Kiwi-Strawberry Mandala

Sometimes I can be convinced to eat fruit for dessert, if it's something as tasty as this!

We've been making our own yogurt for about a month now, and having it around all the time (especially knowing that each batch only lasts about a week) means that I am now enjoying yogurt almost daily.  Usually, I mix in a small spoonful of strawberry preserves and top with a little granola or grape nuts.  Yum!

I don't know what a mandala is, nor am I going to bother to look it up for this post, but basically this recipe just involves dressing up plain yogurt and adding some fresh fruit.  Simple and delicious!

It calls for vanilla yogurt, and I planned on just starting with my plain yogurt and adding a little vanilla extract, but I completely forgot.  Oh well.  It also calls for something called cream honey, which is another name for whipped honey.  I didn't have that, and after briefly floating the idea of trying to whip regular honey with my hand mixer, I just stirred regular honey into the yogurt.  Didn't seem to cause a problem. :-)

Kiwi-Strawberry Mandala
adapted from World's Healthiest Foods website
Serves 2

8 ounces low-fat vanilla or soy yogurt (if you have plain yogurt, just add a tiny bit of vanilla extract)
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon cream honey (or regular honey)
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest*
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest*
1 kiwifruit
4 strawberries
Optional: 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts or pecans, and/or orange zest for topping

In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, orange juice, honey, and the zests, until throughly combined.  Divide the yogurt mixture into two soup bowls.

Peel the kiwifruit and thinly slice into rounds.  Take the stems off the strawberries and slice into quarters lengthwise.

Arrange the fruit on top of the yogurt and garnish with nuts or orange zest, if using.

Refrigerate for about 30 minutes or so until the yogurt is chilled (i.e., put these together before you eat dinner and they will be ready for dessert!)

*use organic if possible, to avoid wax coating.