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.  

Homemade Spaghetti sauce

Submitted by Lisa

( I used this on top of a spaghetti squash!  It was delicious )

My sauce:

about 10 tomatoes seeded and peeled.
1 green pepper diced
4 leeks sliced and washed (you can use onion, maybe 1 large one)
5 garlic cloves
2 tbsp beef bullion paste
1 tbsp chicken bullion paste
salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp parsley

Directions:

• Cook the tomatoes in a pot until they fall apart.  
• Mean while, slice and wash the leeks and saute in a pan with olive oil until soft.  Add to the tomatoes.
• Saute the finely chopped pepper in the olive oil.  When softened, add the chopped garlic and saute for a minute or so until fragrant.  Add both to the tomatoes.
• Continue cooking the tomatoes down, on low to medium.  I used a potato masher to smash them up more once they were really soft.
• Cook it for about 45 minutes or so, stirring often, to reduce the liquid and intensify the flavors.  
• Depending on the acidity of your tomatoes, you may need to adjust the lemon juice.  Add the spices and, cook for another 10 minutes and enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash

Submitted by Lisa

I was given a spaghetti squash by my sister Hannah.  I have never used or eaten one before. So, I thought it was time to give it a try.  Last night I finished canning my tomatoes and had some left when I ran out of jars.  I decided to cook it down into a spaghetti sauce.....and use it on my new squash!

So today was the day.  I cooked it up and topped it with my homemade sauce and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised.  I really liked it and the whole family liked it except my 9 year old.  He didn't care for the "squash" part.  : )


Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash

Sauce:

spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce.  Either home made or heaven forbid store bought!


Directions

• Pierce the squash all over with a fork or skewer.  Place it into a baking dish and cover with foil.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 350 or until a fork goes into the outside of the squash easily.

• Cut it in half length wise and scoop out the seeds and throw those away. 

• Take a fork and use it to "shred" the inside of the squash.

You are now ready to top it with what ever sauce you like!  Enjoy

My sauce:

about 10 tomatoes seeded and peeled.
1 green pepper diced
4 leeks sliced and washed
5 garlic cloves
2 tbsp beef bullion paste
1 tbsp chicken bullion paste
salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp parsley

Directions:

• Cook the tomatoes in a pot until they fall apart.  
• Mean while, slice and wash the leeks and saute in a pan with olive oil until soft.  Add to the tomatoes
• Saute the finely chopped pepper in the olive oil.  When softened, add the chopped garlic and saute for a minute or so until fragrant.  Add both to the tomatoes.
• Continue cooking the tomatoes down, on low to medium.  I used a potato masher to smash them up more once they were really soft.
• Cook it for about 45 minutes or so, stirring often, to reduce the liquid and intensify the flavors.  
• Depending on the acidity of your tomatoes, you may need to adjust the lemon juice.  Add all the ingredients by now and enjoy!