…Infinite Life Fitness Recipe: Zucchini Lasagna…
I don’t know about you…but there are just some things that I can not give up. BUT the key to reaching your health and fitness goals is FINDING A BALANCE. You may not have to completely give up on the things that you enjoy the most. All you have to do is slightly alter them.
I came up with a zucchini lasagna that taste JUST AS GOOD as the real thing…minus the pile of noodles that come along with a lasagna. Not only does it taste just as good…there are fewer calories and MORE protein!
What you will need:
- 1 lb lean ground turkey (or lean beef or any other chopped up lean meat)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 dices onions
- dash of salt
- dash of pepper
- 1 tbsp basil
- 16 oz contain of low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 can of tomato paste
- 1 can of tomato sauce
- 3 cans of diced tomatoes (i used the fiesta lime Rotel)
- 1 pack of low-fat shredded cheese
- 1 LARGE zucchini (or enough zucchini to cover the various layers that you want)
What you will do:
- Pre-Heat your oven to 350 degrees
- Cook and season meat in a pan and set aside for later step
- wash your zucchini (some people have even skinned the zucchini…so you can do what you prefer)
- you can slice the zucchini into long thin strips OR you can cut your zucchini into round slices such as I did:
- Next you HAVE to grill or saute your zucchini. Zucchini is a vegetable that retains a lot of water. If you do not pre-cook the zucchini when you cook the lasagna it will become a watery/soupy dish.
- After you cook your zucchini pieces start to layer your dish:
- Now layer your lasagna with the other ingredients:
- This is when you can get creative and mix up how you put together your layers. I wanted to have a total of two layers on my lasagna so I just cut all ingredients in half and mixed them up between the two layers.
This dish can make approximately 8-10 servings.
I was able to make this dish, separate the squares of lasagna out into containers and freeze the extra pieces. This lasagna was AMAZING flavorful. I would have to say having the lime Rotel added a new burst of flavor. I also enjoyed having the tomato past because that also added to the flavor of the meal.
The fun thing about these casserole is that you can mix and match ingredients and add or change anything that you would want.
Another great thing about making a dish like this is that you will be able to set aside portions of this lasagna to have later during the week. With the added cottage cheese and lean meat, this dish is packed with protein while still leaving you feeling full and satisfied.
Meal preparation is KEY when it comes to helping you stay on track with healthy meal planning and eating. If you have food prepared and ready to eat you are more likely to make healthier meal choices during meal time.
