Friday, August 23, 2019

Best Zucchini Lasagna (peasandpeonies.com)


1. Slice zucchini into 1/8 inch slices, lengthwise and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Place on paper towels to remove moisture. 

2. Heat 2 TB olive oil, add 1 medium chopped onion, and 4 cloves garlic, minced. Stir 1minute. 

3. Add 2 TB tomato paste, 28 oz crushed tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 30 minutes. Add 2 cups spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from heat. 

4. In a large bowl, mix 15 oz ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 8 oz mozzarella cheese, 8 oz pepper jack cheese, 1 large egg, 1 TB dried basil, 1 tp Italian seasoning, 1/4 tp red pepper flakes, 1/2 tp salt and 1/4 tp pepper to taste. Stir ( it’ll be thick). 

5. Spread 1/2 cup of cheese mixture, 1 layer of zucchini, 1/2 remaining cheese, top with spinach, zucchini, rest of cheese, spinach, zucchini, 1 cup marinara sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella cheese.

6. Bake at375 degrees, covered with foil, for 30 minutes..uncover and bake an additional 20-30 minutes. Let sit 15 minutes, slice and garnish with parsley. 

Black Beans and Quinoa Enchilada Zucchini (twopeasandtheirpod.com)


4 zucchini cut in half lengthwise
1 TB oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1small red bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
1 ear sweet corn kernels cut off the cob (or 1 cup frozen)
1/2 tp chili powder
1/2 tp ground cumin
Juice 1/2 lime
15 oz black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup quinoa
Salt and pepper
10 oz red enchilada sauce
1 cup shredded Mexican blend or Cheddar cheese, divided in half

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
2. Using a small melon scooper or spoon, hollow out the center of the zucchini halves, leaving 1/4 inch thick shell on each half. Chop the scooped out zucchini flesh and set aside 1 cup to use in filling. Drop zucchini halves in boiling water and cook 1 minute. Remove from water and set aside. 
3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. 
4. Squeeze the 1 cup of zucchini filling in a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Stir in zucchini, garlic, red pepper, corn, chili powder, cumin, and lime juice. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the black beans and quinoa.  Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Stir in 1/2 cup shredded cheese and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce. 
5. Drizzle a small amount of enchilada sauce on bottom of pan and spread out to coat bottom of pan. Place hollowed zucchini halves, cut side up, in the bottom of the pan. Fill boats with black bean filling, pressing firmly so it stays in the boats. Drizzle enchilada sauce over filled boats. Sprinkle with cheese.
6. Cover and bake 30 minutes, then remove cover and bake an additional 5 minutes to melt/ brown cheese. Serve warm. Freezes well. Serves 4.


Overnight Cauliflower Oats (peacefuldumpling.com)

1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 TB white chia seeds
1/2 cup steamed riced cauliflower
1/2 cup mashed banana
Dash cinnamon
Fresh fruit
Peanut butter
Coconut flakes

Combine all ingredients in a mason jar and stir slightly to combine. Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours. In the morning, serve with fresh fruit, peanut butter, and coconut.

Corn and Black Bean Salad (From Renee)

Mix equal amounts of corn (fresh or frozen), sliced cucumber, cubed Roma tomatoes, rinsed and drained black beans, and chopped peppers. Add chopped onions and juice from 2 limes. Serve room temperature or chilled. Keeps well in refrigerator.