Zucchini Squash ?

For lots of people, summertime is simply incomplete without serving a delicious array of scrumptious vegetable sides. They are best when in season and widely available everywhere.

But why not take a break from the usual leafy green salads or broccoli and dig into a plateful of succulent zucchini and squash instead?

The taste of cooked zucchini and is pleasantly bland. It’s texture is soft but not mushy, if cooked right, its peel is crunchy and the inside is spongy with some floral notes and some sweetness to it, but nothing overpowering! I also love using summer squash or butternut squash. Summer squash are squashes that are harvested when immature, while the rind is still tender and edible. They are very similar in taste to zucchini but a little bit sweeter. Butternut squash has a sweet nutty flavor similar to that of a pumpkin. Mix and match! they are perfect compliments to each other.

As most of the veggies zucchini and squash are very healthy. You’ll surely be impressed with the nutritional bounty that zucchini offers. It is very low-calorie and high in fiber, and has no cholesterol or unhealthy fats. It is also loaded with vitamins and minerals.

With many options on cooking zucchini and squash available, the quickest and easiest is to sauté the vegetables in a pan on a stove. Zucchini and squash will brown and turn tender. I prefer using butter over oil to help it brown and also for an added creaminess and nutty flavor. For vegan friendly sauteed dish please use vegan cashew butter. It is not easy to find it in shops, but you can make it by yourself and add to your favorite baking too.
Like I have mentioned before, zucchini and squash are over all pretty bland so they carry out other flavors beautifully. That is why I love adding other ingredients to my sautéed zucchini. My favorite is garlic and onion. Fresh onions and natural olive oil are mandatory. Onion caramelizes beautifully in butter adding to the complexity of marvelous flavors.

Here is couple tips how to make the best sautéed zucchini and squash.

Use a wider pan to spread the pieces out so they brown instead of steaming. Heat the pan first, then put all the ingredients in it. Don’t salt your veggies at the beginning so they don’t release water and turn mushy, overcooking will turn them mushy as well. Just increase the heat step by step. You can also add green onion, sliced pepper, thyme and crisp basil. Greens will make the cooked vegetables smell extra freshly. Grated cheese is a perfect component for any baked vegetable. Your squash and zucchini will have fabulous flavor and beautiful tasty crust.

Here is my recipe for the sautéed zucchini and squash. Occasionally after the dinner you can keep leftovers in fridge till morning breakfast, but I`m sure you`ll not have any.