Yellow squash, zucchini, purple onions, and traditional creole seasoning sautéed hot and fast over high heat. A quick and easy side that elevates the natural sweetness of the veggies.
Estimated Time 50 minutesminutes
Servings 6Servings
Here's What You Need
2slicessmoked bacon - chopped
4cupsyellow squashes - 3 or 4 squashes (See Notes)
Wash and slice squash and zucchini into medallions; Slice purple onion into half moons; Slice lemons, discard ends; Chop garlic. Chop bacon into 1-inch pieces.
Place all of the above into a large bowl.
Mix in the Herb and Spice Blend and allow it to sit for about 20 minutes while excess water is extracted.
Add olive oil, and mix well. Set aside while bacon crisps.
Place chopped bacon into a cold saute pan and turn the heat to medium.
When the bacon becomes crispy and has rendered its fat, remove it from the pan and set aside on paper towels to drain, leaving the bacon grease in the pan.
Increase the heat to high under the skillet. When the pan is hot, add the vegetables to the bacon grease with a slotted spoon so as not to include any of the liquid that has accumulated in the bowl. (see Notes)
Allow the vegetables to start to brown slightly on the edges before you shake or stir.
Once the zucchini and squash start to show color, shake the pan back and forth and stir occasionally,
Maintain a high heat as you saute, don't allow them to burn but you do want to encourage some caramelization of the squashes and onions to occur and still be a little firm.
After about 10 minutes, remove the pan from heat and crumble the crisp bacon pieces onto the vegetables.
Notes
Please read my article Sauteed Yellow Squash and Zucchini for Hints and Tips, nutritional information, and step-by-step photos. You want about 6 cups total of squash and zucchini. It doesn't matter how much of each is used.There is no need to peel the squash or zucchini unless you want to!1 tablespoon of fresh oregano is equal to 1 teaspoon of dry oregano leaves. You can substitute dry herbs for the fresh.Don't use any of the liquid that accumulates in the bowl from marinating the squash and zucchini. This will tend to steam the vegetables instead of sauteeing them. Substitute any variety of Summer Squash for either the Zucchini or the Yellow Squash, or you can also substitute either for the other. You can substitute any sweet onion for the red onion-yellow onions; your favorite herb for the oregano, butter, or olive oil for the bacon.This recipe can be done on the grill. Place a grilling pan on a hot grill and rub it with a little vegetable oil or nonstick spray. Place the vegetables on the hot grill pan carefully. Make sure not to add any of the liquid that has accumulated in the owl or there will be a lot of smoke and maybe a flare-up. Stir the veggies around a couple of times and saute them for about 5 minutes. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 5 days in an airtight container. You can reheat this in the microwave, or a saute pan. The high water content of summer squash doesn’t make this a prime candidate for freezing (in my opinion) but if stored in an airtight container, this can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge for about 24 hours, then hit the microwave or sautee pan (preferred). Refer to Sauteed Yellow Squash and Zucchini for more details on freezing.