Lemon Cream with Fresh Berries

 

To say I have a sweet tooth is putting it mildly.  Anything with sugar or milk chocolatly goodness puts a smile on my face.  It also increases my risk of diabetes, which runs in my family, and that’s a real bummer.

My maternal grandmother lived with us.  She was Irish, stood at about 4’11” with heels on, weighed about 170 pounds, and was an absolute riot.  One of my earliest memories was her calling me and my brother into her bedroom, opening a clandestine drawer filled with chocolates and candies and asking us with a nod, “Who’s your favorite grandma?”  Well, I learned the correct answer real quick!  We kept this little question and answer ritual secret for years.  It wasn’t until my grandma was diagnosed with diabetes that my mother discovered  (and emptied) the drawer of love.

Simply put, diabetes is high blood sugar (glucose).  According to The Diabetes Prevention & Management Cookbook, Your 10-Step Plan for Nutrition & Lifestyle by Johanna Burkhard and Barbara Allan, RD, CDE, it affects millions of people globally and can increase risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, amputation, blindness and death.  About 35% of U.S. adults have “prediabetes,” in which blood glucose is elevated, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.  The good news is that diabetes can be managed through diet, exercise, and medication and in some cases prediabetes can be delayed or avoided using the same techniques.The Diabetes Prevention & Management Cookbook

This book is a good reference for anyone living with diabetes or trying to get out of the prediabetes stage.  It offers some interesting scientific studies, ways to manage blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and provides a 28-day menu plan with 150 recipes.

In honor of my grandma’s sweet tooth, below is a recipe for a tasty dessert, Lemon Cream with Fresh Berries, excerpted from The Diabetes Prevention & Management Cookbook, Your 10-Step Plan for Nutrition & Lifestyle by Johanna Burkhard and Barbara Allan, RD, CDE,  ($24.95 US.)  © 2013 Robert Rose Inc.www.robertrose.ca All rights reserved: May not be reprinted without publisher permission.:  Enjoy!

Lemon Cream with Fresh Berries

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp grated lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2tbsp cold water
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup light cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt or artificially sweetened lemon-flavored or vanilla-flavored yogurt
  • 3 cups assorted fresh berries
  • Fresh mint sprigs

    Lemon Cream with Fresh Berries
    Lemon Cream with Fresh Berries
  1. In a small saucepan, whisk together sugar, lemon juice, cold water and cornstartch until smooth.  Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture comes to a full boil and thickens.  Remove from heat and whisk in cream cheese and lemon zest until smooth.  Whisk in yogurt.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until chilled and slightly thickened, or for up to 1 day.
  2. Arrange half the berries in four parfait glasses or large wine glasses.  Top with half the lemon mixture.  Layer wit the remaining berries and lemon cream.  Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.  Just before serving, garnish with whole berries, lemon zest and mint sprigs.

Nutrition info per serving:  Calories: 208.  Carbohydrate 34g.  Fiber 5g.  Protein 7g.  Fat 6g.  Saturated fat: 3g.  Cholesterol: 18mg.  Sodium: 127 mg.  Food Choices: 2 Carbohydrate, 1 Fat.

Enjoy!

Lisa ;)

P.S. – If you like this recipe, please “like” my FB page below.  (I’m trying to reach 1,000 likes so I can win a set of steak knives or whatever magical thing happens when you burst into 4 digits.)  Thanks!!

Sheslosingit.net (c) 2013 Lisa Traugott.  All rights reserved.  No portion of this blog, including any text, photographs, and artwork, may be reproduced or copied without written permission.   Recipe copyright information above.  No compensation for this post was given beyond a copy of the cookbook.  All opinions are my own.