Creamy, Dreamy, Healthy and Easy!

Ricotta Frullata con Yogurt, con Gusto di Cioccolato & Vaniglia + Mandarini

Whipped Ricotta & Yogurt in Chocolate & Vanilla with Mandarin Orange

For some strange reason, a lot of people tend to think that healthy food can't be delicious, that is always has to be enhanced by sugar and butter or cream to taste rich and wonderful... sigh! It makes me a little sad that people don't try to practice a little "less is more" when it comes to food and to rely on the flavors of the ingredients themselves a little more...

Ricotta can make a wonderful cream for any number of desserts, once whipped it becomes creamy and delicious and you can get ricotta with a lot less fat than cream say, or heavens forbid, Mascarpone! Not that Mascarpone isn't delicious- but I found this blend of ricotta and low-fat yogurt to be more than delicious enough for my taste this afternoon- and it allowed me a little guilt-free enjoyment- so what's not to love?

I whipped up a 50-50 mix of ricotta and yogurt and sweetened mine with Stevia, but you can of course use sugar if you prefer. A lot of people have a problem with Stevia as it sweetens, but doesn't have the flavor of sugar- which is kind-of silly, because it clearly ISN'T sugar! It has almost no flavor of its own, which is great as it allows the foods natural flavor to be enhanced and not changed... takes some getting used to- but I like it! For one serving I used 1 teaspoon of Stevia, but I am guessing you would need 2 teaspoons of sugar- just add it little by little until you have the right sweetness for your taste.

Next step was to split the cream into 2 lots- I added a little vanilla essence to one and a whole tablespoon of bitter cocoa powder... don't worry, there is plenty of sweetness in there... you'll be fine!

I enjoyed mine all on my own, so it was not a problem for me to add a splash of Cointreau into mine... a step of course that you would miss out if you were preparing this for children! I whisked up first the white, vanilla flavored cream again once last time first, then took my mixer to the chocolate one... oh and yes, I did stick my finger in to taste it! Hey! I can do what I want in my own kitchen making my own treat!

I layered it up, first the chocolate and then the vanilla, and chilled it in the fridge for at least an hour- the freezer would have been better- but at the moment my kitchen is being dismantled and I don't have one! Gadzooks!

The fruity addition to this, was a few segments of freshly peeled mandarin orange- now THAT was a challenge! Peeling it? No problem. Separating the individual segments? Also no problem. Removing the thin membrane from each segment? Problem! It is rather fiddly to say the least! I found the best way was to make a cut along the inside edge using a paring knife and then to slide this underneath the surface to lift the membrane away, and then to be very, very careful! Of course the orange segments taste 1000 time better this way so it is definitely worth it! And the wonderful combination of the chocolate, vanilla, creamy yogurt, ricotta and fruit are an ample and just reward! Enjoy!