Incredible Lasagna

Ok, so this recipe is born of multiple iterations and experiments. It is officially ready for publishing! It's a delicious and relatively more healthy version of lasagna. It carries a protein/fiber punch, is extremely filling, and the texture and cheese make this lasagna a mouthwatering comfort food without quite as much guilt ;) 

Hope y'all enjoy it!

Total Time: 1.5 hours

• Prep: 20 minutes
• Baking: 50 minutes
• Cooling: 20 minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

• an 8-ounce box of Green Lentil Lasagna
• 2 cups of TVP (textured vegetable protein)
• 30 oz of tomato sauce (this can be spaghetti sauce if you like)
• 2 large onions, diced
• 1 can of diced tomato (14.5oz can)
• 1 lb of ground turkey
• 2 tablespoons of Vegetable base bouillon
• Olive oil
• 2 cups of ricotta
• 4 cups of shredded mozzarella
• Grated parmesan - optional

Seasonings:

• Basil
• Garlic powder
• Salt
• Pepper

Kitchen Gear:

• 2 medium fry pans
• 1 large bowl
• 1 large lasagna pan (at least 12" by 18", with 2+ inches of depth)
• Aluminum foil

Instructions:

Part 1 - Preparing the ingredients

Put both fry pans on medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil to both pans. Brown the ground turkey in one, and fry up the diced onions in the other. Add 1/2 a teaspoon of salt, dash of pepper, and teaspoon of garlic to the turkey while it cooks. Make sure to make the ground turkey fine/crumbly - as best as you can.

While the onions and turkey cook, get a large bowl and empty the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes into it. Add 2 tablespoons of basil and a tablespoon of garlic to the bowl, and mix. 

Boil 2 cups of water, add the 2 tablespoons of bouillon and dissolve into the water. Add the 2 cups of TVP to the hot water and let it soak to absorb the water. ~5 minutes

When onions are starting to become transparent, empty the pan into the large bowl of sauce. 

Add the TVP to the large bowl, and stir. 

When the ground turkey is done cooking, add to the bowl and stir.

Start preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.

Part 2 - Assembling the Lasagna

Prepare the pan by taking to large cuts of aluminum and combining them to make a double-wide sheet. TIP: put two sheets together, fold one long edge over itself a few times, then open the fold. 

Place this double-wide sheet into the pan and press it into the shape of the pan.

Create another double-wide cut for the topper. Set aside.

• Use a large spoon and scoop enough of the bowl mixture into the pan to make the first layer.
  
  
• Next, use 1 cup of the ricotta and spread a layer into the pan. TIP: use two small spoons and do small dollops throughout the pan.
  
  
• Next, use 1 cup of mozzarella and sprinkle over the ricotta.
  
  
• Next, put six of the lasagna sheets into the pan without overlapping. It's okay if there are some small gaps throughout.

Repeat the bulleted steps one more time. This will use up the noodles and ricotta.

Final layer: Spread the remainder of the bowl mixture in the pan. Top with remaining mozzarella. Feel free to sprinkle some parmesan as well. 

Cover the pan with the foil from earlier. Try to 'tent' it a little in the middle so that the cheese doesn't stick to the foil. Crimp edges well to seal the contents within the pan/foil. 

Part 3 - Bake time!

Place the pan in the oven, bottom-most rack, centered.

Bake for 50 minutes. 

Remove from oven, turn off, and (with mitts still on) remove the top foil.

Let sit for at least 20 minutes before cutting and serving!!

Enjoy!

Alternatives for even more healthy lasagna:

1. Reduce ricotta, mozzarella, and olive oil by half
2. Remove turkey completely and use only the TVP

Almond Flour Pancakes

Breakfast - Makes 8 to 12 pancakes roughly 6 to 8 inches in diameter
Takes 30 minutes to prepare and cook

Summary

These pancakes are extremely tasty, with great texture and crisp edges. Although they are called "Almond Flour" pancakes, they are not without regular flour - so no, they are not gluten-free.

Tips
When working with Almond Flour, you may need to remove clumps. For example, when you first open the bag, everything about the consistency is loose and great. Once you put it in the freezer to keep fresh, clumps will form and it becomes a real pain in the ass to break back down. Sifting doesn't do this well since Almond Flour tends to have a bit of moisture and easily gathers into clumps. Be ready to add the flour to a separate bowl and press the clumps down into a loose flour.

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 cups of Almond Flour 
• 1 cup of flour
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 cups of milk
• 2 tablespoons of melted butter
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 2 eggs

Directions

1. Mix all dry ingredients into a medium bowl
2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients until clumps are gone - hand beater is fine
1. NOTE: Batter will be rather thin compared to typical pancake batter
3. Heat a small/medium sized skillet over medium heat
4. Lightly butter the skillet - wait until melted well, then add roughly 1/2 cup of batter to the skillet. 
1. NOTE: Like a crepe would be made, lift skillet slightly and rotate around to cover the bottom of the skillet
5. Cook the pancake until light brown - flip and cook the second side until light brown

Serve pancakes hot with syrup, or whatever toppings desired.

Make them thinner and you can use these as a wrap with a savory filling.

Colorful Chicken Alfredo

Entrée - serves 5 - 6 people

Takes 20 minutes to prepare and cook

Ingredients 

• 2 cups of uncooked colorful spiral noodles
• 2 - 12oz cans of chicken breast
• 2 jars of regular alfredo sauce
• 1 teaspoon Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning 

1. Raise water to a boil in a 2+ quart pot
2. Cook noodles in boiling water for 10 minutes
3. While cooking noodles, on medium heat, mix alfredo, seasonings, and chicken breast into a 1 quart pot
4. To get as much of the alfredo out of the jars, add 2-ish tablespoons of water, recap, shake up, and pour into the pot.
5. When the noodles are done, combine noodles and chicken alfredo sauce into desired bowl

Serve! :0)

Spinach Scallops

Spinach Scallops

Entrée - serves 4 -5 people

Takes 30 minutes to prepare, cook, and serve.

Ingredients 

• 12-14 small/medium size fresh (not frozen) scallops
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons of lime juice
• 3/4 cup of raw oats
• 2 cups fresh baby leaf spinach
• 1 cup of shredded colby jack cheese 

1. Get the fry pan heated to medium-high heat
2. Add butter to get it melted
3. Add all the lime juice to the melted butter
4. Immediately add the scallops
5. Let fry on this side for 8 minutes
6. Before flipping all the scallops, add half the oats to the scallops
7. Flip scallops
8. Fry for another 5 minutes
9. Add the rest of the oats
10. Add all spinach to the top layer, careful not to let it touch bare areas, only the scallops
11. Add the shredded cheese to the top of the spinach evenly
12. Let cook another 8 minutes
13. Remove from heat - cheese should be melted - serve!

Cheesy Squash

Cheesy Squash

Side dish – serves 4 to 5 people
Takes 30 minutes to prepare, cook, and serve.

Ingredients

• 1 medium to large size yellow squash (9 to 12 inches)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon pepper & salt
• 1 cup of shredded Mozzarella Cheese

First: Get the fry pan heated to medium heat

Second: Add butter to get it melted

Third: While butter is melting, thinly slice squash as an angle (thin as in 2 millimeters thick or so)

Fourth: Once all sliced, add to melted butter in pan

Fifth: Add pepper and salt – flip and turn slices of squash to make sure they get somewhat coated in butter, pepper, and salt.

Sixth: Cover – let cook 10 minutes

Seventh: At 10 minutes cooking time, uncover, rotate, flip, and bring bottom slices to the top (they should start to appear transparent).

Eigth: Re-cover and let cook another 10 minutes.

Ninth: At the 20 minute mark (or in other words, next 10 minute end mark), uncover and flip slices. Check to see if they all appear transparent. If so, turn to low heat and add the cheese in a layer across all the squash slices. If not transparent yet, recover and cook for 5 more minute and repeat until all are transparent. Then proceed to cheese.

Tenth: With heat on low and cheese evenly sprinkled across, re-cover and let the cheese get melted – about 5 minutes.

Eleventh: Serve warm and enjoy the buttery, cheese, squashy, goodness!!!

Delectable Morning Scramble

Delectable Morning Scramble

Enough for 4-5 people
Takes 15 minutes to prepare, cook, and serve.

Ingredients:

• 9 - 10 Eggs, Scrambled
• 2 tablespoons butter or oil
• 8 oz of your favorite cheese
• 3 tablespoons of Chives
• 2 tablespoons of bacon bits
• 1/4 cup of Wheat Germ 

First. Get pan heated to medium heat

Second. Scramble eggs while pan is heating up

Third. Once hot, add the butter or oil and spread around pan

Fourth. Add in the scrambled eggs to begin cooking

Fifth. Immediately add chives, bacon bits, and Wheat Germ. Stir

Sixth. While cooking, shred up the cheese (if bought by the block).

Seventh. Once shredded, add to your egg mixture and continue stirring, flipping, etc.

Eighth. Now, turn the heat down to low-medium.

Ninth. You want the cooking to slow down so that the cheese is melted and spread within the mixture evenly.

Tenth. Flatten mixture into pan and cover.

Eleventh. After 2 minutes of being covered, check mixture by flipping portions over to see how well it's cooked. If the egg is getting cooked, turn the rest over, cover again for 2 minutes.

Twelfth. By this time, the egg throughout the mixture should be cooked.

Thirteenth. You can now serve this yummy wonderful, cheesy, goodness!!

Pizza Bread Extravaganza

Pizza Bread Extravaganza

Requires at least half a loaf of the Italian Herb Bread

Estimated prep/cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 small package of sliced pepperoni
• 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
• Half a loaf of the Italian Herb Bread
• Any other toppings - optional 

First step: Using a toaster oven, lay out as many slices of the Italian herb bread on a small pan.

Second step: Add shredded mozzarella cheese to cover each slice evenly

Third step: Add Pepperoni (and any other toppings desired)

Fourth step: Pop in the toaster oven on toast setting until cheese is melted and beginning to get browned spots.

Fifth step: Remove and serve!

Very delicious and easy to make if Italian Herb Bread is already on hand. No spices or tomato sauce needed since the Italian twist is already coming from the bread.