I've prepared this dish before, with lasagna noodles. I loved the taste, but hated using all that pasta. I saw, on the internet, a recipe for "noodle-less" lasagna. So, I just changed up the recipe to replace the lasagna noodles with the zucchini.
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE "NOODLE" LAYER:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray, arrange zucchini slices and season, lightly, with salt and pepper. Bake slices for 5 minutes on each side, then remove from oven. Set zucchini aside and lower oven temperature to 375 degrees.
*******This was another method, I found but have not yet tried, in preparing the zucchini. The zucchini makes its own water, which is why it is important to LIGHTLY salt and cook some of that off. Otherwise, you will have quite a bit of water in your lasagna.
ANOTHER METHOD FOR PREPPING ZUCCHINI FOR LASAGNA:
slice zucchini into 1/8″ thick slices, add lightly salt and set aside for 10 minutes. (I personally use a Madeline Slicer for recipes like this to make sure the food is slices in uniform slices and everything cooks evenly.) Zucchini has a lot of water when cooked, salting it takes out a lot of moisture. After 10 minutes, blot excess moisture with a paper towel. On a gas grill or grill pan or George Foreman, grill zucchini on each side, until cooked, about 1-2 minutes per side. Place on paper towels to soak any excess moisture.
FOR THE MEAT LAYER:
Broil chicken 6 in. from the heat until juices run clear; let stand for 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Take two forks, and shred broiled chicken.
In a large nonstick skillet, combine the shredded chicken, raw spinach, tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms, onion, basil, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. In a bowl, combine the cottage cheese, egg substitute, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper.
In a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray, place a layer of zucchini, overlapping them. Layer with half of the cheese mixture, chicken mixture and mozzarella. Repeat layer; zucchini, cheese mixture, mozzarella, and top with remaining zucchini & mozzarella. Cover and bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover; bake 5 minutes longer. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 3 cans (18 ounces) tomato paste
- 1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 cups (24 ounces) 2% cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup egg substitute
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups raw spinach
- 5 to 7 zucchini squash (SLICE ZUCCHINI INTO 1/8" THICK SLICES, I used a Madeline Slicer, from Pampered Chef, for this process)
FOR THE "NOODLE" LAYER:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray, arrange zucchini slices and season, lightly, with salt and pepper. Bake slices for 5 minutes on each side, then remove from oven. Set zucchini aside and lower oven temperature to 375 degrees.
*******This was another method, I found but have not yet tried, in preparing the zucchini. The zucchini makes its own water, which is why it is important to LIGHTLY salt and cook some of that off. Otherwise, you will have quite a bit of water in your lasagna.
ANOTHER METHOD FOR PREPPING ZUCCHINI FOR LASAGNA:
slice zucchini into 1/8″ thick slices, add lightly salt and set aside for 10 minutes. (I personally use a Madeline Slicer for recipes like this to make sure the food is slices in uniform slices and everything cooks evenly.) Zucchini has a lot of water when cooked, salting it takes out a lot of moisture. After 10 minutes, blot excess moisture with a paper towel. On a gas grill or grill pan or George Foreman, grill zucchini on each side, until cooked, about 1-2 minutes per side. Place on paper towels to soak any excess moisture.
FOR THE MEAT LAYER:
Broil chicken 6 in. from the heat until juices run clear; let stand for 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Take two forks, and shred broiled chicken.
In a large nonstick skillet, combine the shredded chicken, raw spinach, tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms, onion, basil, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. In a bowl, combine the cottage cheese, egg substitute, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper.
In a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray, place a layer of zucchini, overlapping them. Layer with half of the cheese mixture, chicken mixture and mozzarella. Repeat layer; zucchini, cheese mixture, mozzarella, and top with remaining zucchini & mozzarella. Cover and bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover; bake 5 minutes longer. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.
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