This rich-tasting cheesecake is from Cafe del Rey restaurant in Marina del Rey, Calif. The recipe is a result of the collaboration between chef Katsuo Nagasawa and pastry chef Dawn McLinn.
This delicious caramelized banana cheesecake is a favorite of mine. I have revised the original recipe slightly to make it a bit lighter without losing the sensational taste and texture.
They combined mascarpone, a sweet, creamy Italian cheese, with the cream cheese in their recipe and used more pecans and a bit more butter. I eliminated the mascarpone because it is often difficult to find and is high in fat. I also toasted the pecans to enhance their flavor so that I could use fewer of them, and I made the dark rum optional.
CARAMELIZED BANANA CHEESECAKE
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Chilling time: 4 hours or overnight
Yield: 12 servings
3/4 cup pecan halves
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2 tablespoons light butter
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 medium bananas, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons dark rum, optional
1 package (8 ounces) each, softened: fat-free cream cheese, light cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
Topping, optional:
1 medium banana, thinly sliced
1/3 cup your favorite preserves, such as apricot, melted
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place pecans on baking sheet; toast in oven about 8 minutes. Check frequently to avoid burning; set aside. Leave oven on.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in non-stick skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar; cook, stirring frequently, until melted, about 6 minutes. Add 2 sliced bananas; cook until bananas are caramelized and soft enough to mash with back of spoon. Remove from heat; set aside. Stir in rum if using.
3. Combine cream cheeses and 3/4 cup of the sugar in large bowl of electric mixer. Beat until completely blended. Add sour cream, egg and egg whites; mix well. Add caramelized banana mixture; beat until incorporated.
4. Put remaining tablespoon of the butter, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and toasted pecans in food processor fitted with metal blade. Process until finely ground; press on bottom of ungreased 8-inch springform pan. Pack down firmly using palm of hand. Pour filling mixture over crust. Place pan inside larger pan and put on oven rack. Add water to depth of 2 inches. Bake until firm to touch, about 1 1/2 hours.
5. Remove from oven; let sit on wire rack 1 hour. Refrigerate, covered, at least 3 hours or overnight before serving. For topping, stir banana slices into melted preserves; spoon over chilled cheesecake.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………. 205 Fat …………. 9 g Cholesterol .. 30 mg
Sodium ……… 130 mg Carbohydrates .. 27 g Protein …….. 4 g
Q. My husband and I are extremely fond of baked-potato soup. The problem is we are both on a fat-restricted diet, and I also need to watch his sugar and salt intake. Could you come up with a lighter version of this soup? Thank you.
Martha Kelly, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
BAKED-POTATO SOUP
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Chilling time: At least 1 hour
Yield: Ten 2-cup servings
3/4 pound bacon, finely chopped
6 large potatoes, scrubbed
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4 medium onions, chopped
4 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) chicken broth
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 pints (3 cups) half-and-half, room temperature
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon each, or to taste: dried thyme, salt, pepper
Grated Cheddar cheese, minced chives or green onions, optional
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Fry bacon pieces in large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Reserve 3 tablespoons bacon drippings. Drain fried bacon on paper towels; set aside.
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2. Bake potatoes until soft, about 1 1/4 hours. Let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 1 hour. Remove skins; coarsely chop. Place 1 1/2 cups packed, chopped potatoes into blender or food processor fitted with metal blade. Blend or puree with about 1 tablespoon water to make smooth paste.
3. Melt butter in large, heavy Dutch oven over medium-low heat; add bacon fat and onions. Cook until onions are soft, about 10 minutes. In separate pan, heat chicken broth to boiling. Gradually stir flour into onion mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes; do not brown.
4. Slowly add boiling broth to onion mixture, stirring constantly. Stir in potato puree; mix well. Lower heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Stir frequently to keep from scorching. Add half-and-half, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper and remaining chopped potatoes. Cover; simmer 30 minutes. Stir frequently to keep from scorching. If soup is too thick, add a little warm milk. Stir in 1/3 cup of the crisp bacon. Garnish with remaining bacon, Cheddar cheese, chives or green onions.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 575 Fat ………… 35 g Cholesterol .. 90 mg
Sodium ……… 1,045 mg Carbohydrates .. 54 g Protein ……. 12 g
Though this soup is a lot of work, it is a hearty “meal in a bowl”–and makes enough to feed a Little League team! To bring this soup into the big leagues nutritionally, I used turkey bacon, a lot less butter, and substituted low-fat milk for the half-and-half. I also eliminated the bacon fat. Because I reduced the amount of fat, and fat carries flavor, I increased the seasonings and spices to compensate.
`MAJOR LEAGUE’ BAKED-POTATO SOUP
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Chilling time: At least 1 hour
Yield: Ten 2-cup servings
1/2 pound turkey bacon
6 large potatoes, scrubbed
2 tablespoons butter
2 large onions, chopped
4 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) chicken broth
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups 2 percent low-fat milk, room temperature
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1 teaspoon each: crushed dried thyme, salt, freshly ground black pepper
Grated low-fat Cheddar cheese, minced chives or green onions, optional
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place turkey bacon on baking sheet lightly coated with vegetable oil spray. Bake until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Finely chop; set aside.
2. Bake potatoes until soft, about 1 hour. Let cool to room temperature; refrigerate at least 1 hour, uncovered. Remove skins and coarsely chop. Place 1 1/2 cups packed, chopped potatoes into blender or food processor fitted with metal blade with enough water to puree into smooth paste.
3. Melt butter in large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onions; cook until onions are soft, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Heat chicken broth in separate pan until boiling. Gradually mix flour into onions. Cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Do not brown.
4. Slowly add boiling broth to onion mixture, stirring constantly. Add potato paste and stir well. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Stir frequently to keep from scorching. Add bacon, milk, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper and remaining chopped potatoes. Cover; simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently, to keep from scorching. If soup is too thick, add a little milk. Garnish with grated cheese and chives or green onions.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories …….. 305 Fat …………. 8 g Cholesterol .. 20 mg
Sodium ……. 550 mg Carbohydrates .. 50 g Protein ……. 11 g