Mock Lasagna Dinner (made with my favorite Essential Oils, of course)

Mock Lasagna – a delicious way to stay on your 2014 weight loss goal path!

No recipe posts since November? Where has my head been?! Time to dish the dirt about a delish dish that doesn’t taste like dirt … you with me on this?

I am going preface this recipe by tossing a challenge out to you. The challenge is: don’t click out of here after the next sentence. I have to be blunt here and tell you straight away … the noodles are replaced with … kale. Did you pass the challenge? Are you still here with me? I don’t know about you, but I’ve been put off of kale (until now). Everything I read made me think “not for me!” In my green smoothie recipes, I seem to always read “you can substitute kale for spinach if you don’t mind the taste”. Other places have similar things to say and it worked for me. I stayed f.a.r. away from this leafy green!

And then I saw the recipe that inspired me to make a couple of tweaks and take the leap into giving it a try. It is easy to make, looks yummy and my tastebuds were VERY happy with my efforts! This one is a keeper for me. Take a look at my version, give it a go, and let me know what YOU think of this!

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Mock Lasagna Dinner
serves 9; 207 calories per serving; recipe by Peggy Mundell
based on a recipe by Kalyn

Ingredients:

2 medium sized bundles of kale
1 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
1 pkg (20 oz) ground turkey
1 24 oz jar of low-calorie/low-sugar pasta sauce (I used Safeway Select Tomato and Basil sauce)
1 drop Basil essential oil
1 drop Fennel essential oil
1 drop Rosemary essential oil
4 TBLS finely grated Parmesan cheese (divided into 2 portions)
2 cups grated reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (divided into 2 portions)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F/190C.

Spray a 9″ x 12″ lasagna-type glass or crockery casserole dish with olive oil or non-stick spray.

Add the salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil.

Trim stems from the kale, then cut the kale into ribbons about 1/2 inch wide (perpendicular to the direction the stems run). Add kale stips to boiling water, lowering heat so the water is gently boiling.

Cook kale 5-6 minutes.

Drain kale into a colander in the sink and let it continue to drain while you prepare other ingredients. (Kalyn suggests using a salad spinner to gently spin the water from the cooked kale and then let it continue to drain – note to self: put a salad spinner on my wish list!)

While the kale is cooking, heat the oil in a large heavy frying pan

Saute ground turkey until it is cooked through and nicely browned, breaking it apart as it cooks.

Add the pasta sauce and basil, fennel and rosemary essential oils. Stir to combine and let the sauce simmer 20-25 minutes, or until it’s thickened and the liquid is reduced.

In the casserole dish, layer 1/2 the drained kale, sprinkle 2 T Parmesan, 1/2 the sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat with another layer of kale, Parmesan, sauce, and mozzarella.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake another 15-20 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling and cheese is starting to brown.

Let the dish sit for about 5 minutes before you cut it. Serve hot.

ENJOY!

Diet Tips:

I cut my mock lasagna into 18 sections (6 columns across and 3 rows down). Two sections equals 1 serving. In eating casually at home, I put 1 section on a small serving plate (delicious with a small bowl of salad on the side!) and make myself go back “for seconds” for my other 1/2 serving if I am still hungry. If I were serving this for a more formal gathering, I would place both sections on my guests’ plates at once – guests look funny at me if I don’t use full-sized place settings!

When doing portion control at home, I don’t place the serving platter on the dining room table – I make myself get up and go back into the kitchen to serve my other half – this makes me less likely to eat without intending to while I visit with family/friends at the table.

After the meal, I prefer to use smaller containers in the ‘fridge and put one serving in each container – this helps me not eat too much when I dive into the leftovers.

Like Kalyn, I suspect this would freeze up nicely!

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Contact me to find out more about my favorite line of Essential Oils!

Basil EO 15ml = approximately 250 drops
Retail Price: $26.67
Wholesale Price: $20.00

Fennel EO 15ml = approximately 250 drops
Retail Price: $20.00
Wholesale Price: $15.00

Rosemary EO 15ml = approximately 250 drops
Retail Price: $18.67
Wholesale Price: $14.00>/LI>

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