Strawberry Pavlova with Honey-Balsamic Reduction

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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