I am between summer trips at the moment so my kitchen has seen busier days. Last week I took the boys on our yearly mother-sons adventure (click here for photos and a recap) and next week we head to the Jersey Shore for our annual week at the beach.
I love summer!
Right now I'm in my clean-out-the-fridge mode trying to use up perishables before we leave. The boys wanted burgers for dinner but I wasn't in the mood. So I used two aging zucchinis and the ground beef I defrosted for them to whip myself up a fun dinner.
The result was a tasty bowl of awesome. Especially after I topped it with a touch of feta and chives from my herb garden.
This idea could work with any ground meat; I just happened to have the beef on hand.
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 medium zucchini, chopped (totaling about 600g)
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Kosher salt
- Feta cheese and chives for garnish
Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat with the garlic, oregano and a healthy pinch of salt.
While the beef is browning chop the zucchini. I quartered them longwise and then cut into chunks like this.
Once the beef is browned, remove from the skillet and set aside. Add the chopped zucchini to the warm skillet and saute until browned and slightly softened.
The key is not to toss them too much. Let them be for about a minute, then toss. Then another minute then toss. This will let them caramelize a bit.
After a few minutes add the beef back to the pan. Deglaze with the balsamic vinegar. Remove from heat and serve!
I added about a half ounce of feta and some fresh chives on top. Easy, simple and tasty, you can't beat it.
| Servings | Amt per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1 ½ cups | ||
| Calories | Fat | Fiber | Sodium |
| 360 | 8g | 33g | 565 mg |
| Sugar | Sat Fat | Carbs | Protein |
| 8g | 3g | 57g | 31g |
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It’s pretty impressive and very convenient if you live in an area where finding high quality meats is hard.
This sounds like something I could make for dinner tomorrow. I have defrosted hamburger in the fridge that needs to be used. Along with the zuchinni maybe add some canned or fresh corn. The additions are numerous. Love the addition of balsamic vinegar - my favorite, not so much the husband. After the horrendous week this country has endured, enjoy your time at the Jersey shore. We just got back from Depoe Bay, Oregon - it was heavenly!
Looks yummy! How long do we need to cook the beef because it's usually chewy? I'll try to make it. Thanks for your recipe
Only brown the meat til it's no longer pink, breaking it up as it's browning. You don't need to brown it on high heat, medium is fine.
Have you ever ground your own meat? We switched over this year and we will not go back to packaged ground meat. I have an attachment on kitchen aid and do several pounds at a time. Until you grind up a chuck roast with a little bacon and make burgers you have not lived!!