Whole30: Meaty Italian-Style Zucchini Stew
We watched MasterChef last night, which left us both wanting lemon meringue pie. This, of course, is the danger associated with cooking shows – the power of suggestion. Mercifully, it was close to 10 p.m. and there was no way that was happening. That said, three days into the Whole30, I can tell you that sugar is definitely our monster around here, although I’m starting to miss the dairy, too.
For breakfast, I made E three eggs scrambled with the last of the Canadian bacon. I made two over-medium eggs for myself and served them alongside half an avocado. We also shared a perfectly ripe cantaloupe with Baby Girl. Lunch was a salad for me, leftover meatloaf for E.
For dinner, I made a non-vegetarian version of my great-grandma’s Italian-style Zucchini Stew with ground turkey, because I found some gorgeous zucchini at the farmers’ market last weekend, and this stew is one of my favorite ways to make zucchini into a one-dish meal. I chose ground turkey because of its mild flavor – it would add protein without taking over the flavor of the stew.
You might think a pot of hot vegetable stew is the last thing to have on a summer evening, but while hearty, it’s not a heavy meal. If the vegetables are in season, the flavors will be bright and fresh. This is summer comfort food. It’s even better if you use fresh herbs (I didn’t – I stupidly passed up the bunches of basil at the market on Saturday, so I had none on hand. I won’t be repeating that mistake).
Meaty Italian-style Zucchini Stew
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 medium or 1/2 large sweet onion, chopped fine
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 pound ground turkey
2 medium zucchini, sliced thin (about four cups)
42 ounces canned diced tomatoes
2 cups water
1 good handful chopped fresh basil or one teaspoon dried
Additional Italian herbs if desired – up to one tablespoon of combined oregano, marjoram, rosemary, thyme (no more than a half teaspoon of each)
1/2-3/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and translucent.
Add the ground turkey and cook until nicely browned.
Stir in the zucchini and let cook a few minutes, until it starts to tenderize just a bit.
Add the tomatoes, water, herbs and salt.
Cover and let simmer 30-40 minutes, until zucchini is fully tender and the flavors have melded.
Serves 6.
