend on mastering.
  • Actively continue and mandatorily read a minimum of 20 books that works out to roughly an average of 2 per month and seriously think about posting the respective book reviews out here.
  • A flexible resolution of learning to speak French and ofcourse, in the authentic manner, which for some reason has incited much passion in me either due to that fact that it was my highest scoring subject in my 10th board exams or just that it sounded too exotic for me to ever speak perfectly.
So what would be more perfect than some Strawberry parfait to kick off the year- something french and something perfect ! Oh ya Parfait = Perfect in the French language and is usually coined for frozen desserts there. 


                           


STRAWBERRY PARFAIT
(heavily inspired from Anushruti's Divine Taste)
Serves 4 glasses

Ingredients:

3/4 cup- Frozen strawberries
1/2 tin or as needed-  Strawberry pie filling or topping ( I used American garden)
1 cup -Lite Digestive biscuits powdered
2 tbsp- Melted butter
200 ml- Low fat cream
1/2 cup or even lesser- Fine sugar or powdered sugar
500 gm (1 1/2 cups) Thick yogurt/ Labneh- ( I used Pinar Lite)



                       

Method:

Powder the biscuits in your normal mixer/grinder and melt the butter for about 20 sec in the microwave. Mix both together using your hand until it feels like sand or bread crumbs.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the sugar and the cream using a electric beater for 4-5 mins until smooth and creamy. Also fold in the yoghurt into this mixture.

Assembling: 

Either bring out your nice good-looking glasses or even flat-bottomed plain glasses would suffice. First, place about 2 tbsps of yoghurt into it. 
Sprinkle the biscuit crumbs over the yogurt. Scoop in some of the strawberry preserve and repeat until the glass is filled and preferably with the strawberries on top for obvious reasons. Serve chilled !

This is one dessert that can be prepared well in advance and refrigerated until dessert time. Alternatively, the preparations can be done earlier and the assembling can be done just before serving as well. 

Note:
  • Definitely would taste better with fresh strawberries.
  • Used low fat biscuits, cream and yoghurt in the hope of cutting down the extra calories.
  • Strawberry filling does actually have a blood red colour !

How we liked it?

Hubby is a big big fan of this and my MIL who is an ardent fan of strawberries loved it as well. The difference in textures- creamy yoghurt, tangy strawberries and crunch of the biscuits offer such diversity yet complement one another so well.

Perfect when I am pressed for time and having sudden guests over for a meal. Quick, great looking and seemingly exotic dessert that wins hearts of all its consumers. 


Wishing all of you out there a PERFECT New year with this humble PARFAIT of mine. May all your dreams come true !


Update: Sending this recipe to the event - Valentines Day @ Anzz cafe.


23 comments :

  1. That is a great list of to do things.. 20 years in middle east! I guess it's high time you learn Arabic! Btw beautiful pictures.. I remember reading somewhere here that it was your anniversary gift!

    If u don't mind can u let me know which model it is as I am planning to buy one! Suggestions welcome!

    Belated happy new year to u too! Cheers

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  2. It looks absolutely divine. I want some now. Wonderful set of resolutions. My best to you to achieve every one of them.

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  3. Happy New year...A big list of resolutions...wishing luck to fulfill them...Parfait looks wonderful...

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  4. LOvely parfait. Perfect for my event. Do join in with this and many more picture perfect recipes dear..:)

    My event- Valentines Day Special

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  5. looks yummo!!!also love the shiny placement mats u showcase yur craetions on,where these frm?:)
    -Santhia Sukumar

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  6. First things first, I looooved that first pic so much. I'd suggest you increase the size of the image so we get to see more of the eye-candy on screen :) And those glasses, ahh.... where did you get them? Dessert looks crazy delish--when I come over, plz make this for me!

    Good luck with the goals, Happy New Year!

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  8. Nashi - Already noted and implemented ur suggestion.Thanks a ton and highly appreciate such comments especially from U ! :-) Those glasses, I think from FFC and these are the real inexpensive kinds. Picked them casually but they are quite photogenic, right? Yes..A visit from u is long over due..

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  9. Jyoti- Absolutely thrilled to see you visiting here, love ur space and guess what I ve taken the first step of my resolutions -Arabic classes ! Ya the camera, was actually a gift to my husband by my dad. So a win-win situation !! :)

    Anita darling- Sincere apologies for not being in touch as much as I really want to. Let us catch up soon. Will surely make them for u when we visit the next time and thanks for the best wishes.

    Rashmi- I need all the luck and wishes I can get :-) Thanks for stopping by !

    Julie- That was a lovely roundup you had put up and thanks for visiting.

    Anzz- Thank u so much sweetie, yes will definitely enter them to your event. Kindly bear with me over the weekend.

    Santhia- Absolutely thrilled to see an old friend here, those placemats were bought from Homecentre at a sale during the festive season.

    Thank u so much Zareena dear.

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  10. You have been tagged.. Do visit http://jbabel.blogspot.com/2012/01/tag-and-some-things-about-me.html.. Hope u wil do the tag..Thanks.. Cheers

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  11. Strawberrry parfait luks lusicious...

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  12. Thanks a ton my dear..Will do it definitely soon..

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  13. Thank u so much Priya... :)

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  14. Yummmm.. I can see your photography skills here :) Love the parfait sweets.. 

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  15. Gayathri Ramdas SreekanthJanuary 22, 2012 at 11:13 PM

    Thanks my dear...How have u been? Long time..Havn't seen ur posts in a while..

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  16. here after a long time. your love for cooking has definitely come a long way. the dessert looks so yummy :)
    i am trying it next time with my limited diet-friendly supplies

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  17. Gayathri Ramdas SreekanthJanuary 27, 2012 at 4:11 PM

    Thank u so much Sneha..Been long since have heard from u...Thanks for that..and do let me know incase u try it out..Ur space has got changed a lot..Want to take some time out and read it as well...

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  18. jehanne@ThecookingdoctorJanuary 28, 2012 at 6:36 PM

    Hope it is really not too late to wish you Happy New Year, and hoping that your arabic lessons are going well:-)..just love Parfait, c'est tres parfait avec les photo magnifique! (my french is rusty too!)

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  19. Gayathri Ramdas SreekanthJanuary 28, 2012 at 11:03 PM

    Merci beaucoup Jehanne ..merci !! Comment allez-vous? ..Not at all not at all..Better late than never !! Great to hear from you after so long... :)

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  20. yea. stop by and read. its mostly travel within US thesedays :)
    i got strawberries. but without other supplies, i just ended up making strawberry-banana smoothie . 

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  21. This looks absolutely smashing Gayathri! I love Anushruti's website... she really has some divine food there... Now after seeing ur recipe i'm sorely tempted to give this a try... esp since its Strawberry season her...

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Thank u so much for dropping by..Would love to hear what is simmering and whistling at your end !