Quick dinner from scratch — ground beef with cabbage and rice.

I wanted to share this ground beef with cabbage and rice recipe with you today. It is very simple and quick to prepare, nothing revolutionary. I like it because it is healthy, versatile and easily adaptable.

I was thinking recently about how easy it is to justify eating out or preparing a processed frozen dinner when we don’t have much time to cook from scratch. I realized that the reason cooking from scratch is so daunting is not because cooking itself is complicated– most weeknight dinner recipes I use are pretty quick to put together– but because it is a chore to come up with ideas of what to make. By the end of an exhausting work day, I am in no mental shape to even start thinking of what to cook, as much as I enjoy cooking.

That’s why I find meal planning so helpful. Every time I neglect or put off meal planning, I find myself scrambling to put something together last minute, even if it is something very simple like this ground beef and cabbage recipe. I don’t like eating out, unless for a special occasion, and I am even less inclined to use processed frozen meals. So, really the only option is to think ahead.

Speaking of menu planning, this week I am going to try this cabbage stir fry, but I will be swapping shrimp for the beef. I will let you know how it turns out.

I am also planning to grill a few chicken breasts and freeze some for later. The chicken is marinated in a simple mixture of buttermilk, salt, and rosemary and turns out very moist and flavorful. Buttermilk is magic stuff!

Back to the recipe. It is more of a concept than a recipe, a formula that can be applied in different ways. I like how adaptable it is.

You can make a few tweaks based on what you’ve got in the fridge and what your family likes. Here are some ideas:

• replace the beef with another type of protein: ground chicken, turkey, kielbasa, shrimp, tofu.
• use whatever vegetables you have on hand: shredded carrot, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms.
• skip the rice or replace with barley, quinoa, or pasta.
• use your favorite type os seasoning and fresh herbs.

A tip to make the whole process even faster: precook large batches of ground beef and keep in the freezer. Same goes for the rice and pasta. I try to always cook a double batch and freeze the rest for later.

Ground beef with cabbage and rice

Ingredients:

(can be easily doubled)

1 lb ground beef (I like to use 90% lean)

1/2 head green cabbage, shredded (use more or less, to your liking)

salt and pepper, to taste

2 cups cooked brown rice

1/2 tsp. dried oregano, or other herbs

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet brown the beef on medium-high heat adding salt, pepper and any seasoning and herbs you are using. Push to the sides of the skillet (or remove to a plate).
2. Add the cabbage to the skillet and cook stirring, about 10 minutes, depending on how soft or crunchy you like it.
3. Add cooked rice (and the beef if you had removed it) and stir to combine well. Cook a few minutes longer to heat everything through. Adjust the seasoning, if needed.

Sprinkle with green onion and/or fresh herbs before serving. Enjoy!

What are your go-weeknight recipes? Please share below!