Roasted Fennel

I am so excited to join this venture to showcase vegetarian and vegan recipes. Today, I present a very simple yet an exciting recipe using Fennel bulb. To be honest, I have never tried anything with this before as I was wary about the pungent flavor that usually fennel has. Yes, I was right. the bulb itself is very pungent but to my surprise, the roasted & caramelized fennel tastes heavenly!

It is still cool and windy here in DC these days and am eagerly awaiting for Spring. (Where are you Spring?) and for me - just like grilling is for summer, roasting is for winter where temperatures are cool & you stay indoors all-the-time.

Today's recipe is adapted from Ina Garten's recipe - Roasted Fennel with Parmesan. I didn't have parmesan cheese on hand when I made this. But, nevertheless we thoroughly enjoyed it. Enjoy.

Roasted Fennel

Ingredients:

1 large fennel bulbs
1/8 cup olive oil [I used EVOO]
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan shavings (optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Remove the stems of the fennel and slice the bulb in half lengthwise. With the cut side down, slice the bulb vertically into 1/2-inch-thick slices, cutting right through the core. Spread the fennel slices on a baking sheet, coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss with your hands. [Click here for a youtube video about how to cut a fennel bulb]

3. Roast the fennel slices for about 20-25 mins, turning them once or twice for every 10-15 minutes, until the edges are crisp and brown. Remove from the oven and cover with Parmesan shavings. Taste for salt and pepper and Serve.

Tip: Likewise any winter vegetables can follow the same roasting process and you can enjoy the natural sweetness of the veggies. :)

until next time,