breakfast friday >> summer fruit parfait with lime sugar + mint

Ohhh, summer fruit.  How I love thee.

breakfast friday >> summer fruit parfait with lime sugar + mint | edible perspective

Fruit is not typically my first choice for breakfast, unless we’re talking about throwing it in a gigantic smoothie packed with protein + healthy fats.  While I could eat fruit all day long, for days on end, it doesn’t really do the trick to fill me up in the morning.

breakfast friday >> summer fruit parfait with lime sugar + mint | edible perspective

That is unless you pair it with a full cup of silky, smooth, slightly tangy, Greek yogurt.  My latest yogurt obsession is from Straus Family Creamery.  They just came out with a full-fat, organic, plain Green yogurt that is now hands down my favorite.  [Next in line is Wallaby’s 2% organic Greek.]  Also, it’s dollars cheaper than other Greek yogurts!  The 32oz container cost $5.75, whereas other organic Greek yogurts are typically $4 for a 16oz container.  That’s a $2.25 savings! 

[I have no affiliation with Straus, just l.o.v.e. their Greek yogurt!]

breakfast friday >> summer fruit parfait with lime sugar + mint | edible perspective

And now we jazz things up a bit.  Because,

1. Sometimes breakfast should be a little extra special.
2. You deserve it.
3. This would be the perfect addition to a Sunday brunch menu.

What we’re jazzing up is sugar.

What we’re jazzing it up with is lime!

Lime sugar!  Holy moly.  I am not a big sugar person, but this kind of blew my mind.

breakfast friday >> summer fruit parfait with lime sugar + mint | edible perspective

You know the routine. 

yogurt + fruit + yogurt + fruit + repeat

breakfast friday >> summer fruit parfait with lime sugar + mint | edible perspective

Except this time after each layer of yogurt you’ll sprinkle a bit of the lime sugar.

breakfast friday >> summer fruit parfait with lime sugar + mint | edible perspective

And you’ll top it with a few whole or chopped mint leaves.

breakfast friday >> summer fruit parfait with lime sugar + mint | edible perspective

And then you’ll eat it, and…

1. Feel completely satiated for hours.
2. Feel refreshed from the lime + mint.
3. Feel hydrated from all that fruit.
4. Feel totally satisfied because it was freakin’ delicious.

Those aren’t options.  They automatically come with each parfait.

breakfast friday >> summer fruit parfait with lime sugar + mint | edible perspective

Print this!

Summer Fruit Parfait with Lime Sugar + Mint

gluten-free // yields 2-4 servings

• 1/2 cup pure cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 2 cups full-fat, organic Greek yogurt
• 2 medium nectarines, chopped
• 3 cups chopped cantaloupe
• mint leaves, to garnish

1. In a food processor [a mini works great!] combine the sugar and lime zest and pulse until combined and the lime zest is finely chopped.
2. Make 4 small or 2 large parfaits, using more or less yogurt if you’d like.
3. Layer: yogurt, fruit, yogurt, sprinkle of lime sugar, then repeat and finish with yogurt + lime sugar. 
4. Use as much or as little lime sugar as you’d like and top with a few whole or chopped mint leaves.  Serve immediately.
5. Store excess lime sugar in a sealed container in the fridge.

One more thing!  Not sure why I didn’t think of this before but you could definitely place a few mint leaves in with the sugar and lime zest to make it mint and lime infused!

breakfast friday >> summer fruit parfait with lime sugar + mint | edible perspective

Mmmm, fruity love.

Tag your eats! #bfastfridayclub

Enjoy the long weekend!  And a gigantic happy 30th to my main squeeze.  Love you to the moon + back!

Ashley

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars

Sometimes I spend hours racking my brain trying to come up with a new recipe.  There’s not a constant recipe catalog in my head spewing out new ideas left + right.  Sometimes I’ll have a streak with a lot of new ideas and other times I’m………blank.

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

Typically, the “blank” times are when I have a lot of things going on and maybe I’ve had some time away from the kitchen.

Right now I kind of feel like, “How do I cook again?  I forget.”

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

When it comes to breakfast I feel like I’m never short of ideas, but I was absolutely stumped this week. 

I didn’t want to make anything cakey and it’s still too hot for hot, porridge-type breakfasts.  I started thinking about polenta and how much I love polenta as a hot breakfast porridge.

But, like I said, it’s just too hot for that. However, the really unique/fun/delicious thing about polenta is that it glues together as it cools.  No eggs or binding agent needed, just polenta + water.  Pretty cool stuff.

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

You will typically find polenta in savory dishes, so I thought I’d try my hand at breakfastizing it.

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

Meet the polenta trail mix breakfast bar.

Super thick, dense, and chewy with a bit of crunch + sweetness from the mix-ins.  This recipe is fully customizable depending on your fruit and nut preferences.

It takes just a few minutes to mix up on the stove and then it’s off to the fridge to chill and gel together. 

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

After it’s chilled you can scarf it down or have fun with topping options.

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

I obviously go for the toppings.

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

A little peanut butter + banana?

Yep.

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

Or, Greek yogurt + Colorado peaches?

I’ll take that, too.

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

Print this!

No-Bake Polenta Trail Mix Bars

gluten-free, vegan // yields 9 large bars

• 3 cups water, or per your polenta cooking instructions
• 1 cup polenta/corn grits
• 1 cup dried fruit + nuts
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2-4 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds, optional
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Boil water then stir in polenta slowly.
2. Reduce heat to simmer and stir polenta frequently for about 5 minutes until you reach a very thick/stiff porridge consistency.  Or, follow package directions as it may vary slightly.
3. In the last minute of cooking stir in the fruit and nuts, coconut, maple syrup, chia seeds [if using], coconut oil, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.  Taste and add more maple syrup if desired.
4. Cook for another minute and then pour into a 9x9 square pan and spread/pack firmly into the pan with the back of a spatula.
5. Refrigerate uncovered until fully chilled.
6. Slice polenta into squares, then top however you like, and eat.  Keep remaining bars wrapped or in a sealed container and refrigerated.
7. Or, preheat a skillet over medium and coat the pan with coconut oil.
8. Place the chilled polenta squares [or cut into strips] in the pan and cook for 2-4 minutes per side until golden brown.
9. Remove from the pan and add toppings, or eat plain.

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

I cannot wait to make these for ski season.  I am thinking they’ll hold up really well wrapped and stuffed in my pocket for hours and they also won’t turn rock hard in colder temps like many granola bars tend to do.

They’re also incredibly filling and filled with all sorts of healthy goodness.

Eat up!

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Ashley