Zucchini Spirals

One of my youngest daughter's favorite dinners is Lasagne Rolls.  Back in my pre-paleo days, I made it all the time.  I stopped eating it, though, because Italian food started giving me severe heartburn.  With a family history of GERD, gall-bladder problems, and intestinal woes, I heeded the warning.

But it was a fun and pretty dish to make.  So I decided to see if I could re-create it, paleo style!  There is a little planning ahead necessary in this dinner.  You will need oven-roasted, mashed butternut squash, and cooked, chopped chicken.  But don't let that hold you back!  It's easy to roast a squash and cook up some chicken a day ahead of time.

First, slice a medium zucchini lengthwise into "lasagne noodles".  I used the 1/8" slice on my mandoline, but I wish I would have used the 1/4".  The thin slices were too fragile for easy rolling.


Next, steam the zucchini slices.  I used a Tupperware microwave steamer, on high for 3 minutes.  Lay the slices out on foil, and blot the extra moisture with a paper towel.  Cooking with veggies instead of pasta means your ingredients will be releasing moisture, rather than absorbing it.  This can lead to very soupy/watery dinners.


Spread the butternut squash mixture on each "noodle".


Top that with finely chopped cooked chicken.


Roll and place next to each other in a casserole dish, atop a thin layer of homemade spaghetti sauce.


Generously dot the top with more spaghetti sauce.


Bake at 375F for 20 minutes.  Delicious served alongside Paleo Garlic Bread.


Zucchini Spirals
1-2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1/4"
2 c. butternut squash, oven-roasted, mashed
1 t. Italian seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. coconut flour
1 egg
1 t. salt
1 c. chicken, cooked and finely chopped
homemade spaghetti sauce

Steam the zucchini slices for 3 minutes in the microwave, lay out on tin foil and blot excess moisture with a paper towel.

Mix mashed butternut, italian seasoning, garlic, coconut flour, egg and salt.  Spread on each zucchini "noodle".

Top butternut with chopped chicken.

Pour a thin layer of homemade spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish.  Roll each "noodle" into a spiral and set next to each other in the casserole dish.  Generously dot with more spaghetti sauce.

Bake at 375F for 20 minutes.  Serve hot.

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