Ho…Ho…Ho…Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Celebrate it with this delicious low-calorie Balsamic Strawberry Ricotta mousse

Hello…hello…hello you all! How r u guys doing? I am back! Yes! I am back with some amazing exciting stories and recipes to share but before I begin, here I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

So where have I been for soooo long? I know I missed celebrating Halloween, Diwali and Thanksgiving with you guys but I was visiting my family back home after 4 years and oh boy! I had such a wonderful time and I am all recharged (that might sound funny but lots of love and care from your family can recharge anyone..right?).

So I will be sharing my amazing journey experience in another post along with my very inspiring experience of my first blogging conference foodblogforum, that I attended in October…ya long time back! But for now let’s talk about this amazing holiday season and Christmas and this scrumptious dessert recipe of balsamic strawberries ricotta mousse! ahhaa..I am so excited!

Festivals are all about memories, aren’t they? Back home while I was growing up, I used to believe that Christmas is only a festival for Christians. And because we are Hindus, we were not celebrating it the way we used to celebrate Diwali or any other Hindu festivals. May be because we were not aware of the traditions, culture and other things. Like the same way you might not know a lot about “Diwali”. You know what I am trying to say here? Whatever it may be, Christmas was always fascinating to me. I remember on every Christmas my parents used to take us (me n my siblings) to meet Santa Claus and see the huge Christmas tree decorated with lights and gifts. But the most exciting part for me of meeting the Santa was to get a few free candies and dance with him on Christmas carols…just like any other kid! And we used to get one or two days off in school. That was Christmas for us. It was still memorable…see the picture below? It says it all!

After living in the USA for few years, we (Me and my hubby) are actually getting to know the proper traditions and cultural values of Christmas. And we are loving celebrating it as much as we love our other festivals. I mean who will not, Right? At this time of the year, I see happy faces everywhere! All these beautiful decorations, jingles, carols, food, chocolates, dessert, people, shopping and again lots of food…ahhh makes me so happy! Happiness is in the air!

Before I make this post too long to read, let me get back to this scrumptious recipe of  low-fat Ricotta mousse with balsamic strawberries and basil. It is simple yet flavorful and most importantly it is quick and healthy!

Plus it reflects Christmas colors n flavors..berries, basil and cheese!! mmmmm scrumptious! A perfect way to end your Christmas meal.

Ricotta mousse with Balsamic strawberries and basil – Low fat

Adapted from: one and only my favorite Ellie Kreiger

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Chilling time: At least 2 hours

Ingredients

• 1 cup part-skim or low-fat ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 (16-ounce) container strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons

Directions

1. Put the part-skim ricotta cheese, honey and vanilla extract into the small bowl of a food processor and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
2. In a small saucepan combine the vinegar and sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool completely.
3. In a medium bowl, toss the berries with the basil and the balsamic syrup.
4. Divide the cream among 4 serving glasses, top with the berry mixture and serve.

Note: You can substitute basil with mint. And use any berries or even try other fruits.

See how simple was that? Do make it and let me know how you like it!

Once again Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Question of the day:

How are you celebrating your Christmas? What is on your menu? Making/baking anything special?