Zucchini Ribbon Lasagna

It's so good to be back in the kitchen after an epic summer of traveling, made even easier by the addition of a new cookbook from our most recent adventure to north Alberta. So far north, that it's the start of the Mackenzie Highway, made famous by the TV show "Ice Road Truckers" because some of it is actually only passable when the tundra is frozen!

Our time there for my husband's family reunion was mostly sunny and warm, with a few prairie thunderstorms that are like nothing this city girl has ever seen. We also ate like kings, between the cattle ranched by one of the uncles, the smoked meats and salmon hunted and fished by multiple members of the family, and the loving creations the local crew cooked up for the 64 family members who attended!

We also each went home with a family cookbook, filled with favorite recipes that made my mouth water the whole drive home through Jasper and Banff National Forests (must-sees!!!). The first recipe I decided to tackle was Aunt Jac's Zucchini Pizza Casserole, but I made enough changes to it that I decided I needed to write it down myself so I can make it again and again!

Zucchini Ribbon Lasagna

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground Italian sausage
32-oz. jar marinara sauce
3-inch piece of Parmesan rind, if available
4 pounds mixed zucchini
1 cup grated Parmesan
16 oz. sliced fresh mozzarella

Heat oil over medium-high in a large stock pot. Add onion and bell pepper, and cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic for the last minute and stir until fragrant. Break up sausage and add in, stirring until cooked through. Add marinara and Parmesan rind, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200 degrees, then cut zucchini into ribbons using a Spiralizer (or a potato peeler, but I wouldn't recommend that as it is quite tedious!). 

Layer paper towels on two large baking sheets. Spread zucchini ribbons evenly over both, sprinkle with salt, then heat in oven. After about 15 minutes, remove zucchini from oven, and turn up the heat to 400. Squeeze zucchini with paper towels to try to extract additional moisture.

Once sauce is done, remove the Parmesan rind, then spread a small amount on the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan, then do two layers each of:

Zucchini
Parmesan
Mozzarella
Sauce

Top with additional Parmesan, then cook until bubbly, about 20 minutes and cheese is starting to brown.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes, which gives you time to remove any excess liquid so it's easier to serve. I used a turkey baster and will reserve the liquid for the next time I make minestrone!

Overnight Steel-Cut Oats Soaked in Homemade Hemp Milk

For most of my adult life, I've regularly shaken up my breakfast routine in search of something that's delicious, nutritious and — most importantly — filling, so that I'm not searching for a snack halfway through the morning.

Some mainstays have been grits with an egg mixed in (not quite filling enough), smoothies (OMG they just make me ravenous!) or a egg-meat-cheese-muffin sandwich (very yummy and filling ... and my waistline responded accordingly).

But this year, I do believe I've discovered my perfect whole-grain breakfast: Overnight Steel-Cut Oats Soaked in Homemade Hemp Milk.

The Soup Cleanse

First, let me start at the beginning. A while back, I read an article in Mother Earth Living on Soup Cleansing for a New Year Detox. The New Year was right around the corner, so I thought, why not give it a try?

I borrowed The Soup Cleanse from the library, and filled the fridge and the freezer with a variety of soups. Although the book only recommends doing a cleanse for a few days, I ended up following my own path and tried it for a month, with amazing results.

The takeaways for me are similar to the comments of the Mother Earth Living writer. Besides always having a freezer full of hearty soups that I can grab for an instant lunch at work, I also start my work day with a big glass of room temperature water and a steamy cup of broth, plus an afternoon smoothie (beet-cucumber-apple-kale is my go-to).

You'd be surprised how much a mug of broth can do for you in the morning. It wakes up the digestive system and gives me the energy to start my day satiated enough to drink a cup of dandelion tea at the office before busting into the oatmeal.

Meal Prep Sundays

That means I spend a lot of Sundays doing meal prep. The Instant Pot is the star, first for my beets, then for the stock. Even though both require minimal hands-on time, planning is key. I like to let the stock sit in the pot for a few hours after the 30-minute pressure time, then it requires time and space to extract all of the liquids, pour stock into pint jars, and bring them to room temperature before refrigerating.

During all that waiting, there's always time to make the Homemade Hemp Milk that gives my oatmeal the fat to keep me full all morning in addition to a full day's supply of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

The below recipe fills a little more than a quart-size mason jar when it's fresh and frothy, so I always get out an extra pint-size jar and fill it a little above the 3/4-cup line for my first oatmeal jar of the week.

Homemade Hemp Milk
3 cups filtered water
1 cup hemp seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract*
2-3 Medjool dates

Blend all ingredients in Vitamix for about 2 minutes, gradually increasing speed from low to high. Pour into 1 quart-size mason jar and refrigerate.

*For a special treat, use 1 whole vanilla bean instead. It is luscious!

Overnight Steel-Cut Oats
3/4 cup hemp milk
1/4 cup steel-cut oats
Spices to taste (I use cinnamon, cardamon, turmeric plus a tiny dash of salt and pepper)
Fresh or frozen fruit
Nuts

Stir hemp milk, oats and spices in a pint-size mason jar and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, add fruit and nuts (I use frozen mangoes and pistachios). Frozen fruit works great if you're transporting your jar, and of course cuts down on precious morning prep time.

Your oatmeal is ready to eat if you like cold oatmeal, but I prefer to warm mine for about 2 minutes in the microwave.

Prepare to make your co-workers very, very jealous.