DASH Diet Desserts

Eating with the seasons provides the best and most flavorful choices. Find out what’s in season where you live, and opt for those fruits and vegetables. You’ll get variety throughout the year as what’s in seasons changes.

Wine-Poached Pears

© vengerof / Shutterstock.com

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

5 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

1 to 2 tablespoons orange zest

1 cinnamon stick

2 whole cloves

4 firm, ripe pears, free of blemishes, peeled, stems intact

Vanilla Greek yogurt (optional)

Toasted almond slices (optional)

Fresh mint (optional)

Directions

1. In a 4-quart saucepan, combine the wine, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon stick, and cloves. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
2. Add the pears and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes until the pears are tender and uniform in color.
3. Transfer the pears to a dish and allow them to cool. Remove the cinnamon and cloves from the liquid and continue to simmer the liquid until it’s thickened and reduced by half, about 15 to 20 more minutes.
4. When ready to serve, either warm or at room temperature, drizzle the pears with a few tablespoons of the warm syrup. Garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt, almond slices, and fresh mint, if desired.

Bosc pears are ideal because they keep their shape when cooked. Use ripe pears — the harder ones won’t soften up even with cooking. Pears are ripe when they yield to pressure but are still firm.

Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom with the wine mixture for an extra warm, elegant finish. Any leftover pears are great chopped in a crisp salad with blue cheese, toasted walnuts, and vinaigrette made with the sauce blended with extra-virgin olive oil.

Strawberries with Peppered Balsamic Drizzle

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Pinch freshly and finely ground black pepper

4 ounces vanilla Greek yogurt

Fresh mint, for garnish

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the strawberries, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and pepper. Gently stir to be sure the berries are coated. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 1 hour; then refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Divide the strawberries evenly into 4 bowls and top with a dollop of yogurt. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint, and serve.

The recipe will require less sugar if you use more expensive vinegar. Aged Italian balsamic is a great choice. You can also use store-bought balsamic glaze.

Try flavored balsamic vinegars like lemon or chocolate! You can substitute ice cream in place of the yogurt. If you’re in a really decadent mood, serve the strawberries and ice cream over grilled pound cake or angel food cake. You can also use the strawberries as a topping for waffles or a filling for crêpes. Of course, these would-be special treats, outside of your normal DASH routine.

Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding with Toppings

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

2 cups reduced-fat 2 percent milk

1/2 cup chia seeds

1-1/2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk, chia seeds, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt until blended.
2. Cover and refrigerate 3 to 4 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, whisk again if needed, to smooth out any clumps that may have formed.
3. Spoon into dessert cups and top with your favorite toppings (see the Tip below).

Use whatever toppings you love most. Some ideas include fresh or thawed berries, fresh or thawed peaches mixed with peach preserves and pinch of cardamom, sliced bananas and strawberries with chocolate syrup, low-sugar canned pie filling, a dollop of pumpkin pie filling, or caramel sauce with toasted walnuts.

Leftover pudding can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It will last about 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator.

If you’re craving chocolate, add 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the original recipe and increase the maple syrup to 3 to 5 tablespoons.

Mango Banana Soft Serve

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

One 16-ounce package frozen mango chunks

1 to 2 tablespoons sugar

1-1/2 tablespoons lime juice

1-1/2 tablespoons canned light coconut milk

Mint leaves, for garnish

Directions

1. Peel the banana, cut it in half, place in a resealable freezer bag, and freeze until solid, at least 4 hours.
2. In a large bowl, combine the mango and sugar and let stand for 5 minutes. (If you prefer a little more tang, skip the sugar.)
3. Place the mango, banana, lime juice, and coconut milk in a high-speed blender and pulse for 3 to 4 minutes using the tamper to scrape down the sides until the mixture is thick and smooth.
4. Spoon the soft serve into bowls, and serve immediately for a softer consistency or freeze until ready to serve. Garnish with mint leaves if desired.

Already cut-up frozen fruit is the best trick for making a frozen treat. If you’ve got fresh fruit, freeze it on a large baking sheet; then make your own resealable bags after it has frozen.

Substitute pineapple for the mango or any combination of fruit that you enjoy. Add sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut for a taste of the tropics. Don’t have unsweetened coconut milk? Add the same amount of Greek yogurt or skip it all together.