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!

Ratatouille Bake

Submitted by: Lisa (this isn't my picture...I forgot to take one so I used the one with the recipe at www.allrecipes.com ) We made, actually Haley did, this dish for a neighborhood block party.  This time of year with all the fresh vegetables from your garden or farmers market, it is easy to whip up something like this dish.  I found with the added cheese ravioli, the kids were more willing to eat all the vegies!  I didn't have any eggplant so I used a yellow squash and some cabbage.  You can really put any vegies you want to in there and it will turn out great.  Be creative! Ratatouille Bake

1 tablespoon olive oil 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, chopped 2 cups peeled and diced eggplant 2 cups chopped zucchini 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon dried basil 1 tablespoon dried parsley 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 1 (8 ounce) package frozen cheese ravioli 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C); spray a 2 1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
2.	Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir the garlic, onion, and eggplant with the garlic until the vegetables have begun to soften, about 8 minutes. Stir in the zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes, basil, parsley, salt, and black pepper; bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
3.	Cook the frozen ravioli as directed on the package; drain. Spread the cooked ravioli in a layer into the bottom of the prepared baking dish; spoon the hot vegetables over the ravioli. Sprinkle with the cheese.
4.	Bake in the preheated oven until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Source:  www.allrecipes.com

Zucchini Brownies

Submitted by: Lisa

That time of year when the zucchini plants produce like nothing else!  Zucchini bread is good, but Zucchini Brownies are Better!!  I had these one night at a church activity and had no idea that there was zucchini in them.  Very moist with a rich chocolate flavor.  You know they are a hit when the kids gobble them down and come back for more.  Take those over abundant zucchini and shred them up and freeze them so you can enjoy these brownies all year long. Lip Smackin' good.  Zucchini Brownies

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups white sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups shredded zucchini

1/2 cup chopped walnuts  Frosting: 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 cup margarine 2 cups confectioners' sugar 1/4 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan. (I like to then take a knife and finely chop the shredded zucchini so there is no way the kids can find it!  If they don't see it, they don't even know it is there! My kids have eaten almost the whole pan already)
	In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
	Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies spring back when gently touched. To make the frosting, melt together the 6 tablespoons of cocoa and margarine; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the confectioners' sugar, milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares.

Source:  All Recipes.com