Fennel Success!

My taste buds are now on the fennel bandwagon. A quick simple recipe with fennel, tomatoes and chicken have turned me into a believer. Check it out:

3 fennel stalks
1/2 medium onion
2 medium tomatoes
1 leek
1 garlic clove
4 thinly sliced chicken breasts (2 average breasts sliced in half)
2 tbsp. tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. tarragon
Olive Oil
1 C. panko flakes
1 egg

Coat skillet with olive oil. Place on medium-low heat. Wisk egg in a small dish. Place panko flakes on a plate. Dredge chicken breasts through the egg and the panko to coat. Place chicken in heated pan. Cook chicken for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and put aside.



Chop onion, leeks, fennel, tomatoes and garlic. Add to warmed skillet. Add tomato sauce, salt, pepper, tarragon, and cook for approximately 10 minutes or until veggies become tender.



Return chicken to pan, cover and cook for approximately 12-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.



Let cool and enjoy!

Funky Fennel

There are very few things in the culinary world that I don't like. Among those few are grape leaves, capers, and more recently discovered, fennel. I stumbled upon a salad that had fennel in it and thought, "Why not!". Big mistake. I took one bite of my fennel, heirloom tomatoes and arugula and spit it out. Oh fennel, why do you even exist? But after almost adding Mr. F to my shit list, I reconsidered my decision. Why be so harsh? Why not try to go with the grain instead of against it? I might really like it if it were to be hidden in a glorious soup or au gratin concoction. So I started to do a little research and this is what I discovered:

Fennel, or Foeniculum vulgare, is used as a bulb vegetable and an aromatic herb that has a taste similar to anise. It also has many medicinal uses. It can be used to quiet the hiccups, break up kidney stones, help with nausea and aid digestion.

Interesting...maybe fennel isn't so bad after all.

Time to put down the shit list and get in the kitchen. I have some fennel to cook. While I work on that, why not tell me what foods/seasonings you hate so that maybe I can persuade you change your mind. I'm always up for a culinary challenge!