progress and zucchini lasagna

Hello friends!

So I've started using Lose it again. I love it! You can use it online or as an app, it lets you search up/add foods to your day so you can watch your calories and also add exercises. It was one of my big tools in helping me lose weight last year, so I'm not sure why I haven't started it earlier. You can stalk me on there to see every calorie I eat (my email address on there is rachelhaab@gmail.com), but today I shall give it to you in pictoral form.

Breakfast - Oatmeal with a few chopped almonds and a little brown sugar



Lunch - Refried beans with mozzarella cheese, salsa, and homemade (you can tell... they're a little toasty ;) low-carb tortilla chips, and a salad



Dinner - Zucchini Lasagna



What is this deliciousness you may ask? This is a lasagna made with zucchini strips instead of noodles! Believe me, I was super skeptical the first time I made it but it is AMAZING and you can't tell a difference between this and real lasagna. (I gave Michelle a little piece and she loved it. When I told her what it was she said "You tricked me!!")

I originally got the recipe from the lovely blog, Your Lighter Side I've tweaked it a teeny tiny bit for what works for me. And ps. don't make fun of my food photog skills, I'm learning! (Also I do it with my iphone... haha)

Zucchini Lasagna

2 large (or four small) zucchini squash
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 mushrooms, chopped
¼ cup sweet yellow onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef
1 10-ounce jar pizza sauce (I use sugar-free pasta sauce in place of this--you do have to let it reduce though)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1.5 cups cottage cheese OR: 1.5 cups ricotta cheese and 2 tbsp cream or milk
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp dried chopped chives OR green onion

1. Peel zucchini and use a mandolin (if you are so lucky to have one) to slice zucchini lengthwise to about 1/4" thickness. If you don't have a mandolin, you can cut them with a sharp knife (which takes lots more time :( ) When you're done, it'll look like this:



2. Heat a griddle or skillet on medium heat and spray with olive oil. Lay all of your zucchini strips on the griddle and cook until they are soft, flipping when needed. You might have to do this in stages.



3. When you're done, set them aside on a plate



4. In skillet, saute minced garlic and onion until onion is transparent, 3-5 minutes. Then add ground beef. Cook until browned.



5. Add sauce to the pan and let it simmer until it thickens a bit.



6. While that's going on, mix together the cottage cheese (or ricotta + cream in my case), parmesan and chives (or green onions... my chives were icky)



7. In a 13 x 9 pan, layer the meat sauce, zucchini, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella (as you would any lasagna... I'm not even going to give you an order to do it in because I mess it up everytime... just end with some mozzarella on top!)



Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until cheese begins to bubble and turn slightly golden. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes to allow to set prior to serving.

Serves 9 (or 2 people for a few days :) )

Adapted from Your Lighter Side Zucchini Lasagna

I'll be trying to update a bunch this week to stay on track. Thanks everyone for your comments and nice words. :)