Hiiiiiiiii oh my gosh, has it been forever or has it been forever since I’ve posted a new recipe?! The last few months with looking for a new place to move into, then moving, then unpacking, led to awful eating habits and abandoning the kitchen almost completely for almost three months. Seriously – my body is showing the consequences, my bank account took a huge hit wasting so much money, and my mind is going crazy having to sit, I mean, run after Tanner through out restaurants. Seriously why has no restaurant made an outside sand/toy pit so parents don’t lose their f-ing minds when out to dinner with little boys… Thank goodness for being able to try new places all the time so no one gets sick of us!!

With that, I cooked my first full meal in monthssss, and first dinner in my new house last night, and am so excited to share. I made up a new recipe and it was DELISH. This will be PERFECT as a fall staple the whole family will love, but amazing anytime of the year because it’s light, healthy, and full of flavor.

PUMPKIN ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

{Photo, Seashells & Sit Ups Instagram, 2015}

*First tip – you can ‘cheat’ and use a pre-packaged pumpkin sauce, or if eating clean, make your own. My favorite canned pumpkin sauce is Cucina Antica’s Tuscany Pumpkin, and can be found at Sprouts or Whole Foods. It’s all natural, gluten free, and tastes slightly sweet yet full of spices. However, if you have time to make your own, homed pumpkin sauce is SO easy!

{Photo via Google, 2015}

Ingredients for homemade pumpkin sauce:

• Pumpkin puree, water, tomatoes, heavy cream [sub for coconut milk for clean alternative], honey, carrot puree, butter [sub for soy-free coconut oil or Ghee for clean alternative], sea salt, onions, garlic, basil, black pepper, parsley, Italian spices, rosemary, cinnamon, sage
• Add everything to a crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours and boom! You can add raw sliced tomatoes, pumpkin, and carrots this way, and they’ll get soft and perfect for sauce. Then add everything to a blender or use a hand-immersion blender at the end. [Or use canned purees]

Pumpkin Zucchini Ingredients:

• 4-6 organic zucchinis, sliced thin & longways
• 25 oz. pumpkin sauce [homemade, see ingredients above or canned]
• 1 pound extra lean ground turkey [can also use chicken sausage, ground chicken, ground beef, or leave out for vegetarian/vegan option]
• Garlic Herb Flavor God
• Everything Spicy Flavor God
• Coconut Oil, spray or canned
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• Onion, chopped and sautéed
• Optional: add sautéed bell peppers
• Optional: shredded mozzarella or mixed cheese [cheddar, jack, mozerella]
• Optional: rather than serving as a side, add mix of quinoa and kale as a layer

Directions: 

1. Wash & slice zucchini and set aside on paper towels to soak up any extra moisture. Optional: lightly sprinkle with sea salt
2. In a large baking pan, spray or rub coconut oil or ghee until pan evenly coated
3. In medium sized frying pan, cook ground meat until fully cooked/browned. When almost fully cooked, add 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil or ghee + 1 tablespoon water with minced garlic, 1 tablespoon garlic flavor god, and 1 tablespoon spicy everything flavor god. Coat evenly and finish cooking until fully browned.
4. If adding chopped onion and/or sautéed bell peppers, remove meat and set aside and sauté onion/bell peppers in same pan. Sprinkle with same combo of seasonings.
5. Line pan with one base layer of zucchini
6. Sprinkle garlic flavor god on top of zucchini
7. Add ground meat
8. Add sautéed veggies
9. If using quinoa and kale mix as a layer rather than a side, add on top of veggies
10. Pour a layer of pumpkin sauce over meat, quinoa mix, and zucchini until evenly coated
11. Optional: sprinkle layer of cheese
12. Add another layer of zucchini, and sprinkle with spicy everything Flavor God, then layer meat, quinoa/kale mix, sauce, cheese
13. Top final layer with sliced zucchini and sprinkle both flavor god seasonings on top
14. Optional: top with final layer of cheese
15. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until top is browned and zucchini is cooked al dente

Favorite sides to serve with:

Quinoa and Kale mix by Path of Life or spinach salad [my fav combo when pairing with Italian consists of spinach, sliced black olives, feta cheese [optional], sliced red onion, red bell peppers, carrots, garbanzo and kidney beans, and sliced cucumber – topped with drizzle of balsamic vinegar & fresh ground black pepper].

{Photo from Path of Life, 2015}

{Photo from Wings to Go, 2015}

Would love to hear from you if you’re excited about this recipe and/or after you make it! Share your thoughts and tag me on Instagram, @seashellsandsitups

#seashellsandsitups #seashellsandsitupsYUM #seashellsandsitupskitchen #seashellsandsitupsrecipe #pumpkinzucchinilasagne