Vegetable Confetti

Four shredded vegetables cooked together in one skillet create a bright, confetti-like side dish that’s as colorful as it is quick. Green zucchini, golden yellow squash, orange carrots, and white onion all cook down in about five minutes into a tender, buttery tangle.

Shredding the vegetables instead of chopping them is what makes this work so fast. Thin shreds have more surface area exposed to heat, so they cook through in minutes and absorb the margarine evenly. A box grater or the shredding disc on a food processor makes quick work of all four.

The two-stage cooking method is deliberate. Steam-cooking covered with a splash of water first softens the vegetables quickly. Then removing the lid and adding margarine lets the moisture evaporate while the fat coats every strand. That uncovered sauté at the end is what takes the vegetables from steamed and bland to glossy and lightly caramelized.

Serve immediately. Shredded vegetables lose their color and turn limp fast once they cool.

Kitchen Tips

• Shred the zucchini and squash on the large holes of a box grater. Too fine and they dissolve into mush during cooking.
• Don’t skip the covered steaming step. Sauteing shredded vegetables from raw in fat alone takes longer and cooks them unevenly.
• Two tablespoons of water is all you need. More than that and you’re boiling instead of steaming, and the vegetables get waterlogged.
• This is naturally low in fat and diabetic-friendly. Use butter instead of margarine if dietary restrictions allow for a richer flavor.

Variations

• Add shredded red bell pepper for an extra color in the confetti mix.
• Toss in a clove of minced garlic during the sauté stage for a savory boost.
• Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the finished dish and sprinkle with fresh herbs like basil or parsley.