Zucchini Lasagna

My DIL asked me to make this lasagna to cut down on carbs and calories. I used my regular lasagna recipe and substituted grilled zucchini for the pasta. 

4-5 Zucchini, sliced lengthwise about 25 slices*
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 lb ground Beef
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 1/2 cups Béchamel Sauce (recipe below)
4 cups Tomato Sauce
1 tsp minced Garlic
1 tsp Basil
Salt and Pepper
15 oz Ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Sprinkle sliced zucchini with salt, pepper and a little garlic powder. Coat a grill pan with oil and grill zucchini on both sides until lightly brown, and set aside.

In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil on med-high. Add ground beef, salt and pepper, and sauté until browned, breaking up large clumps. Remove from heat, drain excess fat and let cool completely.

Preheat oven to 375 and make sure rack is in center position of oven.

In a medium bowl, mix the béchamel and tomato sauces to blend. Add meat mixture, garlic and basil.

In another medium bowl, mix ricotta, eggs, and ½ cup Mozzarella cheese.** (You can also add fresh minced garlic, basil and other seasonings if desired.)

In a 13 x 9 baking dish, spoon a little sauce and meat mixture over the bottom of the dish. Place zucchini slices over top the sauce, overlapping slightly and completely covering the bottom of the dish.
Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles and sprinkle with ½ cup mozzarella. Place more zucchini slices over ricotta mixture, top with sauce, and sprinkle with ½ cup mozzarella. Top with remaining zucchini, then rest of sauce, and mozzarella, and Parmesan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.

*It will depend on the size of the zucchini as to how many slices you will yield. The pan is 13x9, and there are 3 layers of zucchini slices. I ended up using 5 small size zucchini cut the thickness of noodles on a mandolin slicer.

**Tip: The lasagna will puff up because of the egg in the ricotta. When the center is risen as high as the edges, it’s done.

Béchamel Sauce

3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk

In a medium sauce pan, over med-high heat, melt butter and whisk in flour, stirring until lightly browned. Slowly add in milk, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring each addition until thickened and bubbly. Simmer, stirring constantly, until sauce is thick, smooth and creamy but not boiling, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in a pinch of salt, pepper to taste and if desired, a pinch of nutmeg.

Cooking with Charlie! Zucchini Alrfedo Boats!

I love my baby brother. He is a good cook! Mama taught us both to cook. I can remember him sitting cross-legged on the counter beside the stove cooking eggs... the prettiest fried eggs you have ever seen. If a yolk broke, he would say, "Uh Oh! Broke!" and dump it in the trash and start over! LOL

I got a call saying that Charlie (my baby 'brudder') was cooking, and I needed to come take pictures so my followers would know how it's done right. Did I mention he is also modest??? (Rolling eyes here) He used the zucchini that I brought (I was given the zucchini by my BFFF Mary over at Cooking with Mary and Friends) to make Zucchini Alfredo Boats! But first, a little bit of munchies while the 'boats' are in process!

 Zucchini Chips in the making!

 Seasonings and Parm Cheese Toasted and Crispy!

Do you think they are good?

This is just after Christy and I went after them!

 Now, let's get serious! He scooped the insides out!

He made a hamburger and mushroom mixture

and of course it has cheese!

 He added more Parmesan cheese on top!

 Baked until browned and the zucchini is soft.

 Topped with an Alfredo Sauce and more cheese!

Baked until browned!

I was not even hungry, and I ate the whole thing!!!

OMGeeeeee!

My Baby Brudder, Charlie!

I'll work on a complete recipe soon! Not easy to follow the master in real time! LOL

Zucchini and Cheddar Tartlets

These little vegetable tartlets are so yummy and can be made with almost any veggies you may have on hand. I had yellow squash, so that's what I used!

1 cup zucchini or yellow squash, seeded and grated
1/4 cup grated onion
1/4 cup Italian flavored bread crumbs
1/4 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded fine
1 large eggs, beaten
Basil, Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper, to taste
Basil leaves, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray mini muffin pans with cooking oil. Combine ingredients in a bowl and drop by spoonfuls into pans. Pat mixture down. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Pull tartlets from pans with the edge of a knife. If stuck, run a knife around the edges and they should pop right out. Arrange on a plate and sprinkle with basil leaves.
Makes 12 mini tarts.

My Great-Aunt Vashti's Browned Squash

Last night, I attempted once again to re-create an old family recipe... My Great-Aunt Vashti's Browned Squash! To get the intense browning that she did, I have to cook it low and slow on the stove-top. If the temp is not just right, it will burn and you'll end up with a bitter flavor. I discovered that I don't have the patience to cook this dish often! It took me 2 hours to even get close!

I started with yellow squash and zucchini

(because I packaged them together last year in the freezer)

Aunt Vashti only used yellow squash...
I added 3 T butter, minced onion, basil, garlic powder,

red and black pepper, salt and a little lemon juice.

After stirring and cooking for 2 hours, it looks like this...

in all its caramelized goodness!

 We also had pork chops...

and Red Beans and Rice :-)

Zucchini Triangles

I think every southern cook that has ever held a dinner party has made these in some fashion. This is the way I make them.

3 c grated unpeeled zucchini (4 small)
1 c Bisquick mix
1/2 c finely chopped onion
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c vegetable oil
4 eggs, slightly beaten

Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottom and sides of a good quality aluminum cookie sheets, 15x10. Stir together all ingredients. Spread in pan. Bake about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into 2-inch squares; cut squares diagonally in half into triangles. Don't leave them sitting in the pan. They may get greasy. Place them on paper towels to cool slighty.