Sunday, May 1, 2011

The Best Think I Ever Ate...this week

As eluded to in last weeks post, the diet is still in full force.  I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce you to my friend.  Not a lot of people like her, but I think it's because they just don't know her very well.  
Meet Fennel. 
Isn't she pretty? 
Fennel is allowed on my diet so I've been using it when I can find it.  If you've tasted raw fennel it can be kind of an acquired taste because it has a hint of licorice to it.  I personally love licorice, but I know it's one of those things that people either love or hate.  Because of my love of licorice, I love raw fennel thinly sliced in salads.  If you really want to change the flavor up, try roasting it.  It really mellows out the flavors and changes the texture completely.  So, want to roast some fennel? Here we go:
  • See those green fronds, chop 'em right off.  I've heard some people use them but I just toss them.  See where the stalks are growing out of the bulb?  That's where you want to cut.  All you need is the bulb part. 
  • Cut off the bottom where you will find a hard "stemmy" piece. 
  • Cut the bulb in half then quarter it. Then, take the quarters and slice them into fourths.  
  • Toss in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
  • Roast at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, the longer you cook it the softer it will become.  I don't mind a little crunch but if you want it softer, cook it a little longer.   
  • Squeeze some fresh lemon over it before serving.

This is after about 20 minutes.  I stuck it back in for another few minutes just to get some more color on it.  The brown parts are my fave!  So, please introduce yourself to my friend, Fennel.  I think you may like her too.

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