This easy one pan dish is perfect for busy nights.  All the flavors work together and we like this served over either steamed rice or cooked penne pasta.  Hope you enjoy this dish. Diane 

Unstuffed Zucchini Boats 
*an easy one pan meal 

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound ground beef (I use a mix of 93% and 80% together) 
• 2 medium sized zucchini, washed & cut in half, then cut in 1/4" slices
• 1 large green bell pepper, washed & chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 24 ounce jar of pasta sauce (your choice) I use 1 Quart of my own Roasted Spaghetti Sauce 
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 2 teaspoons italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Salt to taste 

Directions: 

     Place 1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil into a large pan. Brown ground beef or turkey in a large pan along with the onion and bell pepper.  Drain off any excess grease if needed.  Add in garlic and other seasonings. Stir well to prevent garlic from scorching.  Add in zucchini and stir.  Cover pan with lid and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the zucchini is starting to cook through.  Remove lid and add in spaghetti sauce. Cover and cook a final 5 minutes.  Serve topped with grated or shaved parmesean cheese. I serve this over either cooked steamed rice or cooked penne pasta. 

      Ever wonder what you could do with some frozen lobster tails?  You know - the ones that come up in "twofer" sales... Frozen means that gives me time to decide if I want to broil the tails and add to a pasta dish or lobster chowder...In the Summer the hands down way to go is to grill them. 

       The easiest way to grill lobster tails:
     Grab some steel skewers (if you use wooden ones, they'll need soaked ahead of time in water so they don't burn on the grill.) 
        I thaw my tails by sealing them in a bag and submerging in cold water - changing out the water *to keep it cold until the tails are defrosted - you do not want to thaw your lobsters too far ahead of cook time - I aim for 30 minutes before we start our grill. 
        Take your thawed tail, using kitchen shears - cut down the top middle to the main tail section; open the shell a bit and the "meat" should pull up and out of the shell and rests on top of the shell.  Using your skewers; thread the body lengthwise. Using the skewers will keep the tails from curling when grilled.  
        Grill over direct medium heat.  Grill meat side down for 5-7 minutes. Flip over and finish grilling, this is the time where you'll brush your lobster with any herbed butter r plain butter sauce.  You want the lobster to be white and not opaque. The internal temperature should read 135F.