Sometimes you just want to make an absolutely delicious meal.  It may take a little extra effort, but its taste will compensate for that.  You know the dishes I’m talking about, the ones that remind you of home, make you feel good inside, the ones you cannot wait to serve to others…or just hoard for yourself 😉  This recipe does that for me; it’s my take on the traditional lasagna.  It provides all the warm and fuzzies but is made with real food, and you don’t have to feel guilty about eating it 🙂

This recipe started out as an “eggplant” bake I’ve made for several years and has evolved into the “Zucchini Lasagna Bake“ that I make today.  You use sliced and pan fried zucchini instead of noodles and layer with a meat and vegetable mixture.  I use lamb which is highly recommended; however ground grass-fed beef or ground turkey is also acceptable.  We get our lamb from an organic farm in Michigan but there are several local suppliers.  If you do some searching in your area it is much less expensive than in the grocery stores.

If your family does cheese you can layer with some grass-fed raw milk cheddar or do 1/2 with cheese and 1/2 without for those who prefer without.  Some people who do not do as well with dairy do okay with a raw-aged cheeses.
I use my homemade marinara sauce; I still have a few jars leftover from canning last summer and I can’t wait to make more with all the tomatoes we plan to grow (hopefully they grow)!  It’s made with a couple pounds of fresh cut up tomatoes, fresh garlic and onion sauteed in olive oil plus about 1/4 cup, Italian seasonings, salt and pepper, and fresh basil.  Just saute it all together and let the tomatoes cook down.  It freezes and cans well.  I’ll get an official recipe up as soon as I make it again and can record the method to my madness.  If you don’t have time to make your own you can purchase a good quality organic sauce, just look for lower sodium, no added sugars, and minimal preservatives.  You can also buy crushed tomatoes and season them yourself.