Simple Yogurt Parfait

I am always humbled how at every turn in my life, I have been offered real friendships by amazing people. The kind who’ll call you on your silliness, who’ll listen patiently to your travails & offer you sanity when all around you, things fall apart. The best thing about these friends are that they offer you the chance to be yourself.

The last time I visited one such dear friend, her husband & she offered me the healthiest breakfast, which included an improvised yogurt parfait.

Here’s how I went about trying to recreate her lovely breakfast item using leftover strawberries & oats & bunch of other goodies.

What We Used (for 2):

Rolled Oats* – 1/2 cup

Almonds – 1/4 cup

Sweetened Shredded coconut – 1/4 cup

Cinnamon – 1 tsp

Chopped Strawberries – 1/4 cup

Honey – a little less than 1/4 cup

Water – as needed

Yogurt – 1 cup

Pure Vanilla extract – 1/2 tsp

Sugar – 1 tsp (optional)

Sliced Peaches* – as needed

Baking Sheet, small saucepan, small bowl – 1 each

How We Did It:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread oats, almonds, shredded coconut & cinnamon on a baking sheet. Toast for about 15-20 minutes or till the mixture turns golden brown.

• In a small saucepan over medium flame, stir together the strawberries, honey and a tiny bit of water for about five minutes.
• In a small bowl, stir well the yogurt, vanilla extract and sugar.
• In a bowl (I used an ice cream serving bowl), spoon the strawberry confection, smooth & spoon the oat mixture, smooth surface and spoon the yogurt combination on top. Top with sliced peaches.

Note:

*The best kind of oats to use are rolled oats. Cook’s Thesaurus has a clear little explanation of the difference between rolled oats & quick oats. If you have no rolled oats, I have seen others use cornflakes, which are sadly, less healthy than the oats. I am thinking you can skip the toasting if you are using cornflakes or any other kind of cereal.
*You can also use any kind of fruit you wish for the topping. And you can even add more sugar if you like your parfaits sweeter. I have also seen recipes where the layers are repeated, so you have a taller parfait. In the end, it all depends on you & your’s personal taste.