Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake

It was high time I featured a desert here. With Labor Day coming tomorrow signaling the end of summer, I decided to honor the lemon. I found this recipe in The Yogurt Bible.

I can't remember the last time I made a cheesecake by hand. It's been so long, in fact, that I had to borrow a 9 inch spring pan from my mother. This is not your usual cheesecake. When I think of cheesecake, a dense cheesy slab of sweet creamy goodness comes to mind; thick and leaving you stuffed. But this one is light and bursting with the refreshing flavor of fresh lemon. The shortbread cookie crust helps out too. Also, it's more of a tart thickness even though it's made in a full size spring form pan. You don't have to limit this to blueberries. I'll try this again with fresh raspberries or a canned cherry pie filling. Whatever you decide, this is a delicious desert that will be gone before you reach for the second slice.

Preheat oven to 300 F.

9 inch springform pan, ungreased

CRUST:
1 1/2 cups shortbread cookies or graham cracker crumbs (put through food processor)
1/4 cup butter, melted

CHEESECAKE
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 cup lemon yogurt
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1tbsp grated lemon zest
1tsp vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blueberries

1. Crust: in a bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter and press in to bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of spring form pan. Bake in a preheated over for 6 minutes or until firm but not browned. Let cool for at least 10 minutes.

2. Cheesecake: In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat on low speed for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for about 30 seconds after each addition. Beat for 2-3 minutes on low-medium speed until well combined. Add yogurt, condensed milk, lemon zest, and vanilla and beat for 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed.

3. Scrape cheesecake mixture over crust in spring form pan. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until the edge is firm. The center may be cracked and slightly wobbly. Turn off the oven and let cheesecake cool for 30 minutes in the oven with the door ajar. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve garnished with fresh berries.

Crook's Corner Shrimp and Grits

A few years ago I had the pleasure of having brunch at Humble Pie in Raleigh, North Carolina. An old warehouse converted in to a hip urban eatery, the food was fantastic and the Bloody Marys too. My order of shrimp and grits was so memorable that here I am years later writing about it here. In fact, the shrimp and grits are so good at Humble Pie, they are listed on the menu as "broth of the Gods." I did some research and found the recipe from Crook's Corner, another popular North Carolina restaurant in Chapel Hill. I grew up eating grits with my father who was raised for part of his childhood in the south. We used to smother ours with butter and fresh pepper. Then I discovered that cheese is the secret ingredient that elevates plain grits to something godly.

We had this for dinner last night and there wasn't a trace of it left by the time we licked our bowls clean. I wish the photo did this dish more justice. Trust me, it was incredible; all of the flavors completely enhanced each other from the sharp cheddar and Parmesan in the grits to the mushrooms, bacon, scallions and shrimp that sat in a broth that was indeed worthy of God coming over here for dinner. I think part of the success in this dish is the addition of some hot sauce. I don't like things too hot but a few splashes in both the shrimp mixture and the grits made this really spectacular. You can go over here to see the rave reviews on this dish.

RECIPE


Ingredients

* 2 cups water
* 1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
* 3/4 cup half-and-half
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup regular grits
* 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (or to taste)
* 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
* 3 bacon slices
* 1 pound medium-size shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 cup sliced mushrooms
* 1/2 cup chopped green onions
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 cup low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (or to taste)
* Lemon wedges

Preparation

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually whisk in grits. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until thickened. Add Cheddar cheese and next 4 ingredients. Keep warm.

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon, and set aside.

Sprinkle shrimp with pepper and salt; dredge in flour.

Sauté mushrooms in hot drippings in skillet 5 minutes or until tender. Add green onions, and sauté 2 minutes. Add shrimp and garlic, and sauté 2 minutes or until shrimp are lightly brown. Stir in chicken broth, lemon juice, and hot sauce, and cook 2 more minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet.

Serve shrimp mixture over hot cheese grits. Top with crumbled bacon; serve with lemon wedges.