Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Poached Figs

By Kay MacInnis

This recipe is really good if you like cheesecake. And I really like cheesecake.

It seems as though it has a lot of ingredients and steps, but if you have ever made cheesecake from scratch you know that it takes a little extra time to get the end result. And this version is much healthier than more traditional versions.

At this time of year, I start working on recipes that I might take to social gatherings to show off my skills in the kitchen — taking something that is not so good for us and making it better by modifying the fat, sugar and salt. I especially love when my family and friends enjoy eating some of the recipes that have been modified and don’t know that they are eating something healthy.

It looks pretty impressive… but it’s not really that hard to make!

Crust ingredients:

• 15 plain Melba Toasts (4 ounces)
• 1/3 cup walnut halves
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Cheesecake ingredients:

• 14 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 2½ cups low-fat/nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 7 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping ingredients:

• 16 whole dried figs
• 2 cups warm water
• ½ cup port wine
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 3-inch strip of orange zest
• ½ cup agave

Crust preparation:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Put a kettle of water on to heat for the water bath.
• Coat a 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray; tightly wrap the bottom and outside with a double layer of foil.
• Process Melba toasts and walnuts in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a medium bowl.
• Add oil and 2 tablespoons sugar to crumb mixture and toss until evenly moist.
• Press crumb mixture into bottom of pan.
• Bake until lightly browned (10 minutes).
• Transfer to wire rack and let cool to room temperature (30 minutes).

Cheesecake preparation:

• When crust is almost cool, beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
• Add yogurt, egg whites, and cinnamon; beat until well blended. Pour the batter over the cooled crust.
• Place the cheesecake in a roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to come 1 inch up the outside of the springform pan.
• Bake the cheesecake in the center of oven until set around the edges but the center still jiggles (45 minutes).
• Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit in the oven with the door ajar for 1 hour.

Topping preparation:

• Place figs in small bowl, cover with warm water and let soak for 1 hour.
• Strain figs, reserving the soaking water.
• Strain the soaking water into a medium saucepan. Add port wine; bring to a boil over high heat.
• Add cinnamon stick, orange zest, and the figs. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the figs are plump and the liquid is the consistency of a thin syrup (10-15 minutes).
• Remove figs with slotted spoon and set aside to cool.
• Stir ½ cup agave into the liquid, adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half (15-25 minutes).
• Discard cinnamon stick, and orange zest.
• Chop figs and return them to the syrup.
• Remove the pan sides from the cheesecake.
• Serve each slice topped with some of the fig sauce.

Yield: 16 servings

Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 263, fat 5 grams, protein 9 grams, carbohydrate 35 grams, fiber 1 gram, cholesterol 19 mg, sodium 196 mg, potassium 134 mg.

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This is another in a weekly series of healthy recipes from Kay MacInnis, registered dietitian at Providence Hospitals in Columbia.

Kay works in Health and Wellness at Providence, helping cardiac and diabetes patients eat their way to healthier lives. She’s not a chef herself, but in consultation with the actual chefs at Providence, she’s learned a lot over the years as she has worked to help patients help themselves after they leave the hospital.

She also conducts a number of health and wellness events for the public, including the monthly Providence Cooks! classes.

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