oh hi remember me?!

...maybe you don't. you know, since it's been...i don't know. a long time. months, eons, millenia. (i was pretty sure millenia was a word but its underlined in red....hmm)

it's been a busy time (sometimes), and sometimes i've been lazy. mostly, just lazy.

but i have been cooking! i'll break it up in a few posts so as not to overwhelm my 2 readers.

first up, zucchini noodle lasagna from Dashing Dish!

zucchini lasagna

anyway, you may remember me mentioning this dish in a previous post 

and i didn't have a picture then either. but it's super delicious, and well worth the effort! i would say it's not an easy dish, as the prep required is time consuming, but its so yummy that everyone should try it anyway.

when I re-attempted this dish, it was via Skype with my mom, we had a little cooking date and made it together :) It's not as good as being home with my family, but it's still nice to be able to see them and share meals together. 

you will need:

For the Noodles:

• 6 large zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/8 inch strips, should resemble thick lasagna type “noodles”

For the Meat Sauce:

• 1.25 lb lean ground turkey meat (you could also leave this out and make to make a vegetarian version!)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cups fresh or frozen broccoli (or 2 cups of another veggie of choice)
• 2 cups fresh or frozen cauliflower (or 2 cups of another veggie of choice)
• 2 cups fresh or frozen chopped spinach (or 2 cups of another veggie of choice)
• 1 (25 ounce) jar of spaghetti sauce (I used one with 70 calories per 1/2 cup serving)
• 1 tbs garlic powder (or 1 clove garlic, minced)
• Pinch of salt and pepper, or to taste
• *Optional seasoning: 2 tbs of Italian Seasoning

For the Cheese Layer:

• 1 (16 ounce) container light cottage cheese (or light ricotta cheese)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

to assemble:

1. For the noodle layer: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray, arrange zucchini slices and season with salt and pepper. Bake zucchini slices for 5 minutes on each side, then remove from oven. Set zucchini slices aside and lower oven temperature to 375 degrees.
2. For the meat sauce layer: In a large non-stick skillet, cook meat until it’s browned. To the skillet, add the veggies, seasonings, and the entire jar of spaghetti sauce. Simmer for about 10 minutes, (or until veggies are de-thawed/begin to soften), stirring occasionally.
3. For the cheesy layer: Mix the cottage cheese and parmesan cheese together, ( this can be done right in the cottage cheese container!)
4. Put it all together: Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Begin by spreading 1/3 of the meat sauce in the bottom of the pan. Follow meat sauce with a layer of zucchini slices, followed by a layer of cottage cheese. Repeat the layers until casserole dish is full.
5. Finish it off: Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.
6. Remove foil and bake or broil another 5-10 minutes until cheese is browned. Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing, and serve warm!

worth every minute of prep time! it freezes well (after being cooked), and since i made an entire 13x9 pan i froze about half the dish in individual containers for quick easy lunches. i love this dish because it's full of vegetables, has lots of cheesiness and rich flavor, and still has the feel of a traditional lasagna from the hearty meat sauce!