Braised Fennel With Peppers And Olives Food

BRAISED FENNEL WITH PEPPERS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Remove stalks and any browned outer layers of the fennel and cut each bulb into quarters lengthwise. Cut off and discard core from each piece. Holding the layers together, cut each fennel piece into one-quarter-inch slices lengthwise, to obtain long strips.
• Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove core and ribs. Cut in half crosswise and cut each quarter into lengthwise strips about one-quarter inch wide.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add fennel and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add peppers. Cover and continue cooking about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings but be cautious with the salt because the olives will add some saltiness.
• Transfer fennel and peppers to a platter, top with olives and serve.

FENNEL BRAISED WITH OLIVE OIL AND LEMON

Steps:

• Trim the tops and bottoms from the fennel bulbs, reserving a handful of the fronds. Quarter the bulbs. Set each quarter on its side and slice off most of the core. Cut the quarters into wedges about 1-inch thick (don't worry if some pieces fall off the wedge-use those too).
• In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add the fennel and cook, without stirring, until golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Stir and let some more pieces brown for a minute or two.
• Stir in 1/2 cup water, scraping the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat to medium and cover the pan. Simmer, shaking the pan and adding more liquid occasionally if the pan is dry, until the fennel is very tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, chop the reserved fennel fronds and mix them with the lemon zest.
• When the fennel is tender, stir in the lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the olives, remove from the heat and let stand for about 1 minute to warm the olives. Transfer the fennel to a platter. Sprinkle the fennel frond mixture over the top, drizzle with additional olive oil and serve.

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH BELL PEPPERS, OLIVES AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven (5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid), warm oil over medium heat.
• Season chicken with salt and pepper, and cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
• Add bell peppers, onion, and garlic to pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
• If using whole tomatoes, gently crush tomatoes with your hands; add them to the pot along with their juice. If using canned crushed tomatoes, empty can into pot.
• Add the pitted and quartered olives, the bay leaf, paprika, thyme, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Return chicken to pot; reduce heat. Simmer, partially covered, until chicken is falling-apart tender, about 30-45 minutes.
• Discard bay leaf, serve hot over cooked pasta or rice.

BRAISED FENNEL AND ONIONS WITH GINGER

Steps:

• Cut the top (at the"fingers") and base of the fennel bulbs off and remove the first tough outer layer; cut each in half (top to bottom).
• Cut each of the halves in half again (you've thus cut each bulb into 4 slices); now thinly slice each (top to bottom) resulting in"sticks" of fennel.
• Heat the olive oil in a large lidded frying pan and saute the garlic, shallot, and ginger for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
• Add in the fennel and the onion and mix well.
• Add in the wine and water, and scatter the salt and turmeric over all.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, or until the fennel is cooked but still firm, and stirring occasionally.
• Remove the cover and continue to cook 5 to 10 minutes, until the majority of the liquid has evaporated.
• Serve immediately.

BRAISED FENNEL WITH ONIONS AND PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fennel, onion, and bell pepper and saute 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want to make sure all of the veggies get a chance to be on the bottom of the pan. At this stage, you will have a little bit of caramelization, but if you see too much browning your heat is probably too high.
• Place the fennel seeds on a cutting board and gently press on them with the back of a chef's knife or rolling pin. You want to lightly break the seeds to release their flavor but not break them to bits or powder. Add broth and next four ingredients (broth through garlic).
• Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in basil and fennel fronds.