Sauteed Zucchini with Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Peppers, and Basil (The Kids Cook Monday)

Andrea Meyers - Sauteed Zucchini with Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Peppers, and Basil

Update August 15, 2011: Thanks to Dash Recipes for featuring this recipe!

Update September 12, 2011: Thanks to The New York Times for featuring this recipe!

It’s summertime and our garden is bursting with tomatoes, peppers, and basil, so we decided to sauté our homegrown vegetables with some yellow zucchini, mushrooms, onions, and garlic as a summery side dish for The Kids Cook Monday.

Builder Guy (8) wanted to continue working on his knife skills, so he practiced slicing zucchini with a chef knife and cutting up tomatoes with a serrated knife while I prepped the rest of the ingredients.

Andrea Meyers - Builder Guy slicing zucchini

The only real work on this dish is all the slicing and chopping, but it goes by pretty quickly, just keep an eye on any junior chefs as they practice knife skills, and make sure they keep their fingers out of the way of sharp blades.

How Adults Can Help the Kids

Demonstrate and assist with any tasks that might be new: slicing, measuring, stirring, pouring.
Demonstrate how to properly hold the knife and keep fingers out of the way of the blade.
Discuss knife safety tips.

Safety Tips

Make sure an adult is present at all times.
An adult should be in charge while a knife and the stove are in use.
Young children should not handle sharp knifes and hot pans.

SAUTEED ZUCCHINI WITH TOMATOES, MUSHROOM, PEPPERS, AND BASIL

Serves 4.

Equipment

12-inch nonstick pan

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 head of garlic, all cloves peeled and sliced
1 1/2 pounds yellow zucchini (about 3 medium), thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, diced
4 ounces fresh white mushrooms, diced
3 medium tomatoes, diced
12 basil leaves, chiffonade
grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)
basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

1. Warm the pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and swirl it around, then add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions soften and glisten, about 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add the sliced zucchini and cook stirring until the zucchini starts to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the bell pepper and mushrooms and continue cooking until all the vegetables are nearly fork tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes and stir, cooking just until the tomatoes are warmed through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the basil and cook for 1 more minute, then transfer to a dish and serve with (optional) Parmesan cheese and basil leaves for garnish.