Summer Squash & White Bean Saute: Simply Delicious

Personally, I have no problem with vegetarian dishes - especially during the summer.  To me, meat doesn't make a meal - and sometimes it's nice to enjoy the flavors of fresh, seasonal vegetables when they are shining on their own...in other words: ripe fresh vegetables, simply prepared.


Jared however, doesn't always agree with me on this.  Whenever I tell him that dinner doesn't include meat, he gets a bit nervous.  So when I found a recipe for Summer Squash and White Bean Saute from Eating Well, I knew I had my work cut out for me.

Luckily, I didn't have to try very hard because this recipe is what summer cooking is all about.  The lack of ingredients made Jared a little apprehensive "where's the chicken, where's the rest of the food?" and I have to admit, I wasn't sure if the vegetables would be able to stand on their own without a ton of seasoning.

The best addition to this recipe is the red wine vinegar.  I added 2 tablespoons (instead of 1), and I was surprised how the vinegar really helped my palate to taste all of the different flavors - the oregano, parmesan garlic all came to life with a little help from the vinegar.  I also added about 1 teaspoon of salt, which I think helped to pull all of the flavors together (I also find that a touch of salt helps ripe tomatoes to taste even better).  

As for Jared, the vegetarian critic?  I believe his feedback was "mmmmm".....

I served this over brown rice (which worked out well), but in the future I'm planning to toss it with pasta or orzo.  I think it would also be great with quinoa.  I love the adaptability of the dish (swap the zucchini for corn - swap the white beans for black beans...whatever you're in the mood for).

Oh yeah, and one serving is under 200 calories - which pretty much rocks.

Enjoy!!


Summer Squash & White Bean Saute (from EatingWell.com)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 medium onion, halved and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 15- or 19-ounce can cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed (see Tip)
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini, summer squash, oregano, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring once, until the vegetables are tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Stir in beans, tomatoes and vinegar; increase heat to medium and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in Parmesan.

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