ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

Instead of pasta noodles, this recipe is made with layers of zucchini, ground beef, tomato sauce and cheeses. It is easy to make, delicious and economical. What a great meal for family dinners, pitch-in meals, church potlucks, etc. This is a great recipe for summer when zucchini is popular in farmer's markets and family gardens. Using zucchini instead of pasta makes this a dish diabetics can enjoy along with everyone else.

1 lb lean ground beef or chicken
1 can (15-oz) tomato sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried basil
4 medium zucchini
1 carton (8-oz) low-fat cottage cheese
1/4 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp pepper
1 egg
2 tbsp white whole-wheat flour or your favorite no/low carb substitute

In a 10-inch skillet, brown the ground meat with the onion. Cook until the meat is no longer pink and the onion is transparent. Drain the meat and onion mixture, return to the skillet; add the tomato sauce, salt, basil, oregano, and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. Slice the zucchini lengthwise in 1/4-inch thick slices. In a small bowl, mix the cottage cheese with the egg. In a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, layer half the zucchini, sprinkle with half the flour. Add half of the cottage cheese-egg mixture, half the meat mixture, and half the mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers, ending with the remaining mozzarella. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes. Allow to set for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: If using ground chicken a tablespoon of olive oil may be needed in the skillet for browning.

Note: File Photo