Homemade Italian Tomato Sauce and Cheese Zucchini Lasagna Rolls

IMG_2291.JPG

Do you need to use-up some of your garden tomatoes? We made this Italian tomato sauce and used it in the below Cheese Zucchini Lasagna Rolls recipe and froze the rest of the sauce in gallon Ziploc bags or bag size of your choice.

Italian Tomato Sauce for Pasta

*1 cup Olive Oil
*1/2 pound Onions, chopped fine about 3 medium)
*1/2 pound (1/2 pound bag small carrots) Carrots, chopped fine
*1/2 pound Celery, chopped fine
*6 pounds Whole Tomatoes, canned (1 #10 can) or fresh, skins and seeds removed (we used Roma Tomatoes)
*2 Cloves Garlic, minced
*1 ounce Salt
*1 tablespoon Sugar

Heat the Olive Oil in a stock pot. Add onions, carrots and celery just until heated through not letting the onions caramelize. Then add the remaining ingredients and let simmer for 1-3 hours until desired thickness.

Place pot in an ice water bath to cool and then use a food meal or Immersion blender until smooth. Freeze in Ziploc bags, size bags of your choice and/or make the following lasagna rolls.

Italian Tomato Sauce recipe adapted from Wayne Gisslen Professional Cooking

Grated Cheese Zucchini Lasagna Rolls

*8 Western Family Lasagna Noodles, cooked ( I liked these lasagna noodles because of the ripples in the noodles)
*1 teaspoon Olive Oil
*3 Cloves Garlic, crushed or minced
*1 pound Zucchini, grated, drained and squeezed
*1 generous cup Cottage Cheese or Skim Ricotta Cheese
*1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated (grate more for topping)
*1 Egg, beaten
*1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
*fresh ground Pepper to taste
*1 1/2 cups Italian Tomato Sauce, (recipe above)or Marinara Sauce
* fresh Basil for garnish, optional

Pre-heat oven to 350*F. Ladle 1-2 cups of sauce on the bottom of 9″ x 13″ baking dish.

In a cast iron skillet or skillet of your choice, sauté garlic in Olive oil about 1 minute. Then add grated Zucchini, salt and pepper, sautéing another 5 minutes or until zucchini is soft.

Combine in a medium bowl; Sautéed zucchini, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg, mix together.

Lay out lasagna noodles and spread on the above mixture inside noodles about 1/3 cup for each noodle and roll-up. Top with Italian tomato sauce and grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 40 minutes or until heated through and cheese melted. Garnish if desired and Enjoy!

Lasagna Recipe adapted from Skinny Taste

IMG_2295.JPG

IMG_2296.JPG

IMG_2297.JPG

IMG_2298.JPG

IMG_2291.JPG

Have a great day!

Jessica and Lindy

Sweet Potato & BBQ Pork Crock Pot Style

20140805-125229-46349077.jpg

You will need two crock pots; one for sweet potatoes and another for the BBQ Pork or you could cook the BBQ Pork the day before and refrigerate couple of days or freeze until ready to use.

Sweet Potato & BBQ Pork

*6 Sweet Potatoes, washed and individually wrapped in foil

Place the foil wrapped Sweet potatoes In crock pot and set on low for 6 hours.

BBQ Pork

*Pork Shoulder Roast, fresh or frozen and thawed in refrigerator
*2  (12 ounce) cans of Coke
*2-3 tablespoons dried Onions
*2-3 teaspoons dried Garlic
*1 tablespoon Deverle’s Seasoning or favorite seasoned salt
*1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes or to taste
*1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

**2 cups Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce, or to taste, add after pork is cooked and shredded

Place the above ingredients in the order listed (except BBQ sauce) in a crock pot on low for 6-8 Hours or overnight and shreds easily. Shred the pork and add BBQ Sauce.

Unwrap cooked Sweet Potatoes, slice almost half way through, add cooked/warmed BBQ Pork and top with Monterey Jack Cheese or cheese of your choice, serve and enjoy!

20140805-125243-46363963.jpg

20140805-125256-46376772.jpg

20140805-125307-46387135.jpg

Enjoy!

Lindy