Recipe: Garbanzo Vegetable Saute (using fresh herb, summer squash)

GARBANZO VEGETABLE SAUTE
"Enjoy the bounty of summer gardens with an easy-to-prepare, nutritious one-pot dish. The star ingredient, squash, cooks quickly and by adding canned, high-protein garbanzo beans to this quick saute, you'll minimize your time at a hot stove. Fresh mint adds surprising freshness helps make this basic recipe special."


1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped (1 tsp. dried may be substituted)
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano finely chopped (1 tsp. dried may be substituted)
1 small zucchini, cut in half then sliced
1 small yellow crookneck squash, cut in half then sliced
1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1(15 oz.) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
1 fresh tomato, diced
3 cups cooked brown rice, for serving (wild rice may be substituted)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, basil and oregano and saute for 1-2 minutes.

Add zucchini, squash, mushrooms and garbanzos and stir well to combine. Continue to saute for about 10 minutes until zucchini and squash are tender crisp.

Add mint and tomato and continue to gently saute for 3 additional minutes.

Serve over bed of cooked rice.

SERVING SUGGESTION:
Double up on seasonal vegetables and add more color by creating a beet and onion salad to round out the meal. Simply slice cooked and peeled beets and a red onion. Place in a bowl, add a dressing made with equal amounts vinegar and oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

ABOUT SQUASH:
Squash, in the same family as gourds, may be one of the crops that helped ancient people transition from hunters and gatherers to growers. Their seeds have been found in caves in South America dating back 12,000 years, predating the rise of cultivation by 2,000 years. Hollowed squash and gourds were used as containers to carry water. The first ceramic pots were probably formed to resemble these vessels.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 323 calories, 7 g total fat (<1 g saturated fat), 57 g carbohydrate, 11 g protein, 9 g dietary fiber, 18 mg sodium.

Adapted from source: The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)