Summer Vegetable Saute with Garlicky Dijon Vinaigrette

I'm not going to say this dinner is beautiful to look at or astonishingly original, because-- well, it isn't. But it's healthy, cheap, seasonal, and fast. It takes less than 20 minutes from start to finish. And for a working-day dinner, that's all I ask for.

Obviously you can use whatever vegetables you choose. I used broccoli, zucchini, and yellow summer squash, because that's what I had. I think Swiss chard or another leafy green would go very nicely here. I'd say use around 2 cups per person, if you use "light" vegetables like I did. I would have added some chickpeas if I had had them to make this a more complete meal, but oh well.

I served this over couscous, because it's such a quick-cooking "grain".

Summer Vegetable Saute with Garlicky Dijon Vinaigrette (serves 2)

Vegetables-- about 2 cups per person-- washed, trimmed, and sliced

10-12 basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade

Olive oil

Salt

Vegetable broth/water

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 large clove garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil over high heat in a wok, or large, heavy-bottomed skillet. Add the slowest-cooking vegetable(s) first (in my case, broccoli), and saute for a few minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables. If they start to stick to the pan, you might need to add a bit of water or vegetable broth. They will only take a few minutes to cook. Add some salt if you want.

While the vegetables are cooking, make the vinaigrette:

Roughly chop the garlic clove, then sprinkle some salt over it and mash with the blade of the knife until it turns into paste. (This really works! It's so cool.) Add half the garlic to the vegetables, and put the other half into a small bowl or jar. Add the mustard and vinegar and mix. Slowly pour in the oil, mixing all the time. Add salt and pepper to taste.

By this time the vegetables will be done. Pour most of the vinaigrette over the vegetables, add most of the basil, mix, and take off the heat.

Plate the vegetables. Drizzle on the extra vinaigrette, and top with the remaining basil leaves.