Garden Fresh Lasagna

 (I used a home canned tomato sauce for this recipe, but you can use store bought)

• This is the 2nd recipe for the week that will include Zucchini.  I have them multiplying faster that I can cook with them!  But, I am determined to venture out and try them in a few different ways.  Don't forget, if you don't have time to cook with them, at least take the time to peel and finely shred them.  They freeze fabulously and you can pull it out later and make something.

• Submitted by Lisa

• Source:  inspired by a dish I saw on www.health.com titled Garden Lasagna
•  (the original dish has no meat and uses a white sauce)
• 
  

• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 1/2 cups (1 pound) chopped zucchini
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2/3 cup chopped carrot
• 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels or frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil (I omitted because my sauce was seasoned already)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 2 quarts of home canned tomatoes or store bought 
• 1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 lb. hamburger browned
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
• Cooking spray
• 9 (about 5 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles (such as Barilla)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, onion, and carrot; sauté 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat; stir in corn, basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

3. In small mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, parmesan cheese and the egg.  Mix until combined.

4.  Mix the browned beef and the vegetable mixture together.

5. Spread 1/2 cup tomatoes in bottom of an 11- x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over sauce; top with half the vegetable mixture (about 2 cups) and one-third of the cottage cheese mixture, and spread a layer of tomato sauce/chunks over that.

6. Sprinkle some of the mozzerella cheese on and repeat until gone.  Your top layer should remain the vegie mixture with sauce and a final sprinkle of the mozzerella cheese.  

7. Cover with foil and bake at 400° for about 50 to 60 minutes until golden brown. Let stand 15 minutes.

**tip** I put my dish on a cookie sheet with sides in case it bubbles over.  

Zucchini Fries

Posted by Lisa

Zucchini.  The ever abundant garden vegetable.  I have my 1st of the season right here.  Although I have my favorite zucchini recipes, I felt that I needed to add a few more to my choices if I want the kids and hubby to   continue to eat it all summer!  I found this recipe online at www.health.com  and made it to go with grilled steaks and baked potatoes.  It was a great addition and since it is baked, no added fat!

What do you do with it!?  ....try this recipe!

• Ingredients:
• 2 zucchini
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• Vegetable cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°. 

 Peel the zucchini. 

Remove the center with the seeds and discard.

Cut zucchini into 1/2-inch sticks. 

Whisk an egg white in a small bowl, and add milk. Combine Parmesan and seasoned breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. Dip zucchini sticks into egg mixture, and then roll in breadcrumb mixture. 

Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, and place zucchini on sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

  

****Tip**** If you have extra zucchini...DON'T THROW IT AWAY.  Take the left over and shred it and either make zucchini brownies or shred and freeze for making the brownies at another time!

Homemade Granola Bars

I got this recipe from www.Foodnetwork.com.  I figured it was time to feed the kids something sort of healthy after all of the holiday sweets!  This recipe looked good.  It is currently in the oven, so when it comes out and cools, I will tell you how we all like it!  I didn't have any wheat germ, so that was omitted from the recipe but added to my grocery list.  I remember as a kid my parents always throwing wheat germ into various recipes and always thought it was a weird name for something edible!

**update, ok, the are out of the oven, have rested the appropriate time, and the "kid" test has been preformed:  They are accepted!  I really like them too.  I found that they are quite filling as well, which makes them a perfect snack while the kids are hungry waiting for dinner!

Homemade Granola Bars

2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:

25 min

Inactive Prep Time:

3 hr 0 min

Cook Time:

40 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

12 to 16 bars

Ingredients

• 2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberries and stir well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature
.