Teriyakai Shrimp Kebabs with Smashed Potatoes and Turnips and a Banana Cheesecake with Caramel Rum Sauce

I don't make desserts very often, so this time I wanted to go all out. And yes, this keeps up with my healthy rule! I made a nearly entirely fat-free banana cheesecake with gooey, rich caramel rum sauce. (The nearly fat-free applying to the sauce as well.) Just imagine forking up chilled and creamy banana cheesecake with warm, sticky caramel sauce on top, all finished with a tinge of rum. Absolute. Heaven.

It hardly even matters what I made for dinner at this point, since the dessert is clearly the focus of this meal, but alas, my boyfriend insists I'm not allowed to simply enjoy dessert for dinner. (A skill I initially learned from my mother.) So in addition to the cheesecake (pause for craving a piece again) you'll find some shrimp teriyaki, grilled to perfection, and smashed potatoes and turnips. The potato is typical to be found here but the turnips add a sweetness that works perfectly with the potato and just slightly lightens the texture for a delicious vegetable-starch side.

Difficulty: medium-easy
Time: 11 hrs total with cheesecake setting time, or 2 hrs first night (cheesecake only) and 1 hr the second night (finish cheesecake and rest of meal)
Cost: $21.56



Banana Cheesecake with Caramel Rum Sauce
Time: 11 hrs (2 hrs first night, 15 minutes second night)

Note: The time above is extremely lengthy because after making the cheesecake it should set for a minimum of 8 hours but preferably overnight. I also provided the actual amount of time of effort in parentheses above to help you better estimate the working time. I would suggest making the cheesecake the day before you are serving it so it can simply sit overnight with plenty of time to set.

Ingredients:
(crust)
10 graham crackers (2 perforated pieces connected as 1) - about 1 1/4 c crumbled
3 tbsp sugar
1 large egg white
1 tbsp water

(filling)
3 blocks (8-oz each) fat-free cream cheese (softened)
1 block (8-oz) neufchatel cheese (softened)
1 carton (8 oz) fat free sour cream
1 1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 c mashed banana (use very ripe bananas)
3 tbsp flour
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs

(caramel sauce)
1/2 c sugar
1 tbsp dark rum
2 tbsp butter (unsalted)
1/2 c fat free half and half

Get your oven pre-heating to 350 degrees.

Place the graham crackers in a heavy duty ziploc plastic bag and use a rolling pin to roll and smash your graham crackers into crumbs. Put the crumbs in a bowl and add the sugar, egg white, and water. Toss with a fork until it is well mixed.

Grease a pie dish (or preferably a springboard cake pan) with cooking spray. Lightly spray your fingers and then use your fingers to press the graham cracker mixture against the bottom and sides of the pan until you have a crust. It should be the height of a pie pan (or just over an inch if using a springboard cake pan.)

Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Then remove from the oven and put on a wire rack to cool. Leave the crust cooling and sitting aside for now.

You'll now turn to the filling. First, turn your oven down to 325 degrees. Next, make sure your cream cheeses are all softened. If they aren't, let them sit out at room temperature for 30-45 minutes while you take a break to do something else.

When your cream cheeses are softened, put all 4 blocks into a large bowl. Add the sour cream and beat with a mixer at high speed until the cheese mixture is creamy and well blended. The texture should be smooth, without chunks. Add the sugar, mashed banana, flour, and vanilla. Again, beat until well combined.

Add an egg, beat well. Add the second egg, beat well. Continue with the other two eggs, adding one at a time and beating well. When everything is added keep beating for another 2 or so minutes to make sure the batter is smooth and entirely even.

Pour the cheesecake mixture into your cooled and already prepared crust in the pie pan/springboard pan. Bake for 1 hr and 10 minutes. When it's done it should be almost set, with just a slight jiggle in the middle if you shake the pan lightly.

Put the cheesecake on a wire rack to cool. Take a knife and run it under hot water to warm the metal, but then shake it dry right away. Run the knife around the edge of the pie dish to lightly separate the crust from the pan. This way as the pie cools and contracts you won't get large cracks in the middle; instead, the crust will be able to move in along with the rest of the pie.

Let the cheesecake cool completely to room temperature, which will take several hours. Then, cover with saran wrap securely and put in the fridge. Chill for at least 8 hrs, but preferably overnight.

Finally, there is the sauce! So make this right before serving your cheesecake. I made my cheesecake the night before, let it set in the fridge, and then whipped the sauce up just 10 minutes before serving. I then sliced the cake, plated it, and was able to drizzle the hot, fresh caramel sauce over the slices. Again, absolutely divine.

Combine the sugar and 2 tbsp of water in a small, heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves. Then, turn the heat to high and stop stirring. Do not stir at all, but let the mixture come to a boil and boil until it turns a deep amber. (If you've never made caramel before, it's pretty cool. It'll be boiling sugar water, boiling sugar water, boiling sugar water, and then suddenly it's amber caramel!) As it's boiling occasionally shake the pan lightly and let some water drizzle down the sizes by painting with a wet pastry brush.

When it turns amber, remove from the heat and pour in the rum very carefully. It will bubble a lot so don't get any skin too close. Return the pan to the heat and bring back to a boil. Whisk in the butter, whisking the entire time until it is dissolved and even. Add the half and half and continue to whisk occasionally and let it boil for another 3 minutes or until slightly reduced.

Remove from heat and drizzle over your cake. If you're only eating some of your cake now, store the extra caramel sauce in an airtight container separate from the cake. Put it in a small pan and heat over low heat until warm and soft before serving again.

Smashed Potatoes and Turnips
Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
3/4 c onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb baking potato, cut into 1" cubes
1 lb turnips, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1/4 c low-fat shredded mozzarella
1/4 c fat free sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Heat a small pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and let that heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes or until the onion is just starting to brown. Remove from the heat and set aside for now.

Put the potatoes and turnips in a large pot and fill with water until it is about 1" above the vegetables. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes. At the end of the 20 minutes, the potatoes and turnips should be tender.

Drain the potatoes and turnips and return them to the pot over low heat. Mash the potatoes and turnips together. Add the onions and garlic mixture, mozzarella, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined and fully warmed.

Teriyaki Shrimp Kebabs
Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
1/4 c teriyaki sauce (low sodium)
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 c fresh pineapple, in 1" cubes
1 red onion, cut into wedges

Mix the teriyaki and sesame seeds together in a bag. Add the shrimp, tossing to coat. Let the shrimp marinate for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.

In the meantime, prepare your grill to medium high heat.

Remove the shrimp from the bag, retaining the marinade. Thread the shrimp, pineapple, and red onion onto the skewers. Alternate appropriately to achieve a pretty look.

Put the kebabs on the grill. Take a brush and baste the shrimp and vegetables with about half of the remaining marinade. Make sure the pineapple and onion get the mixture as well as the shrimp.

Grill for about 8 minutes, turning once halfway through. When you turn, baste the shrimp and vegetables again with the remaining marinade. Cook until the shrimp are pink and fully cooked.