Braised Vegetables in a Skillet

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make braised vegetables in a skillet? Wash the zucchini under running water. Halve it lengthwise and cut it into fairly large half-moons. If you like your zucchini extra soft, cut the pieces smaller — but don't overdo it, since the zucchini should still stand out in the finished dish. Regular squash works just as well as zucchini here, and honestly every vegetable in this recipe is flexible. Set the zucchini aside in a bowl for now.

2. Step 2:

   

   Seed and stem the bell pepper. Cut it into fairly large pieces. A red or yellow pepper looks nicest in the finished dish.

3. Step 3:

   

   Wash the carrot, scrubbing the skin with a brush if it's very dirty. Peel it and cut it into thin half-moons so it has time to cook through.

4. Step 4:

   

   Peel the onion and cut it into thin half-moons. White or yellow onion is best here; red onion clashes with the finished dish. You can skip the onion entirely if you don't care for it.

5. Step 5:

   

   Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them into thin rounds. You can really cut the tomatoes however you like — it only affects how the finished dish looks.

6. Step 6:

   

   Now that the vegetables are prepped, grease a nonstick skillet with sunflower oil and add all the vegetables. Set it over medium heat.

7. Step 7:

   

   I salt the dish right away to taste, though you can also do it at the end. Add your favorite spices or dried herbs — I'm using an Italian herb blend.

8. Step 8:

   

   Braise the dish, covered, over medium heat for five minutes without stirring.

9. Step 9:

   

   Then stir the dish, uncover it, and cook the vegetables to your liking. The timing is up to you: if you like them a little crisp, cook no more than another seven minutes; if you prefer them very soft, it may take fifteen minutes or more.