A lot of people use a liquid like wine. For some vegetables, like onions, I
don't like to use a liquid because it prevents browning, which is what gives
you a rich, complex flavor. I use either a very small amount of oil - just a
spray from one of those oil misters - or nothing at all. If you spray just a
very thin coat of oil on the bottom of the pan, you are really adding a
negligible amount of fat, especially if you are cooking in large batches as
I do. I like to cook at least 10 servings at a time, and freeze my
leftovers. To use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of oil for that amount of food is
really insignificant.
The other thing I sometimes do is just saute in a bare pan - no oil, no
liquid. When I start to see some browning, then I add liquid to deglaze the
pan. I don't even use a nonstick pan. This works great for onions, but don't
try it for garlic. If you are using garlic, add it with the liquid.
Melissa