Summer Vegetable Bonanza

I can't say I'm the biggest yellow squash fan; I'm pretty sure I've never ordered it on purpose anywhere—it's usually overcooked and watery and severely lacking in flavor. But when summertime hits, I have to have it—preferably lightly cooked with other fresh summer vegetables where the flavor of summer really comes through.

The recipe for this is really just a guide—it's infinitely versatile with whichever vegetables are in season (or in the fridge). I like to add in grilled chicken, but of course you could sub in tofu or leave out meat altogether. The trick here is to cut the vegetables into small cubes so they cook quickly and retain their flavor. Here I serve it with large-grain Israeli couscous, but I often use whole-wheat fettuccine; brown rice would be yummy, too.

Summer Vegetable Sauté
© 2009 Mallory McCreary/SnobbyAvocado.com

1 8-ounce package Israeli couscous

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
Splash of sherry
2 small zucchini, diced
2 small yellow squash, diced
4 mild red chile peppers, chopped, seeds discarded (depending on taste)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup basil, loosely packed
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook couscous according to package directions; keep warm.

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and garlic until translucent; add cubed chicken and cook until done.

If necessary, deglaze the pan with a splash of sherry. Add both squashes and red chile peppers and cook until squash is just tender. Remove from heat; add tomatoes and basil leaves and stir; the residual heat from the pan and vegetables will lightly cook tomatoes and basil.

Serve sauce over couscous; sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and garnish with additional basil leaves, if desired.

Serves 4.