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

Tuna with Onion, Mint, and Almonds with Zucchini Pistou Pasta

Tuna can be absolutely delicious, but before rushing off to the store to make this creation, please make sure you are familiar with the tuna sustainability list! It's complicated and long, but if you want to continue to be able to eat tuna for years to come you must follow it. (Not to even begin to get into the environmental importance of sustainability!)

This tuna was prepare scaloppine style, which basically means thinly sliced. You do not have to go through that last step if you do not want to, but I did as you can see in the picture above. It's topped with a delicious medley of onion, mint, and almonds among some other ingredients. The onion provides a tartness, the mint a fresh burst of flavor, and the almonds a crunch, savory aftertaste. It works excellently together!

And on the side, let's not forget the zucchini pistou. A pistou is basically a type of pesto, but here instead of being solely based in basil it is based on zucchini, but still includes the herb as well. That's right - sauteed zucchini in the pasta and a zucchini sauce ON the pasta. Make this when you have delicious, ripe (local?) zucchini and you'll be in heaven. I took the leftovers for lunch all week...

Difficulty: medium (mostly because cooking tuna correctly is difficult)
Time: 40 minutes
Cost: $21.55

Cilantro-Curry Tilapia with Toasted Coconut and Sauteed Plaintains

Think bold flavors and soft textures enclosed by crispy edges and coatings. Sound amazing? Then you're ready to make this Caribbean-themed meal. The fresh cilantro mixed with sweet coconut and a tad of spice from the curry make the fish practically melt in your mouth. This is an especially good recipe for people who enjoy rich flavoring.

Along with the Tilapia I prepared some sauteed plantains. These cousins of banana are a great source of vitamins A and C, but also come loaded with a fair amount of natural sugar. So enjoy these delicious, starchy fruits, but don't overload on them too often! Luckily they have a wonderful taste so a little goes a long way. (And they're sweet enough you won't want dessert after dinner!!)

Difficulty: easy
Time: 25 minutes
Cost: $12.08

Sweet Coriander-Pepper-Sesame Crusted Salmon with a Potato-Leek-Squash Soup

I've been delving into a lot of soups recently, with the chill in the air and eagerness to take advantage of my farmer's market's fall offerings, but this one might take home the prize. What makes a good fall winter soup? Potato - check. Leek - check. Squash - check. This thick, creamy soup combines the three for a hearty and tantalizing creation. It's on the thicker end of soups, but each bite is a delight.

To pair with the savory-with-a-tinge-of-sweet soup, I also served fresh salmon crusted with coriander, pepper, and sesame seeds but sweetened with an apricot glaze. The bite of the spices mixed with the crunch of sesame and the sweetness of the fruit was a perfect blend. Each bite was interesting in its texture and flavor, and the salmon was a perfect complement to the soup.

Difficulty: medium
Time: 1 hr
Cost: $32.50

Lemon-Pesto Butter Tilapia with Spiced Pumpkin Loaves

As fall goes into full gear, it's time to pile on the pumpkin goodness. For dinner, I made a spiced pumpkin bread. This is not to be confused with being "spicy" but just flavorful, or spiced. It's warm and delicious with the perfect texture. The recipe makes two loaves, so serve both if you are expecting a big audience or freeze one as soon as it is cooled to room temperature after baking. Just wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in a plastic bag that is sealed and air tight! If you do that, it can stay frozen for many, many months. Simply let it defrost overnight when it's time to thaw it out.

Along with the bread, I made tilapia with a lemon-pesto butter. I'm a huge fan of pesto straight-up, but this version make it a little less tart, mellowing the flavor for casual pesto fans versus hard-core pesto eaters. The lemon flavoring complimented the pesto perfectly. I also prepared a southern corn succotash (previously featured) to round out dinner.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 1 hr 15 min
Cost: $13.66

Cilantro-Lime Bluefish

I love bluefish. I'm really not sure why it so often gets short shrift. It's ridiculously cheap as far as fish goes, tasty, sustainable, and can be prepared in endless ways. It even has enough flavor of its own to make it quite simply. So what's not to love? Is it the funny color? I admit, it does often have bones, but that's really the only drawback I can fathom.

I prepared the bluefish this time with a cilantro-lime butter. The butter provided a creamy base (and I used fake butter to cut the fat) that paired perfectly with the citrus flavors of lime and the bright, flavorful fresh cilantro. Minimize the butter and pack on the cilantro for a healthier alternative that I actually find way more tasty than the reverse. I made smashed potatoes and honey mustard brussels sprouts to go with the fish (which is reflected in the price below.)

Difficulty: easy
Time: 20 minutes
Cost: $15.02

Lox & Veggie Pasta in Vodka Sauce with a Pear-Goat Cheese Salad with Citrus Dressing

Yes, I've made a smoked salmon pasta before. But this one is new and improved!! It has fresh tomato and zucchini and a thicker, creamier vodka sauce without piling on any extra calories. Who can resist? So even if you've made the previous one, you'll need to quickly whip up a shopping list and run out to make this meal tonight. It's just that good. Additionally, I went the extra mile and used fresh pasta instead of dried/boxed pasta. It's more expensive but it makes the meal ten times better, so take this as a good time to splurge. (My general rule of thumb is that as a side dried pasta is fine but when it's the main meal I go for fresh.)

The pasta was paired with a fall-flavored salad featuring crisp, juicy pears from my local farmer's market with creamy, rich goat cheese and a homemade citrus dressing. The contrasting flavors will have a party in your mouth and you'll be gobbling down this healthy salad in no time.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 45 minutes
Cost: $22.81