This is the season for great summer vegetables!  Visit your local farmer’s market, and see what’s at the peak of perfection.  Corn?  Green beans?  Squash?  Tomatoes?  Pick up some farmer’s pride today, and make a wonderful summer dish.  It’s served over nutty-delicious brown rice.  This is a dish that’s perfect for those of us weight conscious people.  You may eat a lot of this dish, with no remorse or quilt.  It’s one of my favorites, and so simple, fresh and healthy.  (Hint: add tomatoes at the very end of sautéing, so they don’t get too soggy or over cooked).

Vegetables fresh from your local Farmer’s Market: squash (yellow or zuccini, patty pan, et al)  onions, corn, carrots, green peppers, green beans, tomatoes, celery, broccoli, cabbage, green peas.

Are there any special or “exotic” vegetables available, such as lima beans, eggplant, or okra?  Try these, too.

Fresh herbs: oregano, basil, thyme, parsley – whatever your fancy!

Begin the dish by starting the rice:  use whole-grain brown rice, preferably.  Here’s my special method of cooking rice that I learned years ago.  1 cup rice, rinse 3 times.  Add 2 cups water for every cup of rice.  Bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to lowest simmer, and cook the rice, covered, for exactly 30 minutes.  Do not lift the lid during cooking – this will spoil the little steam channels inside!

Chop into thumb size pieces.  About 1-2 cups of raw vegetables is a serving.

Pour 1 tablespoon peanut or olive oil per serving into a large skillet or Asian wok, with 1 bouillon cube (chicken or vegetarian) per serving, with ½ cup water per serving as well.  Heat and help the bouillon cube dissolve.

Add the vegetables and cover. Lightly sauté until the vegetables are still crisp, but also cooked.  Be sure to not overcook.  Add some fresh herbs and spices at the very end.  Some oregano leaves, and may be perhaps some thyme, too – fresh is best.

Serve over the rice (1/2 to ¾ cup rice per person is a serving).  Add some low-sodium soy sauce, if you like.  Or, squeeze some lemon or lime over the vegetables, as you like.