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Chiles Add Flavor To Zucchini Saute

Steve Petusevsky Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

Zucchini and Green Chile Pan Saute is summer eating at its best, using seasonal ingredients that are at their peak of freshness and flavor.

This Southwestern-flavored dish combines zucchini, yellow or crookneck squash, sweet corn, Anaheim or Poblano chiles and vine-ripened tomatoes.

Summer squash varieties are extremely low in calories, fat and sodium. Sweet corn adds folate, fiber and thiamin, which might be deficient if you, like me, drink several cups of coffee each day (heavy coffee drinking can lower your body’s folate levels).

Chile peppers contain more vitamin C than citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits and lemons. And eating them increases your metabolism, which helps you burn calories and speed weight loss. Chiles also have healing powers attributable to capsaicin, the substance that makes hot peppers hot.

This dish may be prepared without the heat; just omit the chiles.

I recommend serving this saute over pasta, couscous or even mashed potatoes. Leftover pansauteed zucchini makes an excellent salad served at room temperature - sort of a Southwestern ratatouille.

Zucchini and Green Chile Pan Saute

1 tablespoon pure olive or canola oil

3/4 pound zucchini, sliced into rounds

3/4 pound yellow squash, sliced into rounds

1 medium red onion, halved crosswise, cut edge laid on counter and sliced vertically into slivers

2 Anaheim or Poblano chiles, sliced into rounds

1 green bell pepper, seeded and julienned

1 ripe tomato, chopped

Kernels from 1 ear of corn or 1/2 cup frozen

1/2 cup drained canned black beans, rinsed well

1 tablespoon minced cilantro (6 sprigs)

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini, yellow squash, onions, chiles and green peppers. Saute 2 to 3 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Add tomatoes, sweet corn, black beans and cilantro. Saute 1 minute; add salt and stir to combine.

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition per serving: 101 calories, 3 grams fat (27 percent fat calories), 3 grams protein, 17 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 202 milligrams sodium.