Turkey Lasagna with Zucchini "Noodles"

I've been alternating between stalling to write this post (via goofing around on the Internet) for most of the afternoon. Really, I guess I've been thinking about how to preface this post. It's not that this recipe wasn't good--it was--I just had some technical difficulties with it. I want to be truthful about my experience with this recipe, so here it goes.

I'm not sure if it was the recipe that wasn't solid, or my cooking skills last night. Either way, I had issues, man!

Okay, first the positives...The overall flavor was great, and it was SBD Phase 1 friendly. No one (read: my family) complained about not having actual "noodles" and I loved that this was a more healthful version of standard lasagna. I would give this an A+ for a flavor grade.

Now, the not-so-positives...

It. was. a. soupy. mess. Seriously, like super-soupy. (Haha! Say that three times fast...super-soupy, super-soupy, super-soupy.)

I followed the directions fairly precisely, but it is possible that I messed it up somewhere along the way. In the photo you can see the excess, watery sauce along the edges of the pan. I'm not sure how to fix that, since I did bake the zucchini slices as prescribed. Maybe my sauce itself was watery???? I don't know. The texture did not affect the flavor, but it did impede on my desire to have a clean kitchen. I had watery sauce everywhere, including bubbled over in the bottom of my oven. Once the food got on the plate, it looked pretty messy. Thankfully, we're not sticklers about presentation at my house.

Aside from the lack of neatness, this was good. I even had leftovers today for lunch, and it was still very tasty. I'm just mad that it was watery, I guess. Oh well! Like I said, that could just have been my issue and I wouldn't let my result deter you from making this yummy, filling, and very satisfying low-carb lasagna.

Turkey Lasagna with Zucchini "Noodles"
Adapted From: the Dashing Dish website
(Here is the link: http://www.dashingdish.com/2011/01/no-noodles-about-it-the-best-low-carb-lasagna/)

Ingredients:
For the Noodles:
6 large zucchini*, cut lengthwise into 1/8 inch strips, should resemble thick lasagna type “noodles”. (*SEE NOTE)

For the Meat Sauce:
1.25 lb lean ground turkey meat
1 lb. of Italian sausage (I used pork)
1 large onion, diced
2 cups fresh mushrooms
1/2 can tomato paste
1/2 (25 ounce) jar of spaghetti sauce (I used one with 70 calories per 1/2 cup serving)
5 cloves garlic, minced)
Salt and pepper, or to taste
*Optional seasoning: 2 tbs of Italian Seasoning (i.e. dried thyme, oregano, basil)

For the Cheese Layer:
1 (16 ounce) container light cottage cheese (or light ricotta cheese)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

*NOTE: If you don’t want to use zucchini for the ‘noodles’, you could also use a large eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/8 inch strips, or 1 box no-boil lasagna noodles!

Directions:

For the noodle layer:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray, arrange zucchini slices and season with salt and pepper. Bake zucchini slices for 5 minutes on each side, then remove from oven. Set zucchini slices aside and lower oven temperature to 375 degrees.

For the meat sauce layer:
In a large non-stick skillet, cook meat until it’s browned. To the skillet, add the veggies, seasonings, garlic, and spaghetti sauce. Add tomato paste. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until veggies start to soften, stirring occasionally.

For the cheesy layer:
Mix the cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese together (skip this step if using ricotta.)

Put it all together:
Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Begin by spreading 1/3 of the meat sauce in the bottom of the pan. Follow meat sauce with a layer of zucchini slices, followed by a layer of cottage (or ricotta) cheese. Repeat the layers until casserole dish is full. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.Remove foil and bake or broil another 5-10 minutes until cheese is browned. Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing, and serve warm!



The Results:
Tasty, but moist. (See above rant.)

Cauliflower Crust Veggie Pizza

This recipe is another Pinterest find that my whole family l-o-v-e-d. I am always on the lookout for both new pizza ideas and new vegetarian meals, and this fit both requirements. My kids didn't even realize that all that they were eating was copious amounts of vegetables and cheese. Ha ha! I love sneaking in healthy foods when they are none the wiser. Score!

I made our pizza larger than the original directions indicated, so I adapted all the ingredient quantities to reflect in my recipe below.

Cauliflower Crust Veggie Pizza
Adapted From: Eat. Drink. Smile. website via Pinterest.com

Ingredients:
For crust:
1 head of chopped cauliflower florets, stalks discarded
cooking spray
3 eggs, beaten
3 cups low-fat cheese, shredded (I used a combo of sharp cheddar and mozzarella)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

For toppings:
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch diced pieces
1 bell pepper, cut into strips
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 package (6 oz.) of sliced button mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 to 1 cup of jarred marinara sauce (depending on how saucy you like your pizza)
2 fresh tomatoes, sliced
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese, grated for topping

Directions:
For crust:
In a food processor "rice" the raw cauliflower florets by pulsing several times. You may have to do a couple of batches, depending on the capacity of the food processor. Also, make sure to not pulse too much; otherwise the cauliflower will be more of a puree instead of small pieces that are "riced". One head of cauliflower should yield about 3 cups of "riced" cauliflower.

Place "riced" cauliflower in a microwave safe container and cook on high in the microwave for 8 minutes. Remove to a bowl and let the cooked cauliflower cool a bit.

Once cauliflower is cool enough to handle, mix in beaten eggs, spices, and 3 cups of cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Combine thoroghly and set aside.

For toppings:
Heat olive oil on in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions, zucchini, peppers, and mushrooms until browned and caramelized. Add garlic and saute for 1 additional minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

For pizza:
Spray large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Press cauliflower mixture into prepared baking sheet, using your hands or the back of a spoon. Make sure there are no holes or thin spots in the pressed crust. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

At the end of the cook time, remove from oven and spray top of crust with cooking spray.

Switch the oven over to broil on "high". Return cauliflower back to the oven, by placing on the top rack closest to the broiler. Broil on high for 2-5 minutes, or until crust is slightly browned. Remove from oven.

Top pizza crust with marinara sauce by spreading with a spoon or a spatula. Top sauce with cooked vegetables. Sprinkle cheese over veggies and sauce. Place fresh tomato slices on top of cheese layer. Return sheet pan to the top rack of the oven and broil until cheese is melted, slightly browned, and bubbly. Remove the pizza from the oven. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the entire pizza. Cut it into squares and serve immediately.





The Result:
As you have probably guessed, I found my camera again. Hooray! I had to do quite a bit of digging through some moving boxes, but I'm so happy I finally found it. I can now start taking blog pics again...this is really good news.

This was soooo yummy! Seriously delicious; as I said, we all really loved it. The original website mentions that this will not be the same texture or taste as traditional pizza crust, which I found to be true. It wasn't firm enough to pick up and eat with our hands, but it was totally fine to just eat it with a fork. With that said, it was still pretty darn fantastic and it will be something I wiggle into our regular pizza rotation. Yum!!!!

Fish with Zucchini and Toasty Garlic Mojo

So the original fish of choice for this recipe was snapper; however given my limited seafood resources, I could not get my hands on any for a decent price. So, I substituted catfish, but the recipe notes indicate that almost any white fish will work in this dish. This is another Rick Bayless jem from the Mexican Everyday cookbook. It. was. awesome. The garlic mojo sauce was drinkable. Seriously. Bayless does it again!

Fish with Zucchini and Toasty Garlic Mojo
Adapted From: the Mexican Everyday cookbook, by: Rick Bayless

Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
8 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
2/3 cup chicken broth
Salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Four 4- to 5-ounce fish fillets (snapper, halibut, mahimahi, catfish, bass etc)
2 large zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 large lime, cut into wedges, for serving

Directions:
Turn on the oven on its lowest setting. In a very large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, lightly browned and very aromatic, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, scoop the garlic into a food processor or blender jar, leaving as much oil as possible in the skillet. Set the skillet aside.

Add the broth to the processor or blender, along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Blend until smooth.

Return the skillet to medium-heat. Generously season the fish with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, lay in the fish. When Richly browned underneath, about 2 to 3 minutes, flip and cook until the fish gives slightly under firm pressure from your finger, about 2 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer each piece of fish to an oven-proof dinner plate. Keep warm in the oven.

With the skillet still over medium-high heat, add the zucchini and cook, stirring regularly, until lightly browned but still a little crunchy inside, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic mixture and cilantro. Stir until the sauce comes to a boil and becomes homogeneous. Taste and season with more salt if it needs it.

Spoon the zucchini and sauce over and around the fish and serve right away, with lime wedges for each person to squeeze on.



The Result:
This is probably my favorite new fish recipe. We served our fish and zucchini with brown rice, which soaked up all the yummy pan sauce. My belly is very happy. It was pretty fast to pull together and it was one I may have kept overlooking if it was not for the cookbook project. This is my last Bayless recipe for the week, and I am a little sad about it. I may revisit this book again later in my project, since pretty much everything I have tried from it has been a total hit.

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Sticks

Here is our fantastic "Friday Night Fun" dinner that I served family style for our indoor picnic, courtesy of the Aggie's Kitchen website. All of us loved this satisfying, delicious, and healthy version of fried zucchini sticks; without any taste sacrifice. My son did not even realize he was eating vegetables for dinner! It was the perfect choice for a relaxed meal, and one that I will make again and again.

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Sticks
From: Aggie's Kitchen, 9/25/10 (featured on CBSNews.com)

Ingredients:
3 large zucchini, sliced longways, halved and cut into sticks
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried garlic powder
Olive oil spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray olive oil spray on large baking sheet. Set aside.

Slice zucchini into long planks. Cut planks in half then slice long into sticks.

In large shallow bowl, whisk together 2 eggs, set aside. In large shallow dish, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, oregano and garlic powder.

Working with 3-4 zucchini sticks at a time, start breading process by dunking and completely covering zucchini with egg mixture. Take zucchini sticks out of egg mixture, allowing an extra egg to drip off, and place into breadcrumb mixture. Gently coat the zucchini stick completely with breadcrumb mixture. Place breaded zucchini stick onto baking sheet.

Continue this process until all zucchini sticks are breaded and on baking sheet. Spray each zucchini stick with olive oil spray and place into 425 degree oven. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Using a spatula, flip each zucchini stick and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.

Jen's Notes:
At the end of the cook time, I turned on the broiler for a couple minutes to ensure that the coating was nicely browned and crisp on all sides of my sticks. A little grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of salt was the perfect garnish to these beauties. Also, I substituted whole wheat breadcrumbs instead of plain breadcrumbs.

For the marinara dipping sauce in the middle of the plate: I just took one jar of our favorite pasta sauce and added 1/2 of a small can of tomato paste to it. I seasoned it with salt and some red pepper flakes, then reduced it down by half to create a thick, stick-sticking condiment. So easy and it was totally fabulous!



The Result:
I have not had zucchini sticks in such a long time...I really missed them! Usually, I stayed away because of all the fried breading; and I hated that the original version turned into one of my "off limit" foods. Now, I am happy to report that this recipe has satisfied my need for zucchini sticks and I no longer have to miss out on the yummy goodness of this crispy treat! Hooray!!!

Tilapia Oreganata and Jen's Summer Squash Medley

This is a really easy, yummy fish recipe, from one of my favorite blogs, Aggie's Kitchen. I didn't take a photo of the finished product, but I am sure I will make this meal again. I just hope I remember to get a pic next time! I served this dish with some sauteed zucchini/yellow summer squash (recipe below), and a wild brown rice pilaf. The whole meal was light and very delicious!!!

Tilapia Oreganata
Adapted From: Aggie's Kitchen
Originally Adapted From:Weight Watchers Make it in Minutes, discovered on Family, Friends and Food blog

Ingredients:
4 tilapia fillets (I used 4 oz. loin pieces)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup panko (Italian seasoned bread will also work)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
zest from one large lemon
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon of fresh or dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon of celery salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with foil and then spray with non-stick spray.

Place the fillets on the baking sheet. Combine remaining ingredients (EVOO through celery salt) in a bowl. Press the bread crumb mixture into the fish fillets making sure they are covered.

Bake until the fish is just opaque in the center, about 10 minutes.

************************
Here is a fast and flavorful veggie recipe that goes well with fish or chicken.

Jen's Summer Squash Medley

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch half-moon shapes
2 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/2 inch half-moon shapes
1 shallot, diced finely
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup of white wine
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once pan is hot, add shallot, zucchini and yellow squash. Saute until shallot is fragrant and translucent and squash/zucchini pieces are starting to soften (you want them cooked, but still slightly crisp...don't let them get mushy!) Add salt and pepper, and white wine to pan;make sure to scrape up brown bits at the bottom of the pan with a whisk or wooden spoon so they can incorporate into the dish. Let wine reduce until almost completely evaporated. Remove from heat, then serve and enjoy!

Zucchini Quesadillas

There are three or four zucchini quesadilla recipes that I have come across recently, and I am dying to try all of them. The first one was emailed to me from my friend Claire, and all the rest are variations that I found on the Cooking Light website. All of them look absolutely delicious, so I may just create a hybrid version and combine elements from each recipe. I can't commit to just one zucchini quesadilla recipe, after all. I like to keep my options open! Some yummy, spicy, black beans will round out our meal.

Zucchini Quesadillas

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon of butter
1 1/2 cups of shredded zucchini
1 small can of sliced black olives (drained and dried on paper towel)
1/2 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jarred roasted red pepper, diced (drained and dried on paper towel)
2 oz. crumbled goat cheese
4 oz. pepper jack cheese, shredded
2 Tablespoons of taco seasoning or BBQ spice blend (I am using some of the Rick Bayless spice mix I have stored in my fridge)
1/3 cup of your favorite salsa
salt and pepper to taste
8 whole wheat tortillas
cooking spray
guacamole for topping


Directions:
In a large skillet, saute onions, red peppers, and olives until onions are soft and translucent. Add in zucchini, garlic, salsa, and taco (or BBQ spice) seasoning. Cook until veggies are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Add some veggie filling to a wheat tortilla. Sprinkle with 1 oz. of pepper jack cheese and a 1/2 oz. of goat cheese. Top with another wheat tortilla. Set aside on a sheet pan. Repeat until all the filling is used (it should make about 4 quesadillas). When filling is used, wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. Spray skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium high heat. When pan is hot, carefully add quesadilla with a spatula. Cook for 3 minutes, or until quesadilla is lightly browned on the bottom. Carefully, flip with a spatula and cook the other side of the quesadilla for another 2-3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Repeat with remaining quesadillas, adding more cooking spray if needed. Remove cooked quesadillas to a cutting board and cut into 4 wedges. Serve with guacamole.



The Result:
These were awesome! Seriously, delicious and filling...sooooooo satisfying. We all loved them, and this is yet another dish I will be sure to keep in my vegetarian rotation. The little bit of goat cheese added such a creamy/tangy dimension of yumminess, and the pepper jack cheese gave it the perfect amount of a spicy bite. Yum, yum, yum!!!

Cooking Light's Potato Gnocchi with Spinach and Yellow Squash

This will be another short post, since I need to get my grocery shopping and menu planning completed for the upcoming week. All my kids are napping right now, so I need to take advantage of the quiet time and get some things accomplished while I have the chance.

As noted in my weekly post, this is another recipe from The Best of Cooking Light's Everyday Favorites cookbook. I have resigned that I am going to just break down and buy it, since there is a ton of recipes in it that I would like to try.
Anyway, I am going to put together a simple side salad to go with our dinner and call it an evening. The husband cleaned off our patio table this afternoon, and I think it would be really nice eat outside tonight. The summer heat is not too far off, so I want to take advantage of the good weather while we can. I will let you know how this dish and our outdoor supper turns out.

Cooking Light's Potato Gnocchi with Spinach and Yellow Squash
From: The Best of Cooking Light's Everyday Favorites cookbook

Ingredients:
1 (1-pound) package vacuum-packed potato gnocchi (such as Ferrara)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach, torn
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded smoked Gouda cheese or grated sharp provolone cheese

Directions:
Cook gnocchi in boiling water according to package directions.

While gnocchi cooks, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add squash; sauté 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add spinach; cover and cook 2 minutes or just until spinach wilts. Reduce heat to low; stir in milk, pepper, and salt. Add gnocchi and cheese; stir gently. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information:
Calories:234 (29% from fat)
Fat:7.7g (sat 3g,mono 3.6g,poly 0.5g)
Protein:10.8g
Carbohydrate:44.5g
Fiber:5.7g
Cholesterol:16mg
Iron:3.7mg
Sodium:655mg
Calcium:203mg

Jen's Notes:
I think I might make this recipe a little more filling by adding some other veggies.



The Result:
The husband and I decided to put the boy to bed early and have dinner together out on our patio. It was pretty relaxing and this recipe turned out really good! We both loved the flavor and texture of this dish...I am so glad I tried it.
I ended up following the recipe, with a couple of minor exceptions. First, I added roasted broccoli and a zucchini to the mix. I had some fresh veggies that needed to be used, so I just threw them into the dish. Then, I used two kind of cheeses. I probably ended up using 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the smoked Gouda and then I put 1/4 cup of regular provolone in it, as well. I would highly recommend using both cheeses...it made this dish totally interesting and gave it good depth. If you only decide on one cheese, I would use the smoked Gouda. If you can't find it, I would try a smoked mozzarella or smoked provolone. The cheese is the key to this dish...so don't skimp, otherwise it would be a little bland. Overall, this dish came together super-fast, was very satisfying, and delicious. I would rate it as another great Cooking Light vegetarian dish to add to my bag of tricks!

Jen's Veggie Parmesan

I had a different meal slotted for tonight, and then I decided I wanted something lighter and vegetarian. As I mentioned in my previous post, I have a Bunco game tonight. Bunco means lots of munching on nibbly bits and/or consuming of adult beverages. I need to travel light to Bunco, so I have room for said adult beverages and/or nibbles. So, I deleted my original dinner post and decided to go a different route. I think this dinner makes more sense on a night like tonight. I am going to loosely base this meal off of my Portobello Parmesan dish; except in addition to portobellos, I am going to use a frozen Trader Joe's marinated grilled eggplant and zucchini mix. Then, I will toss up a side salad and dinner will be served. Easy, healthy, and light!

Jen's Veggie Parmesan

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
2 large portobello mushroom caps, whole but stems and gills removed
1 bag of Trader Joe's marinaded grilled eggplant and zucchini (frozen)
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 jar of marinara sauce
6 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup of shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup of shredded Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean mushroom caps with damp paper towel, then brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oiled grill pan over medium high heat. Grill mushrooms until tender, about 2-4 minutes per side. Grill marks should be present. Place mushrooms in a greased large 9 x 13 casserole dish, cup side up. Cook Trader Joe's eggplant/zucchini according to package directions. Once cooked, place in casserole dish with mushrooms. Sprinkle minced garlic over all the vegetables. Sprinkle all of Pecorino Romano cheese and half of the mozzarella over the vegetables. Spoon marinara sauce over veggies, making sure to spread evenly. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and all of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese melts and is golden and bubbly.





The Result:
This variation was every bit as good as my original dish for Portobello Parmesan. It was sooooo savory! The cheese was all bubbly and melty, and I love the combo of the different cheese flavors. Yum!! It seemed the extra vegetables made the whole thing more substantial, as well. The only difference that I would do next time is that I would slice the portobellos to get a more even distribution. Other than that, I was very pleased with the result. I will definitely make this dish again!

Rick's Zucchini, Mushroom, and Chorizo Tacos

After yesterdays bakefest, tortilla making, and dinner preparation, I was beat. I did not get around to my dinner posting, because I went to the couch and did not move until bedtime. Then, it was a fast transfer from couch to bed...and I conked out! I love days when I am so tired I just black-out at bedtime; no tossing and turning or insomnia for me! Anyway, I am doing last nights meal post now.

I mentioned that I was going to try a brand new recipe last night, but I think I am actually going to do that one tonight. I wanted something familiar last night, so I turned to my favorite Mexican-cuisine chef, Rick Bayless. If you read my blog with some regularity, you know I heart Rick. His Mexican Everyday cookbook is one of my favorites...definitely in my top 5 cookbooks. We have had this taco dish before, and I remembered it being well balanced and easy to put together. We used up all our tortillas, so I made some of Rick's Easy Corn Tortillas (which can also be found in Mexican Everyday) to go with it. I did not mind putting forth a little extra effort so we could have this family favorite.

Rick's Zucchini, Mushroom, and Chorizo Tacos

Ingredients:
4 oz. fresh Mexican chorizo sausage, casing removed
1½ Tbsp vegetable or olive oil, if necessary
1 medium white onion, sliced ¼" thick
3 oz. mushrooms, stemmed and sliced about ½" thick
One 15-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes in juice, drained
1 chipotle chile (from a can of chipotle chiles en adobo), seeded
1½ tsp of the adobo sauce from the can
2 medium zucchini (about 12 oz. total), cut into ½" cubes
Crumbled queso fresco, feta cheese, or goat cheese
Warm corn tortillas
Hot sauce to taste
Salt to taste

Directions:
Cook chorizo in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring regularly and breaking up clumps, until cooked through, about 4 minutes. If the chorizo has rendered considerable fat, tip off and discard all but enough to lightly coat the pan; if it has rendered very little, add the oil to the skillet and raise the heat to medium-high. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook about 2 minutes more, stirring regularly, until their liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are beginning to brown.

While the mushrooms are cooking, pour the drained tomatoes into a food processor or blender, along with the chipotle chile and the adobo sauce; whirr until smooth.
When the mushrooms are ready, add the tomato mixture and cook, stirring regularly, until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of canned tomato sauce, about 3–4 minutes. Add the zucchini and continue to cook, stirring every once in a while, until the zucchini is cooked through but still a little crisp, 8–10 minutes. Taste and season with salt if necessary.

Scoop into a bowl and garnish with the crumbled cheese. Serve with the warm tortillas and hot sauce.

Jen's Notes:
I mixed up a fast guacamole and chopped some fresh cilantro to go on top as a garnish. I used Queso Fresco cheese, 1/2 pound of chorizo, 3 small zucchini, and 8 ounces of sliced button mushrooms as substitutes. Also, I should note that the cookbook version does indicate that the chorizo is optional...you can make these tacos with or without it. In my opinion, I think the chorizo is the only way to go. It gives it such a awesome flavor. I heart these tacos very much!





The Result:
These were fantastically yummy. As I said before, this is one of our favorite dinners. We served these more tostada-style, rather than in the form of tacos. My tortillas were not as flexible as normal, so we had to work around it. I think I goofed and put too much (or not enough...I am not sure) water in the tortilla dough. My tortillas were not as good as usual, but that was my fault. I was talking to my husband and not really paying attention to what I was doing when I was making the tortillas. Don't get me wrong...they were still yummy....just not as good as usual, from a textural standpoint. Other than that, these 'tacos' were great!!!!!

Jen's Sauteed Zucchini in White Wine Reduction

I thought I would start with my veggie side dish for today's dinner posts. I wanted to shake things up a bit...you know, live dangerously. I scored some zucchini on a trip to a local farm with my MOMS Club. My son and I literally picked it right out of the field! You cannot get much fresher than that. I have been dying to use it, and I thought it would compliment tonight's dinner really nicely.

So what is the rest of my dinner you ask???? Well, a couple family stand-bys that we have not had in months. With all of the new recipes that I try, it takes a while to get our favorites back in rotation. I don't think we have had tonight's dinner choices since I started this blog back in July. Actually, it will be a treat...this is another one of the husband's all time favorite meals. Am I being purposely evasive and not telling you our whole menu??? HMMMM... Instead of spilling the beans, I think I am going to just let you piece it together post by post. Okay...there is three recipes in all. Here is the first dish.

Jen's Sauteed Zucchini in White Wine Reduction

Ingredients:
2 medium or 4 small zucchini, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup of white wine (Alternate: substitute red wine for a totally different flavor)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat oil in large skillet over high heat. Add zucchini and saute for approximately 3 minutes. Add a big pinch of salt. Add garlic and reduce heat to medium. Cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant. Do not burn garlic (garlic should be barely browned and have very little color on it). Add more salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from heat and stir in white wine. Put pan back on heat, and reduce mixture until most of liquid has evaporated and wine has formed a light syrup. Turn off heat and serve immediately.

Jen's Sauteed Zucchini in Red Wine Reduction

Zucchini. I love it. The squash family is underrated, in my humble opinion. This preparation is new to me. I did not want plain vegetables, and I noticed that the short rib sauce had red wine in it. I wanted something with a homogeneous flavor to the main dish; so I started to formulate a plan. I thought that this might be a good way to dress up zucchini in an interesting way. I sometimes feel like a mad scientist, concocting and experimenting with food. My scheme was in motion!
I have a green bean recipe that employs the use of red wine in a similar manner, so I decided to try the same preparation with my zucchini. Since the flavor of zucchini is relatively mild, I thought that the red wine reduction would compliment it nicely...and I was right!

Jen's Sauteed Zucchini in Red Wine Reduction

2 medium zucchini, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup of red wine
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large skillet over high heat. Add zucchini and saute for approximately 3 minutes. Add a big pinch of salt. Add garlic and reduce heat to medium. Cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant. Do not burn garlic (garlic should be barely browned and have very little color on it). Add more salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from heat and stir in red wine. Put pan back on heat, and reduce mixture until most of liquid has evaporated and red wine has formed a light syrup. Turn off heat and serve immediately.