kabak kalye

You're craving greens but a cold salad just won't cut it.  Your body wants spinach but your soul wants comfort food.  Something hearty and filling, but healthy at the same time. Sound familiar? I've got the answer for you. This dish combines basically zucchini and ground beef, and I throw in a huge amount of spinach too for good measure.   My in-laws were in town, so I made enough to feed four hungry people, or four not-so-hungry people twice.  Adjust the measurements as needed for your own hungry or not-so-hungry people.

1 onion (I used red - smells so good when you sautee it), diced and sauteed
3 zucchinis, cut into substantial chunks
500 g spinach (I just buy a huge bag of the prewashed leaves)
700 g ground beef
salt, black pepper, dill, and turkish red pepper to taste
2 maggi cubes (or whatever veggie bullion you like best)

I usually brown the meat first, chopping the veggies while the beef does its thing.  That way too I can get rid of the excess fat once it's rendered.  In a big pot, sautee onions, then add zucchini and seasoning.

Add the spinach. I never cease to be amazed at how much spinach shrinks.

Add the beef to the veggies. And then put a bit of boiling water in there with the boullion, so there's a bit of juicy broth in the pot too. Not quite a soup or a stew, but generous amounts of liquid nonetheless.

Let it simmer til the zucchini's tender. And for best results, serve over brown rice, top with plain yogurt and an extra sprinkling of turkish red pepper.

sea bass with balsamic glaze 2

I made this again, and again it was spectacular. This time I took pictures. I could have made an attempt to make it look pretty, but I was too hungry. Details of the recipe is in the post on the previous version.

The pluots were a bit too sour, but it balanced out in the end. Here they are, sitting on the glaze before mixing.

Instead of Fresno peppers in the vegetable bed, I used Aleppo pepper in the balsamic glaze. Easier. And here it is, in all its muddy glory.