Easy Rainbow Veggie Sauté

As a California girl, I love Trader Joe's. However, when I lived in California, the nearest one was a 30-minute drive, so I didn't shop there too often. Now that we live in Virginia, I have a TJ's just a 6-minute drive from my house. Yes, truly it was one of the benefits of moving here. Just about once a week, I pull a bag of TJ's potstickers out of the freezer to make a quick meal from my family. I usually pair it with rice or whole wheat couscous. However, that leaves our meal looking rather, well, brown. So, I usually add some veggies to the mix. Last night I pulled together this easy sauté with a rainbow of spring produce -- asparagus, tricolor bell peppers, carrots and celery. Not only was it yummy, but it made our meal look pretty too!

Easy Rainbow Veggie Sauté

2 Tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup sliced carrots (about 4 carrots)
1 cup sliced celery (about 2 1/2 ribs)
1 cup asparagus, chopped into about 1-inch pieces (about 12 thin spears)*
1 cup tricolor pepper strips*
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

* I used frozen grilled asparagus and tricolor pepper strips from Trader Joe's rather than fresh.

Melt butter in skillet. Add garlic and sauté for about a minute. Add carrots, celery, asparagus and pepper strips. Sauté until desired tenderness. If you use frozen vegetables, cook the fresh produce first and then add the frozen since it won't take as long to cook. Season with salt and pepper.

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Looking for healthy recipes? Check out Slightly Indulgent Tuesday at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free.

For other recipes using spring produce, be sure to check out Ultimate Recipe Swap at LifeasMOM.