The season for zucchini starts soon here in Germany – the ones we planted here on our balcony still need some time to get ready… but they are growing nicely so far. Several weeks and we can make this simple Zucchini Beef Skillet with homegrown zucchini I guess ;) Until then… let’s use the ones from the store. Shall we?
You can do a lot with zucchini. My mom always made little zucchini boats filled with ground beef and rice when I was a kid – so good! Maybe I should do an updated version of that one day ;) Well. Today I got this simple skillet dish with ground beef and zucchini for you – another dish with zucchini I really like. The combination of ground beef, zucchini, rice, and feta is really good! Even on a hot summer day – something you can enjoy without overheating ;P
When it comes to cooking in summer, I prefer dishes that can be done basically in one pot. Less cooking equipment that needs to be heated, means less heat and steam in the kitchen… and less to clean ;P
The recipe here can be easily modified, btw. You could turn this recipe into a one-pot pasta dish, for example, by omitting the rice and adding pasta to the sauce instead. Use a large pot instead of a pan, add the pasta when the recipe says the sauce should cook for several minutes, and cook the pasta inside the sauce. You may need to add a bit more water – you should check from time to time and add more if needed. Besides that, the recipe works the same way. Make sure the pasta cooks long enough to get “al dente” ;) You could also turn this recipe into a casserole dish and bake it in the oven if you like. In that case, just mix the finished sauce with cooked rice (even better some cooked pasta), add to a casserole dish, sprinkle with a good amount of grated cheese, and bake it in the oven until the cheese has melted…
It’s that simple sometimes ;)
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
8.8 oz. (250g) brown rice
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
3 medium zucchini, diced
14 oz. (400g) ground beef
2 red onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bell peppers (red, yellow), diced
14 oz. (400g) chopped tomatoes (from a can)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. paprika powder
salt, pepper, chili flakes
5.3 oz. (150g) feta cheese, crumbled
250g Naturreis
2-3 EL Olivenöl
3 mittelgroße Zucchini, gewürfelt
400g Hackfleisch, gemischt
2 rote Zwiebel, gehackt
2 Knoblauchzehen, gehackt
2 Paprika (rot, gelb), gewürfelt
400g Tomaten, gestückelt (Dose)
1/2 TL getrockneter Oregano
1/4 TL Paprikapulver
Salz, Pfeffer, Chiliflocken
150g Feta, zerbröckelt
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
2. Wash and dry the zucchini and peppers. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into strips and then into cubes. Remove the seeds from the peppers and cut also into cubes. Peel and roughly chop the onions and garlic cloves. Set aside.
3. Add about 1-2 tbsp. of the olive oil to a coated pan and fry the zucchini for a few minutes until nicely browned. Take out and set aside. Add some more oil if needed and cook the ground beef, mix until crumbly. Let cook and brown for several minutes, then add the onion and garlic and continue cooking. Add the diced peppers. When everything is nicely roasted and browned, add the tomatoes and stir in. Add the zucchini back to the pan and season with oregano, paprika powder, salt, pepper, and some chili flakes. Cover the pan and let everything simmer for about 5-6 minutes. If the sauce thickens too much, add some water. Serve the rice with the sauce and the crumbled feta.
2. Zucchini und Paprika waschen und trocknen. Die Zucchini längs vierteln oder sechsteln und dann in Würfel schneiden. Die Kerne der Paprika entfernen und dann ebenfalls würfeln. Die Zwiebeln und Knoblauchzehen schälen und dann grob hacken. Zur Seite stellen.
3. Etwa 1-2 EL vom Olivenöl in eine beschichtete Pfanne geben und die Zucchiniwürfel einige Minuten darin anbraten, bis sie rundum etwas Farbe bekommen haben. Heraus holen und zur Seite stellen. Noch etwas Öl in die Pfanne geben und dann das Hackfleisch darin krümelig anbraten. Nach ein paar Minuten die Zwiebeln und Knoblauch dazugeben und mit anbraten. Die gewürfelten Paprika dazugeben und mit anbraten. Wenn alles schön angeröstet ist, die gestückelten Tomaten dazugeben und unterrühren. Die angebratenen Zucchiniwürfel zurück in die Pfanne geben und mit dem Oregano, Paprikapulver, Salz, Pfeffer und Chiliflocken würzen und dann alles für 5-6 Minuten abgedeckt köcheln lassen. Sollte die Mischung zu trocken wirken, etwas Wasser dazugeben. Den Reis und die Hackfleischmischung auf Tellern verteilen und mit dem zerbröckelten Feta bestreuen. Servieren.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Easy Zucchini Beef Skillet
- Prep Time: 00:20
- Cook Time: 00:20
- Total Time: 00:40
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: International
Description
Easy peasy dinner dish – Zucchini Ground Beef Skillet with Rice & Feta.
Ingredients
8.8 oz. (250g) brown rice
2–3 tbsp. olive oil
3 medium zucchini, diced
14 oz. (400g) ground beef
2 red onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bell peppers (red, yellow), diced
14 oz. (400g) chopped tomatoes (from a can)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. paprika powder
salt, pepper, chili flakes
5.3 oz. (150g) feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
1. Rinse the rice with cold water. Bring a pot with salted water to a boil, add the rice and cook according to the instructions on the package. Remove from the heat, pour into a sieve and let drain. Keep warm until serving.
2. Wash and dry the zucchini and peppers. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into strips and then into cubes. Remove the seeds from the peppers and cut also into cubes. Peel and roughly chop the onions and garlic cloves. Set aside.
3. Add about 1-2 tbsp. of the olive oil to a coated pan and fry the zucchini for a few minutes until nicely browned. Take out and set aside. Add some more oil if needed and cook the ground beef, mix until crumbly. Let cook and brown for several minutes, then add the onion and garlic and continue cooking. Add the diced peppers. When everything is nicely roasted and browned, add the tomatoes and stir in. Add the zucchini back to the pan and season with oregano, paprika powder, salt, pepper, and some chili flakes. Cover the pan and let everything simmer for about 5-6 minutes. If the sauce thickens too much, add some water. Serve the rice with the sauce and the crumbled feta.
Notes
Enjoy cooking!
I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
