Zucchini Lasagna

Zucchini is treated as a vegetable, which means it is usually cooked and presented as a savory dish or accompaniment. Zucchini lasagne is made by replacing lasagne noodles with zucchini to make this delicious, and a light dish.

What you need-

* 2-1/2 cups zucchini, sliced (about 2 medium)
* 1/2 lb lean ground beef (I use 1 lb.)
* 1/4 cup onion, chopped
* 2 small tomatoes, cut up
* 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
* 1/2 tsp. dried basil
* 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
* 1/4 cup water
* 1/8 tsp. pepper
* 1 egg
* 3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese (or low fat or fat free ricotta)
* 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (I use 8 oz. divided)
* 1 tsp. flour





Way to prepare-
Cook zucchini until tender, drain and set aside. Fry meat and onions until meat is brown and onions are tender; drain fat. Add next 8 ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer, cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

Slightly beat the egg. Add cottage cheese, half of shredded cheese and flour.

In a baking-roasting pan, arrange half of the meat mixture. Top with half of the zucchini and all the cottage cheese mixture. Top it up with remaining meat and zucchini.Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer.

Let it stand 10 minutes before serving so that it gets firm.

This is delicious and this is an understatement.

Artichoke Soup Recipe

This simple mashed artichoke hearts in broth with a bit of garlic and cream makes one of the tastiest Italian recipes of soups . This recipe will make soup sufficient for four.

What You Need:

• 4 cups chicken or vegetables broth
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
• Freshly ground black or white pepper

• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice or white wine or distilled vinegar
• 1 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
• 6 large artichokes

How to Make:

1. In a large pot with a tight-fitting lid bring about 1 inch water, lemon juice,and 1 tsp. salt to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, cut stems and thorns from artichokes. Place artichokes, stem-side down and standing, in pot. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until a leaf pulls out easily from each artichoke, about 20 minutes. Rinse with cold water after draining.
3. Pull off and discard dark green, outer leaves. Use a spoon to scrape out fuzzy choke. Cut off any fibrous dark green parts around outside of heart. Roughly chop heart and put in a blender or food processor. Use all the artichokes similarly.
4. Use a spoon to scrape off tender flesh from each leaf. Discard them.
5. In a medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant for about 1 minute. Transfer garlic to blender with artichokes.
6. Whirl artichokes with broth until very smooth. You will need to let the blender run a bit for this to happen--whirl for at least 2 minutes.
7. Transfer artichoke mixture to saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer. Add cream, and salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve soup hot.

Zucchini Lasagna

What you need-

* 2-1/2 cups zucchini, sliced (about 2 medium)
* 1/2 lb lean ground beef (I use 1 lb.)
* 1/4 cup onion, chopped
* 2 small tomatoes, cut up
* 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
* 1/2 tsp. dried basil
* 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
* 1/4 cup water
* 1/8 tsp. pepper
* 1 egg
* 3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese (or low fat or fat free ricotta)
* 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (I use 8 oz. divided)
* 1 tsp. flour



Way to prepare-
Cook zucchini until tender, drain and set aside. Fry meat and onions until meat is brown and onions are tender; drain fat. Add next 8 ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer, cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

Slightly beat the egg. Add cottage cheese, half of shredded cheese and flour.

In a baking-roasting pan, arrange half of the meat mixture. Top with half of the zucchini and all the cottage cheese mixture. Top it up with remaining meat and zucchini.

Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer.

Let it stand 10 minutes before serving so that it gets firm.

This is delicious and this is an understatement.