Although I don't write specifically about it, I love to cook. You know that feeling you had as a kid the day of your birthday right as a present was set in front of you? Well I get that feeling when I pick up my CSA share, open up the box, and decide what recipes I'm going to try that week in order to use up all of my veggies. Joining the CSA has made me experiment with all kinds of foods I never normally buy (TONS of squash, and recently turnips, anyone have any favorite turnip recipes?). Yet, even with all the new and delicious recipes, there are always a few repeats I turn to that I know will taste good and are good for me.
Recently several friends have asked me to share some of my favorites and because I made it last night, I decided to write about my "healthy" lasagna recipe. Instead of ricotta the recipe calls for cottage cheese. I can't actually take credit for it entirely, while I have tweaked it a bit I first discovered the backbone of the recipe in one of the first cookbooks my parents ever gave me: "Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Cookbook".
Easy Turkey Lasagna:
~8oz Lasagna noodles (no-boil noodles are the easiest)
~1 zucchini sliced and then cut into quarters
~10-12 white mushrooms sliced
~1 cup low fat cottage cheese
~1 egg white (or egg substitute equivalent)
~1/2 cup mozzarella
~1 lb ground turkey
~1 jar non fat, low sodium marinara sauce
~1/4 cup grated parmesan
Preheat oven to 400.
If using regular noodles, cook to package directions and drain.
Combine cottage cheese, egg white, and 1/4 cup of the motzarella in a small bowl and set aside.
Brown ground turkey in a skillet over med-high. Once browned stir in mushrooms, zucchini, and marinara sauce.
Spray a 9 x 13 (or similar sized baking pan/dish) with nonstick spray. Spread small amount of sauce in bottom of pan (a little goes a long way, you don't need to completely cover the bottom). Layer half the noodles on top, followed by half the egg white mixture, then half of the remaning sauce. Repeat, ending with the sauce.
Add the remaining mozzarella and parmasean on top.
Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes, or until the top is browned and the lasagna looks bubbly.
I serve it with a big salad with lots of chopped veggies (tomatoes, cucumber, bellpepper, chopped apples). It turns out surprisingly cheesy even though the cheese in the recipe is limited. You could also leave out the meat and add a bunch of extra vegetables if you are looking for a vegetarian option (or use imitation ground meat). It's great as a leftover too.
Recently several friends have asked me to share some of my favorites and because I made it last night, I decided to write about my "healthy" lasagna recipe. Instead of ricotta the recipe calls for cottage cheese. I can't actually take credit for it entirely, while I have tweaked it a bit I first discovered the backbone of the recipe in one of the first cookbooks my parents ever gave me: "Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Cookbook".
Easy Turkey Lasagna:
~8oz Lasagna noodles (no-boil noodles are the easiest)
~1 zucchini sliced and then cut into quarters
~10-12 white mushrooms sliced
~1 cup low fat cottage cheese
~1 egg white (or egg substitute equivalent)
~1/2 cup mozzarella
~1 lb ground turkey
~1 jar non fat, low sodium marinara sauce
~1/4 cup grated parmesan
Preheat oven to 400.
If using regular noodles, cook to package directions and drain.
Combine cottage cheese, egg white, and 1/4 cup of the motzarella in a small bowl and set aside.
Brown ground turkey in a skillet over med-high. Once browned stir in mushrooms, zucchini, and marinara sauce.
Spray a 9 x 13 (or similar sized baking pan/dish) with nonstick spray. Spread small amount of sauce in bottom of pan (a little goes a long way, you don't need to completely cover the bottom). Layer half the noodles on top, followed by half the egg white mixture, then half of the remaning sauce. Repeat, ending with the sauce.
Add the remaining mozzarella and parmasean on top.
Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes, or until the top is browned and the lasagna looks bubbly.
I serve it with a big salad with lots of chopped veggies (tomatoes, cucumber, bellpepper, chopped apples). It turns out surprisingly cheesy even though the cheese in the recipe is limited. You could also leave out the meat and add a bunch of extra vegetables if you are looking for a vegetarian option (or use imitation ground meat). It's great as a leftover too.