Sweet Summer Squash Sauté

The ingredients for this dish can come straight out of the summer garden. I like to use a medley of zucchini and patty pan squashes. Patty pans come in several colors. A variety of yellow and green squashes makes this dish almost too beautiful to eat. Try serving it over rice or pasta for a complete meal.

Ingredients

4-5 cups of uncooked squash sliced or cubed
½ cup chopped green beans
¾ cup finely chopped red peppers
2 cups chopped tomatoes
6 large mushrooms chopped (optional)
½ cup chopped onion
2 cloves crushed garlic
½ cup chopped fresh basil (or 2 tbsp. dried but fresh is much better)
¼ cup chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tbsp. dried)
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. red wine
2 tbsp. lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best)
2 tbsp. honey
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
salt to taste

Directions

Chop all the vegetables and herbs so that they are ready to go. Put the olive oil, red wine, lemon juice, and honey into a deep dish frying pan and heat on high for 2 minutes. Add all the vegetables and herbs to the pan. (Do not put the cheese in the pan, that’s for later as a topping.)

Cook the ingredients together on medium high heat for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are as soft or as crunchy as you like. If you put a lid on the pan, the vegetables will steam and will cook quickly but will be softer and mushier. If you want them to remain crispier, cook uncovered. In either case, stir frequently. After about 10 minutes of cooking, try a piece of squash to see if it’s cooked to your taste. If you slice the squash it will cook faster and be softer. Cubed squash will take longer to cook and will be easier to keep crispy.

The Parmesan cheese works well as a topping. This dish is delicious all on its own or over rice or pasta.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously.