A few years ago my dh and I decided to try a more healthy lifestyle, which included lowering our carb intake. But we still wanted a hearty Italian meal so I made this up. Since we’re now in garden season, I thought you all might enjoy a recipe that will use up zucchini, one of the most prolific plants in any garden!

Lyn Cote’s Less Pasta, More Zucchini Recipe

1 lb. ground turkey

1 lb. ground beef

3 medium zucchini, quartered and diced into 1/2” cubes

1 large onion, diced

1 pkg fresh mushrooms, quartered (Portobello or white–may substitute canned)

1 15 oz. can, Italian style minced tomatoes (drained)

1/2 bottle or can of spaghetti sauce (your choice of brand)

1 Tb. Orrington Farms Broth Base & Seasoning, Beef flavor

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp minced garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

1 c. shredded mozzarella

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Brown turkey and beef in large skillet. Add veggies and spices. Mix gently. Cover and simmer for an hour. Top with cheeses the last ten minutes to melt.

May be served over your choice of pasta. Or alone.

The one variable that you must take into consideration is the quantity of liquid from the zucchini.

• I have spooned off excess liquid before serving.
• I’ve also mixed in 1-2 handfuls of uncooked whole wheat pasta about halfway through the cooking time to absorb the liquid.
• Instead of the pasta you might substitute a crunchy French or Italian bread that could be dipped into the juice at the table.

You’ll need to play around and see what works for you!

I make this large batch because from it we eat 1 supper, 1 lunch and many breakfasts. Leftovers mixed with scrambled eggs the next morning are very tasty!

But this recipe should easily feed a large family so if you don’t like leftovers and have a smaller family, you can reduce the amount by 1/2. But the leftovers are really good and my dh says get better overnight!

BTW, have you signed up yet for my newsletter (see above on right side of banner). My newest book BLESSING will come out July 1st. I’m going to giveaway one copy in a drawing of my new and active newsletter subscribers during July. So don’t miss this. Sign up today!

QUESTION: Have you ever made up a recipe?–Lyn