Italian Stuffed Zucchini

• 3 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
• 3/4 cup low fat ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded Italian cheese blend, divided
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 3 oz. Italian coppa, minced
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 400F.

Scoop out the flesh from the inside of the zucchini, leaving a 1/4 inch thick shell.  Line the zucchini in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.

Combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup Italian cheese blend, parsley, coppa, basil and oregano, and lightly season with salt and pepper.  Mix well. Fill the zucchini with the ricotta mixture.

Drizzle each filled zucchini with about a tablespoon of marinara and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. 

Cover the dish with foil and bake 10 minutes.  Uncover and continue to bake 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and starting to brown.

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken Posole

• 1 – 19 oz. can white hominy, drained
• 1 –10.5 oz can Rotel tomatoes
• 1 – 10 oz. can green enchilada sauce
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 – 32 oz. container reduced sodium chicken broth 
• Avocado, optional

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Combine the hominy, Rotel, enchilada sauce, carrots, onions, jalapeno, garlic and cumin in your slow cooker.  Gently mix well. 

Add the uncooked chicken to the top of the mixture and gently stir to combine. 

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. 

Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred using two forks. Stir chicken back into the slow cooker, add the chicken broth and return to heat just until warm.  

Serve with fresh avocado on top.  Yummy!

Enjoy!

Zucchini Enchiladas

For the enchiladas:

• 4 medium zucchini
• 10 oz. extra lean ground turkey
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 - 15 oz. can pinquito beans (these are getting hard to find, if you can't find, use pinto beans)
• 1 - 4 oz. can diced green chiles
• 1 - 19 oz. can red enchilada sauce
• 8 oz. pepper jack cheese, shredded

Garnish with your favorite toppings:

•  avocado
• sour cream
• sliced jalapenos
• sliced black olives
• salsa

Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of the dish.

Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4 inch shell.  Lay the "boats" out in the pan.

Cook the turkey in a large skillet over medium heat, until no longer pink.  Put into a bowl and set aside.

Add olive oil to the same skillet and cook the onion, garlic and spices until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.  Stir in beans, chiles and turkey and mix well. 

Spoon the turkey mixture into each boat, they will be heaping over the tops.  Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top.

Cover the dish with foil and bake 15 minutes.  Remove foil and continue to bake 20 minutes, until cheese melts and zucchini is fork-tender.  Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Garnish with your favorite toppings and enjoy!!