Win-Win Lasagna - Tracy Style

This recipe really is win-win for lasagna!  I mean it's lasagna!  So there's the first win.  The 2nd win goes to the low carb half!

Yummy goodness!

Lasagna was planned for the weekend, but I never got around to making it.  So here we are Monday at 5pm, just walked in the door from my lovely commute, and started supper.

Have you ever noticed that when you are cooking something that needs some serious multi tasking, that the phone rings?  It was my brother!  I rarely get to talk to him and I wanted to but I had 2 strikes against me.  1st strike: my battery on the cell phone was at 2%, so it was a waste to try to answer.  2nd strike:  I was right at that crucial moment of the lasagna assembly.  The crucial moment where you grate the side of your hand along with your mozzarella.  OWIE!!

Well, I guess I needed something to give me a 2nd wind.. Nothing like pain to do it.

I must note, that I really don't know how to assemble lasagna, so I guessed.  I also didn't have the time to google a "how to", so here's to winging it.  It was "delicious" as honey said.

Win-Win Lasagna
Ingredients
1 lb ground meat (I used organic ground chicken) crmbled and cooked - seasoned with Italian seasoning, one garlic clove, and about 1/2 cup of marinara sauce
3 cooked lasagna noodles
1 zucchini (organic zucchini is amazing... just sayin') sliced
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1 egg (beaten)
grated parmesan and romano cheese
block of mozzarella cheese to shred (maybe 2 cups?)
1/2 red onion coarsely chopped
1 jar of marinara sauce (I used Walmart's Wild Oats organic)
Italian seasoning
1 large garlic clove

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Assembly:
Put about 3/4 cup of the marinara on the bottom of a glass baking dish to keep the pasta from sticking.
Cut cooked lasagna noodles in half horizontally.  Then cut one of the noodle halves in half lengthwise.  Place 2 of the halved lasagna noodles on the sauce and then 1 of the lengthwise cuts next to them.  On the other side, put half of your zucchini to sub for noodles.  See below.

Top with meat crumbles and 1/4 of the chopped red onion.

Top that with the ricotta blend (1 1/2 cups ricotta, 1 egg (beaten) and italian seasoning blend.

Top with a bit of sauce and some shredded mozzarella.

Do another layer of pasta and zucchini

Top with meat crumbles and the rest of the chopped red onion

Sprinkle some grated parmesan and romano cheese and sauce.

Final topping is the rest of the shredded mozzarella cheese!

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and brown cheese for 10 minutes.

Let stand for 10 minutes or so...

Low carb half

Enjoy the yummy goodness!

Any recipe requests?

Chicken Parmesan Dinner with Low Carb Side Options

This is one of my most requested dinners.  Honey is not picky and eats everything I make, but every now and then he asks for something specific, so I do my best to come through.

This is on the simple side, since I love simple things.  =)  I don't bother with breading the chicken.  This not only saves on carbs and calories but also saves on the mess.

Another great thing about this dinner is that I'm cooking for 2 but this makes enough for 4 servings plus a little extra for someone's lunch the next day.  Leftovers rock!

Simple Chicken Parm
Ingredients:
1 lb package of organic boneless skinless chicken breasts
block mozzarella cheese to shred(you can use pre-shredded, but we don't because of the added junk it has)
1 jar of organic tomato sauce (I think Walmart's brand is wild oats or something like that)
1 small can of tomato paste
garlic fresh or garlic powder
Italian seasoning blend
grated Parmesan cheese

Caprese Salad Side
fresh tomatoes sliced
sweet onion sliced
mozzarella shredded
basil
balsamic vinaigrette

Additional Sides (optional)
Dreamfields pasta for honey
Zoodles for me (organic zucchini)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spoon some of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a glass backing dish.  Add the chicken breasts and top with a little more sauce, garlic (fresh or powder), italian seasoning, and grated parmesan cheese.  Cover with foil and bake for about 20 minutes.

Put the sauce in a small pan, add a can of tomato paste, season with garlic, italian seasoning, grated parmesan cheese, and of course WINE (just a little) and heat on low.

Then I went and had a glass of wine on the deck because it was gorgeous outside!  You can do something productive if you want.  

After about 20 minutes, start boiling the pasta water and prepare the sides by slicing the tomatoes and onions, shredding the mozzarella cheese (enough for your caprese salads and to top the chicken breasts) and give your veggeti a workout with some organic zucchini.

Once you get the pasta in the boiling water (about 1/2 the box), pull the chicken out and top each breast with mozzarella.  Put the chicken back in the oven uncovered.

When the pasta is cooked, drain and the put back in the pan and add some of the warm tomato sauce.

Microwave the zoodles for 1 minute on high.

The cheese on the chicken should be yummy, gooey by now and slightly browned.  YUM!

Time for presentation:

Assemble caprese salad on side of plate, alternating tomato and onion.  Top with shredded mozzarella cheese, pink salt and pepper, basil (if you have it) and drizzle balsamic vinaigrette on top.

Add your pasta or zoodles and chicken breast.  Top with warmed sauce as desired.

low carb option with zoodles

Enjoy!!

Peach Salsa Chicken Recipe

Photo by Tracy Hilbun

Peach Salsa Chicken

Super easy and yummy supper.  This is not an original idea.  I think this is a take on a Weight Watchers recipe.  

My ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Betty's Country Store Peach Salsa (Betty's Country Store is located in Helen, GA - about 10 miles from us)

Mozzarella cheese slices (part skim)

Pink Himalayan Salt

Pepper

Preheat oven to 375

Place your chicken breasts in a prepared glass baking dish (use cooking spray, oil, or butter)

Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the chicken breasts

Top with salsa (maybe 1/2 cup on each breast?) {I'm terrible about measuring}

Cover dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes or so

After 20 minutes, remove chicken and add a slice of cheese to each chicken breast

Bake an additional 15-20 minutes re-covered in foil

After about 15 minutes, remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes with an additional slice of cheese on each chicken breast to brown the cheese.

Enjoy with some nice low carb sides to complete your colorful plate!

Yummy, easy, cheesy!