Dreaming of Spring

Yesterday I promised that I would reveal the recipe behind a decadent-looking pink and frosty treat. Here is the fulfillment of that promise! This weekend I concocted a new frozen yogurt in my ice cream maker in honor of this month's Royal Foodie Joust. That's why I wanted to devote a post solely to this recipe. The current version of the Joust presents a unique challenge. Normally the previous month's winner selects three ingredients that participants must incorporate into their entries. This month, however, the ingredients are actually more of stipulations -- the entries must be red, green, and white in some way. I suppose that's in homage to spring, although it reminds me more of Christmas.

And certainly the weather here is more wintry than warm and verdant. As I'm writing, snowflakes are drifting by my window. I suppose that's the fallout of living in western Montana -- spring is slow in coming. Still, I'm ready for some sunshine and blooming flowers. In order to urge the seasons along -- at least in my head, anyway -- I created this refreshing frozen yogurt.

The recipe uses some lovely fresh ingredients, including ripe strawberries (that fulfills the red requirement) and mint leaves (green). A dash of lemon juice sparks up the flavors, while a handful of chocolate chips brings in a little decadence. Feel free to use dark chocolate for an even richer flavor. Also, use your favorite yogurt as the base, whether it be plain, Greek, or even strawberry flavored. I used fat-free vanilla (there's the white!) simply because it's what I had on hand. As usual, have fun with this one and let me know what you think!

Spring Must Be Coming Soon Strawberry Mint Frozen Yogurt

12 oz. fat-free vanilla yogurt
6 large strawberries, washed and diced
leaves of 2-3 fresh mint sprigs
dash of lemon juice
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Pulse all of the ingredients in a food processors until well blended. Process for a shorter time to create a more textured frozen yogurt, and process longer to make the yogurt smoother. Pour into your ice cream maker, following the appliance's preparation directions. Churn for 30 minutes.

Makes 2 large servings, or 3-4 small servings.