Waist-Friendly Zucchini Lasagna

   

by Tara Wright

Yields 10-12 servings

There’s nothing like the down-home feeling of a delicious lasagna dinner! Unfortunately, lasagna doesn’t exactly meet or exceed our nutritional standards….like, ever.  This lasagna takes a ton of the guilt out of eating this Italian dish, but it still resembles the flavors that we all love so dearly.  

Ingredients:

  • 4 large green zucchinis (I was able to use one giant garden zucchini, but this measurement is based on your likely store availability)
  • 2 cups lowfat (2%) cottage cheese
  • 2 links Jennie O Italian turkey sausage (uncooked; found in meat section)
  • 1 jar low sodium spaghetti sauce (or homemade as long as it is low sodium & no sugar added)
  • 1 cup shredded low-fat/skim mozzarella 
  • 1 package ground lean turkey 
  • 2 large fresh tomatoes, diced (or 1 can of *drained* diced will work in a pinch—no salt added)
  • 1/2 medium white onion, diced
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced (depends on how garlicky you like it)
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • salt & pepper to taste (probably won’t even need any)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.  Remove casings from turkey sausage.  Brown entire package (1.25 lbs is standard) of ground turkey along with the raw turkey sausage, breaking apart the meat frequently as it cooks.  Add diced onion and garlic to the meat. Pour jar of sauce into the skillet, followed by diced tomatoes; turn to low and let it simmer.  Cut off and discard the ends of each zucchini.  Turning the zucchini vertical, slice in long, thin strokes all the way down the veggie.  The result will be a long, flat shape that will work very nicely in place of a noodle.  Using a 9x13 glass or metal pan (pre-treat with non-stick spray), lay out a layer of zucchini slices on the bottom of the pan.  Measure out 2 cups of cottage cheese, then scoop a dollop at a time for the next layer, spread with the back of a spoon.  Next, roughly estimate 1/2 of your meat/sauce mixture and pour it in for the next layer; spread.  Follow this up with another layer of zucchini “noodles” to cover the sauce.  Pour the remainder of the red sauce on top of the zucchini layer.  Last, sparingly sprinkle no more than 1 cup of shredded mozzarella on top.  Pop it in the oven for 25-30 minutes (be sure the zucchini slices are tender) and divide into 10-12 squares. Devour immediately.  

Suggestions:

A nice slice of this with a big salad is a perfect meal!  And, this dish serves plenty, so you should have leftovers too.  I found that it keeps at least 2-3 days if stored properly in an airtight container in the fridge.  

You might know by now that I love a little heat.  Don’t be afraid to sprinkle a bit of crushed red pepper on top of this or even a few drops of Sriracha.  Yum!!  

If you are one of the lucky few who can have whole wheat pasta, I have seen lasagna noodles available at several grocery stores.  If brown rice is incorporated into your diet, there are also brown rice lasagna noodles in many stores!  Adjust the dish accordingly, but know that the zucchini does add a touch of something different- so maybe keep a little in as a layer all its own:)  

Chopped spinach would be great in this too!  Throw some into the pan when you are cooking the meat to give it time to wilt/heat up.  It is always nice to pack extra veggies into your main dish.  

Enjoy!  

Quick Apple Feta Salad

   

by Tara Wright

Yields 1 serving

Some days you just don’t have time to think about your veggies!  This awesome salad tastes like it took way more thought and effort than it actually does:)

Ingredients:

  • 3 slices Granny Smith or Fuji apple, roughly diced
  • 2 tbsp light Feta cheese
  • 2 cups spring mix salad (or any darker green lettuce), rinsed & dried 
  • 1/8 cup shredded carrots (mine were already in the salad mix)
  • 3 tbsp red onion, finely diced
  • 2 tbsp light balsamic vinaigrette

Directions:

Prepare all components of the salad as directed.  Lay a bed of greens onto a large plate, followed by an even sprinkle of your carrots, onions, and apples.  Measure out and pour your dressing, followed by the Feta crumbles on top.  That’s it!  

Enjoy!

Suggestion:

This salad goes lovely with grilled chicken!  Use it as a side, or throw some slices right on top.  The chicken, apples, and tangy balsamic go very nicely together.  

WBF "Fried" Brown Rice & Veggies

   

by Tara Wright

Yields 8 servings

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups cooked, day old brown rice
  • 8 oz ground uncooked turkey sausage
  • 1 cup shredded carrots, roughly chopped
  • 1 zucchini, diced small
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 small white onion, diced
  • 6 stalks green onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
  • 4 egg whites
  • 3 tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos (low sodium soy sauce alternative)
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tsp Sriracha sauce
  • 1/2 tsp ground or fresh ginger
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Start by preparing all veggies (and cilantro & garlic) as described above, then dump them into a large bowl and set them aside.  Spray a large skillet or wok with a touch of non stick, then proceed to brown and crumble the turkey sausage. Once sausage is cooked thoroughly, add egg whites and continuously stir until cooked.  Remove eggs & sausage from pan, set aside for later.  Measure out 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, turning pan up to medium high.  Once the oil is hot, spread it out across the pan and add cooked brown rice to the skillet.  Let it sit for a few seconds, then toss to be sure all of the rice has a turn at the bottom of the pan.  A few grains may be a bit browned, and that is ok!  After the rice has had a few minutes to “fry”, add the eggs and sausage back to the pan and incorporate.  In a second skillet, apply another quick spritz of non-stick, warming the pan to medium high.  Dump the veggies into the pan and toss occasionally as they soften.  Mix the liquid aminos, ground ginger, chicken broth, and Sriracha.  Once the zucchini is tender, transfer the veggies to the rice pan; stir.  Last, add the liquid evenly throughout the pan and stir it up. Taste and season with pepper and a touch of salt if needed.  Dish up 1/2 cup servings and enjoy!  

Suggestions:

This would also be very good with grilled or pan cooked chicken instead of (or do 1/2 and 1/2) sausage!

This lasts for days.  This is a bulk or large family recipe, but you can easily eat this for 4-5 days if you store it in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the fridge.  

Citrus Veggie Summer Salad

              

by Sarah Blakley

Yields 4 servings

Overview:

A perfect summer dish that acts as a light stand-alone salad for lunch, or that pairs well with any dinner entrée!   It’s a mix of fresh summer veggies tossed with lemon juice to add that citrus spark.  Some of these veggies were picked right out of my garden and taste so delicious.  There is no cooking involved with this one…everything is raw!  You can even make this salad in bulk ahead of time and use it all week long.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:           

  •             1 medium zucchini
  •             2 cups mini heirloom tomatoes (Trader Joes)
  •             ½ large red bell pepper
  •             4 stalks of celery, including celery leaves
  •             1 cup baby carrots
  •             ½ fennel bulb 
  •             3 stalks of green onion
  •             Juice of 1 lemon
  •             1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
  •             1 tablespoon of low calorie Italian dressing
  •             1 teaspoon of salt
  •             ½ teaspoon of pepper

Directions:

Roughly chop all veggies to bite size (or smaller) pieces.  Fennel can be chopped smaller.  Add lemon juice, olive oil, dressing, salt and pepper.  Toss together until combined thoroughly.  Chill in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes until cold.  Serve and enjoy!  

Suggestions:

If you favor any other/ additional veggies…add them in!  You can’t hurt this dish by substituting or adding. 

I let my salad marinate in the refrigerater for about an hour and it was perfect.  I also had some the next day and all veggies were still crunchy and fresh!

You could also add diced chicken breast to this for extra protein in your diet! 

WBF Swiss Steak

     

by Tara Wright

Yields 8+ servings

Overview:

Swiss Steak reminds me of my childhood; just a down home, classic, hearty meal. In the traditional version, the meat is usually floured and fried up a bit before the other ingredients are added, but with all the other flavors from the veggies and spices, you won’t miss it in this version!  Because it is easy to get out of control with sodium intake, I like to let the pot simmer for at least an hour and a half to really let the flavor develop.  Instead of pouring in the salt, I suggest waiting until the end and only adding in what you need to taste—let those natural flavors come through!  This meal makes plenty for leftovers, it tastes great heated up for at least the following two days:)    

Ingredients:

  • 2+ lb flank steak, trimmed
  • 2 bell peppers, any color
  • 1 white onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
  • 2 cans diced or stewed tomatoes, no salt added
  • 1 large zucchini, cubed
  • 1 small jalapeno or (milder) 1/2 Anaheim chile, finely chopped & cored (*optional*)
  • 1 can (approx 2 cups) low sodium beef broth or stock
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut flank steak into small cubes by first cutting into strips with the grain, then against to make the cubes.  In a large stock pot, heat olive oil (1 tbsp) on med high and toss meat into the pot.  While waiting for the steak to brown, dice the onion, peppers and jalapeno, and zucchini.  Once the meat has browned on all sides, add all chopped veggies, garlic, and both cans of diced tomatoes to the pot.  Continually stir as you add spices, one at a time.  Add beef broth to the pot, allow liquid to begin to boil, then cover and simmer on low for 1+ hours.  Taste the liquid prior to serving and add salt & pepper accordingly.  Serve over brown rice or whole wheat pasta.  

Suggestions:

This dish also comes together really nicely with diced chicken breast!  I usually feel more bold when I use the chicken and freely add additional veggies to experiment. Carrots, green onions, celery, and chopped spinach are all tested (and tasty) additions:) 

I love spicy, and if you do choose to add the jalapeno, you might also try eliminating the oregano and adding in some chopped fresh cilantro in it’s place. Squeeze just a touch of lime into the liquid and it takes on a whole new flair!

This meal is tried and true as a crockpot staple as well.  I highly recommend still browning the meat prior to dumping everything into the crock, it seals in the juices and helps the meat maintain it’s shape and texture.  

Enjoy!