Dreamy Summer Dessert

So I was thinking to myself just the other day-what’s the one food that I eat on a daily basis that I just couldn’t imagine living without? I didn’t have to look far for the answer: it’s blueberries.

I have at least one bowl of full-fat yogurt topped with frozen blueberries, coconut flakes, and almonds every single day. It’s my ultimate treat and I love it more than even ice cream. OK, maybe not exactly more than ice cream, but that’s the beauty of this dish.

What Chef Jeannette did here was to basically take the ingredients in my daily blueberry yogurt treat and make it into an ice cream. So for me, this dish is a double header. Eat as is (plus almonds and coconut flakes) and it’s a fantastic snack or mini meal. Put it in an ice cream maker-like Chef does in this recipe-and it’s even better.

And it’s as close to guilt-free an ice cream as you’re likely to find. Greek yogurt is great for protein and healthy dairy fat (please don’t use the fat-free kind), and blueberries are a true “memory” food. Animal studies have demonstrated that daily consumption of blueberries dramatically slows impairments in motor coordination and memory. And this dish also has some healthy spices such as cinnamon and ginger, and is sweetened with no-calorie stevia. It’s tart, spicy, not too sweet, and ultra refreshing, making it a terrific meal finisher on a hot night. What’s not to like? -Dr. Jonny

Spiced Blueberry Ice Dream

Serves 4

This antioxidant-packed alternative to ice cream can be made dairy-free with soy or coconut yogurt, the latter of which is Paleo-friendly.

1 pint fresh blueberries
1 Tbs. finely minced fresh ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ cup rice syrup or coconut nectar, or to taste
¼ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
2 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. liquid vanilla stevia, optional
1½ cups (12 oz.) plain Greek yogurt, preferably grass-fed

Combine all ingredients in food processor in the order listed, and process until blueberries are broken down but mixture isn’t completely smooth, about 10-20 seconds, scraping down sides once or twice. Follow directions on any ice cream maker to freeze. Enjoy immediately.

per serving: 120 cal; 9g pro; 1g total fat (0g sat fat); 18g carb; 5mg chol; 35mg sod; 2g fiber; 13g sugars

Notes… From Chef Jeannette

If you don’t have an ice cream maker, transfer contents to a 9 x 9-inch covered, freezer-safe container, and freeze. Remove the container every 30 minutes, whisk contents well, and return to the freezer. Do this for 90 minutes-three mixing sessions. Then freeze to firm consistency, about 2 hours. If ice cream overfreezes, thaw for 10 minutes on the counter and process until smooth in the food processor. You can also enjoy this treat as is, with no freezing.