Zucchini Noodle Lasagna

This recipe is a bit more involved, but if you've ever made a lasagna you know it's never as quick as you hope. It's perfect for using up an abundance of garden zucchini. And it for sure can be done while wrangling kiddos or multitasking. It's worth it, I promise. It shouldn't take you more than 15 focused minutes of prep, and then the additional cooking time.

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Zucchini 'Noodle' Lasagna

This is a great alternative if you love lasagna but could do without the carbs. It's adapted from a Better Homes & Gardens recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 large Zucchini
• 1 lb Ground turkey/chicken/beef
• 2 cups Chopped mushrooms
• 2 cloves Minced garlic
• 1 24-oz jar Spaghetti sauce of your choosing
• 1 8-oz can Tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon Dried basil
• 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds
• 1 Egg
• 1 15-oz container Ricotta cheese
• 2 cups Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat broiler. Trim ends off zucchini, and cut lengthwise into thin slices. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and line with zucchini slices. Spray the top of the zucchini with cooking spray, also. Broil for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned, and turn once halfway through cooking time (keep an eye on these and remove if they begin to burn, rather than toast). Repeat as needed (don't overcrowd your baking sheet). Reduce oven temp to 375 degrees F.In a large skillet cook ground meat, mushrooms, and garlic until meat is browned, breaking up meat as it cooks. Remove from heat. Drain fat. Stir spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, and fennel seeds into skillet. In a small bowl combine egg and ricotta cheese.Assemble lasagna: spread 1/3 of the sauce mixture on the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Top with enough of the zucchini slices to cover. Spread half of the ricotta mixture on top of the zucchini, and spread. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese on top. Top with another 1/3 sauce mixture. Repeat layers once more, ending with sauce mixture.Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes (375 degrees F). Let stand for about 10 minutes before digging in!

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 55 mins Yield: 1 13x9x2-inch baking dish

Simple Sesame Chicken

Sauté a bag of frozen stir fry veggies over a couple tablespoons of sesame oil (add a can of water chestnuts or baby corn to amplify the Asian flavors!), and start a pot of brown or white rice. This sesame chicken recipe is easy and quick enough to throw together in less than 30 minutes, start to finish.

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Simple Sesame Chicken

This recipe takes just 25 minutes, inclusive of prep!

Ingredients

• 1 Egg
• 3 tablespoons Cornstarch
• Salt & pepper
• 1 lb Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon Sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Rice vinegar
• Generous squirt Ginger paste
• 1 clove Garlic
• 2 tablespoons Sesame seeds
• About 3, chopped, for garnish Green onions

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, cornstarch, and salt & pepper. Cut chicken thighs into small pieces, discarding any excess fat. Toss chicken in egg mixture. Heat a large pan with oil over medium-high heat, and when the oil is very hot, add the chicken and any remaining egg mixture. Cook and stir occasionally until golden brown and cooked through (about 10 minutes).While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce in a small bowl. Whisk all the ingredients together. If you don't have ginger paste (available in Asian markets and Trader Joe's!), grate an inch of fresh ginger.When the chicken is cooked through, add the sauce. Stir and let it thicken up, and then remove from heat. Serve over rice and stir fry veggies, and top with chopped green onions.

Details

Prep time: Cook time: Total time: 25 mins Yield: About 4 servings

Mom's Banana Bread

It just happens sometimes. The last two bananas go bad. If you can spare 15 minutes, try this easier-than-easy banana bread. And if you can't...well then, toss those bananas into the freezer and make this bread another day.

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Mom's Banana Bread

Can't get much easier than this banana bread recipe! I've tried several different types of flour, and often my go-to is 1 cup almond flour and 1 cup whole wheat bread flour. Of course all purpose flour is the simplest and certainly tasty!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Butter
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Baking soda
• 4 tablespoons Sour milk *I just add a dash of white vinegar to milk
• 2 Bananas
• Pinch Salt
• 2 cups Flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Add baking soda, milk, bananas, and salt. Combine. Gradually add flour until smooth. Pour into a greased bread pan or spread evenly into muffin cups. Bake and enjoy! Bread will be done when you can remove a toothpick cleanly from the center of the loaf.A loaf of bread will take about 50 minutes, while muffins will be done after about 20 minutes.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 50 mins Total time: 1 hour 5 mins Yield: 1 loaf