Zucchini Sausage & Rice, Sure is Nice!


I found this simple recipe on BBC Good Food, and boy what a winner.

You all know zucchini is not my favorite vegetable. It is so boring, it has zero flavor, unless you fry it or grill it or make a zucchini bread with it (sugar and other ingredients make it come alive).

But it's summer, and we all want easy, and most of us have an abundance of zucchini in the garden. Also, my mint is growing wild.....and it is wonderful in this one pot dish. 

 By the way, don't you love how the British call zucchini "courgette"? (as do the French).


Easy Sausage and Zucchini Pilaf: (adapted from BBC Good Food)

100g (1/2 cup) basmati rice
1 tsp vegetable oil
3 good quality sausages , meat removed from casings
1 tsp fennel seeds , black onion seeds or crushed coriander seeds
1 courgette (zucchini!) , sliced into half-moons
100g (1/2 cup) frozen peas
200ml (1 cup) chicken stock
1/2 small bunch of mint , leaves picked and finely chopped
1/2 small bunch of dill , finely chopped
2 tbsp fat-free yogurt (optional)

Rinse the rice a couple of times until the water runs clear, then leave to soak.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan with a tight fitting lid, and fry the sausage meat for 2-3 mins until crisp and golden. Stir in the fennel seeds and zucchini, and fry for another 5 mins over a high heat so the water from the zucchini evaporates.

Stir in the drained rice, peas, stock and half the chopped herbs. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid.

Cook for 10-12 mins until the rice is tender. Fold most of the remaining herbs into the rice.

Serve with a scattering of the remaining herbs on top and the yogurt on the side, if using.

The next night, I used the leftovers for fried rice....I scrambled 2 eggs into the pan w/ the rice, and it was even better than the original dish!

Enjoy!

Comments