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.