Rest is a good thing. A couple of weeks ago my husband and I took a business/vacation trip down to Hollywood and Santa Monica. Even though we were only there for four days, we packed a lot in and enjoyed the sunshine and scenery. We stayed at a lovely hotel in West Hollywood and had fun soaking in a few rays down by the pool.

Pool-time Pleasure
Soaking up a little morning sun at the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood

We spent an afternoon wandering through a park in Beverly Hills where a large Art Show was on display for several blocks.

Artists come from all over the world to display their creativity.

Art in the Park
The Beverly Hills Art Show is held twice a year, once in May and again in October.

Next, we drove down to Santa Monica and took a walk along the pier. I threw in a little creativity myself by adding filters and frames to some of the shots I took with my iPhone.

We rented bicycles and took a leisurely stroll down to Venice Beach, where we watched some very interesting characters. If you have been to Venice Beach, you know exactly what I mean!

Ferris wheel on the Santa Monica Pier
The boardwalk along the Santa Monica Pier provides a spectacular view of the water and ferris wheel.

 

The night before we left we took an evening walk down to the Promenade, which is a few blocks of shops, street venders, and outdoor musicians.

I even paid a dollar to shake a little monkey’s hand, but then looked for the nearest bathroom to wash it! We packed a lot in those four days, and came back home with some great memories.

The Promenade in Santa Monica
We enjoyed an evening walk along the Promenade in Santa Monica.

 

I’ve created another non-fat, fairly low-cal dessert but it is not dairy-free, although with a few substitutions it could be, as long as you can handle egg whites. Pavlova is a meringue dessert named after the Russian ballet dancer AnnaPavlova. It is a meringue dessert made of whipped egg whites cooked into a crunchy mound with a soft center.

Whipped egg whites with cream of tartar.
Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the tapioca starch and the cream of tartar. Whip until well blended.

 

Sweetened egg whites
Add the Organic cane sugar and whip until well incorporated.

 

Cardamom spiced pavlova
Sprinkle the cardamom spice on top of the egg whites and fold in.

 

Pavlova ready for the oven.
Place parchment paper down on a cookie sheet and spoon a large amount of whipped egg white mixture onto the paper. Each round should be approximately 3-4″ in diameter.

 

Balsamic Reduction
Place aged balsamic and honey in a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until sauce begins to thicken. Do not over cook or sauce will become hard.

 

Cardamom spiced pavlova
The key to baking a good Pavlova is patience. They need to cook in a low temp oven for an hour, then remain in the oven another hour after it has been shut off.

 

Honey-sweetened Greek yogurt on top of pavlova.
Place the Pavlova onto a dessert plate and cover the center with honey-sweetened non-fat plain Greek yogurt.

 

Strawberry pavlova with Greek yogurt
Place a generous amount of diced strawberries atop the Greek yogurt.

 

Pavlova with fruit and honey balsamic sauce
Pour the honey balsamic reduction sauce over the strawberries just before serving.

 

 

Strawberry Pavlova with Honey-Balsamic Reduction

3 egg whites

1/2 tsp tapioca starch

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/3 cup organic cane sugar

1/4 tsp cardamom

1 cup diced strawberries

1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt

3 Tbsp honey (2 Tbsp for Greek yogurt, 1 for balsamic reduction)

1/4 c aged balsamic vinegar

 

Whip egg whites in a bowl and add tapioca starch, cream of tartar, and sugar. Whip until completely incorporated. Fold in cardamom spice. Place on a parchment covered cookie sheet in mounds of approximately 3-4″ circles. Dip the centers slightly (this will be where the yogurt and fruit mixture go). Place in a preheated 175 degree oven and bake for an hour. Shut the oven off and allow meringues to continue to dry with the oven closed. Meringues should be crisp before removing from the oven. Begin making the balsamic reduction sauce about 15 minutes before meringues are ready to take out of the oven. Place balsamic vinegar and honey into a small sauce pan and cook over medium-low heat until sauce has reduced to about half and has slightly thickened. Do not over-cook or sauce will harden. Place Greek yogurt in a small bowl and add honey. Mix thoroughly and set aside. Dice strawberries and set aside. Do not put the ingredients onto the meringues until just before serving. Place the meringue onto a dessert dish and add a small scoop of Greek yogurt into the center pocket of the meringue. Place diced strawberries on top and add the honey-balsamic reduction sauce. Serve immediately.

This recipe was also shared on the following blogs: ThisGalCooks, OurSundayBest, AddictedToRecipes

 

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