The Love-Child of An Onion and Celery
I’ll proudly attribute my love of cooking to my dad. What can I say, Italian cooking done right is some of the best. He taught me that the limit does not exist when it comes to how much garlic you should use and that the best smell in the world is garlicky sautéed onions. It comes to no surprise, then, that anything similar to garlicky sautéed onions will garner my liking. Enter stage right: Fennel.
Fennel has become my new favorite vegetable. This white and layered bulb vegetable physically resembles a stalk of celery and a bulb of onion and has a subtle anise(licorice) flavor. Even if you are not a fan of licorice, this anise-flavored vegetable may surprise you. Cooked fennel has a more subtle anise flavor, compared to its raw state, and it’s hard and crunchy nature begins to soften up when heated. Nevertheless, fennel maintains its crunchy aspect even when cooked, while surprisingly retaining its juiciness, too, leaving for satisfying and refreshing treat.
Additionally, Fennel is a very versatile veggie, as it can be eaten raw, boiled, sautéed, steamed, roasted, air-fried, love-fried, you-name-it-fried, and I find each way uniquely delicious. While fennel simply is yummy, what adds to the awesomeness of this carrot-family-vegetable is its abundant nutritional benefits.
According to Medical News Today, for women over 20, 1 Cup of fennel contains the daily equivalent of:
60.6% Vitamin K
33.3% Sodium*
34.1% Vitamin B-6
33.0% Vitamin A
28.1% Iron
23.3% Calcium
20.7% Magnesium
7.2% Potassium
7.2% Vitamin C
10.8% Fiber
Fennel also contains a variety of phytonutrients, which are known to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. More on phytonutrients in a later blog post, but just believe me when I say phytonutrients are powerful plant compounds that should be incorporated into your daily diet.
Next time you are browsing the vegetable section of Trader Joe’s, make sure to pick up a 2-bulb pack of fennel and try it out. As my friend, Ari’Elle would say, “don’t knock it until ya try it.”
Happy Fennel-ing.
Resources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK56068/table/summarytables.t2/?report=objectonly
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284096.php#benefits
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=23#nutritionalprofile
https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Fennel,_raw,_bulb_nutritional_value.html
http://inrtracker.com/nutrients/vitamin-k-in-fennel-bulb-raw
