Summer is my favorite season! I love the warm weather and the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables at the local grocery stores and farmer’s markets. This inspires me to cook healthy and easy, light meals.
Wasting food is not part of my “Being Betty” program. Recently, I found an abundance of zucchini and colored peppers which needed to be prepared or tossed. My solution was to prepare a batch of meat and rice stuffing which could be used for stuffed zucchini and peppers. This also gave me an opportunity to prepare a couple of meals ahead of time and freeze for later use.
*Store extras on a sheet pan placed in freezer. When frozen, store in a large zip lock bag.
One pound of ground meat: beef, turkey or bison can be used
1 ½ cups cooked rice: Basmati and brown rice are tasty options
3 tbsp minced onions
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp paprika
¼ tsp of Worcestershire
½ C fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, basil and oregano or ¼ C mixture of these dried herbs
*This mixture will fill 2-4 peppers and or 2-3 zucchini depending on the size.
Directions:
1. Prepare the rice following package directions. (I used basmati and followed the rice to water ration on the bag. This was ½ C rice to ¾ C of water. In lieu of water, use a broth such as chicken or vegetable. Homemade is best.)
2. Sauté the ground meat with the minced onions until cooked. Add cooking oil or butter if the ingredients need more oil. Mix remaining ingredients.
If preparing stuffed peppers:
If preparing stuffed zucchini: