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Sunday, June 9, 2013

Grilled Fennel Salad

Grilled fennel and purple onions, simply dressed with lemon juice and olive oil, make a lovely fresh salad.

When I was a young girl, I didn’t know anyone with a food allergy.   By the time my own babies came along and grew to school-age, a couple of their classmates were mildly allergic to nuts.   Now it seems like allergies and intolerances are rampant and many have become life-threatening.  Which is rather scary.  I am in awe of the parents who work hard to make life normal for those children, working on recipes that eliminate the offending ingredients but still taste great.

Our host for this week’s Sunday Supper , Bea of The Not So Cheesy Kitchen, is one such mom.  Her daughters cannot eat milk sugar (lactose) in any form, so her blog is a fabulous dairy-free resource with delicious recipes.  Most posts include photos of her adorable daughters offering their opinion on the dishes with one or two thumbs up, which means that Bea’s recipes are not only healthy but kid-friendly and approved.  Which, I am sure you will agree, is very important to a successful Sunday Supper.

This week the Sunday Supper group explores “free-from” recipes, so there are tasty options for everyone, no matter what their food allergies or diet restrictions.

Ingredients
1 large or 2-3 small fennel bulbs, preferably with some fronds
1 small purple onion
Olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
Sea salt
Black pepper

Method
Cut the frond off of the fennel bulbs and set aside.  Trim the tough stems and discard.  Now cut the bulbs from top to bottom into slices which are a little skinnier than half an inch or 1 cm thick.



Slice the onion very thinly.


Put the onion in your salad bowl and sprinkle with sea salt.  Squeeze over the juice of your lemon.  Set aside.  This will take some of the sharpness out of the raw onion.



Heat your griddle pan till it is searing hot.  Lay the fennel slices on the griddle and weigh them down with something heavy, like a full kettle.  Cook for three to four minutes or until the fennel softens just slightly and there are lovely char marks on one side.



Turn the fennel slices over and weigh them down again.  Cook for another three or four minutes, making sure to get some charred lines on the other side.


Remove the fennel to a cutting board and allow to cool.


Chop the grilled fennel up and add it to the salad bowl.


Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.  Give the whole thing a good stir and add more salt, pepper and olive oil to taste.


Top with the chopped fennel fronds.


I served this alongside the smothered pork chops and potatoes from my recent Mothers' Day post.     It is a great fresh complement to a rich meal.


Enjoy!


Have a look at all the wonderful "free from" recipes this week.  It's a fabulous round up of flavor!

Breakfast

  • Dairy, Egg, Gluten, Nut & Soy Free Brown Rice Breakfast Pudding by girlichef
  • Dairy & Nut and Sugar Free Blueberry Tangerine Muffins by Vintage Kitchen
  • Dairy, Egg, Gluten, Nut, and Soy Free Homemade Mango Jam Recipe by Masala Herb

Main Courses

Sides

Breads

Treats

Drinks

40 comments :

  1. Thank you so so much for your kind words and compliments, Stacy. Really, thank you!!!


    Your grilled fennel salad looks out of this world. We love fennel - I just do not own a griddle pan with ridges...There must be a way for me to make this amazing salad! Again, thank you so much! ~ Bea @ The Not So Cheesy Kitchen

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  2. Thank you for hosting, Bea! I love my griddle pan (It's a LeCreuset.) because it can go straight from the stove top to the oven. I use it to add interest and flavor to chicken breasts and pork chops and it's great for cooking a couple of steaks when you don't want to light the charcoal grill. You can probably sear the fennel slices in an iron skillet, if you have one, for the same flavor. The grill marks don't really show when you cut the fennel up after anyway.

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  3. I grill lots of veggies and I don't know why I've never thought of fennel. Thanks so much for sharing and inspiring me to fire up the grill and make this salad soon.

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  4. I hope you enjoy it, Renee. I know some people aren't crazy about the flavor of fennel but I like the subtle licorice-y taste, especially when mixed with onion and dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

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  5. What a scrumptious pretty salad and so flavorful stacy! I really should cook more with fennel. =) Happy Sunday!

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  6. I love fennel salad. I also love roasted fennel. Grilled and in a salad! Super!

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  7. I've only used fennel a few times, and never thought to grill it - lovely salad - I think it would be great served with a fish dish too!

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  8. So it sounds like I could use my cast iron pan :) Yay - that is why I love my cast iron pan so much. Stove to oven at high temps :) Thank you! I cannot wait to make this salad. I love fennel.

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  9. It's so true. When I was young, I only knew 2 people with allergies.
    Now this looks perfect! I have never tried fennel before, but you have made me curious!

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  10. Thanks, Helene! I should too. Happy Sunday to you as well!

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  11. I know, right?! It just came to me one day as I stared at the fennel bulb, ruminating about what to do with it. Thank you!

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  12. It would be perfect with fish, Amanda. Next time I think I'll add a small red chili pepper as well. I didn't want to overpower the fennel at first but I think it can take it.

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  13. It has an aniseed or licorice sort of flavor, Cathleen, so if you like those things, you will probably love fennel. Do give it a try!

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  14. I'm really not a fan of fennel, but grilling it probably makes the difference!

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  15. I only had fennel a few times and it´s definitely grilled or roasted for me. This dish is so simple it sounds wonderful for all the outdoor eating. Or for a burger!

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  16. I can't wait to try this! I have never had fennel before but I have seen it at the grocery. Now that I have the fabulous iron skillet grill pan - I am going to use it first on this!

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  17. G'day! I JUST bought fennel the other day, TRUE!
    Then asked myself with it what will I do! :)
    Your recipe is on the list!
    Cheers! Joanne
    What's On The List
    http://www.whatsonthelist.net

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  18. It's not everyone's cup of tea, Sarah, and that's the truth. But I think everything tastes better grilled. :)

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  19. I love fennel, but never grilled it! What a great side dish to accompany any meal!

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  20. Your pictorial instructions are always so helpful, Stacy. Grilled veggies of every sort are en vogue in California...And I've never had fennel...Sooo, I guess I'll have to join "y'all" (to quote the Texans) and bring out my grill =)

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  21. I love roasting Fennel and cannot wait to make this salad!The flavors sound fantastic and it looks like a great side dish in the summer :)

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  22. Oh yum, roasted fennel! This looks and sounds amazing. I love the simplicity of it.

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  23. This looks so good ! Never grilled fennel before. Look forward to trying this salad ! Yumm!

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  24. This looks like such a great salad! So simple too.

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  25. Stacy, I don't hink I've ever eaten fennel before! *Cue shocked gasp* I need to hunt it out ASAP and give it a try. I love that you grilled it for that lovely smoky, summery taste.

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  26. I can't believe that I have never eaten fennel before. I love the idea of grilling it. Can't wait to try this recipe

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  27. It took me quite a while to try it too, Laura, but I was so glad when I finally did.

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  28. You can slice it really thinly and use it in a salad or coleslaw like that, Nancy, but the grilling does add an extra flavor as well as a few carcinogens. Always tasty. :)

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  29. That was the best part, Susan. Simple to make, delicious to eat.

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  30. Thank you, Sunithi! It tastes great but is healthy too!

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  31. It's the perfect summer side, Soni. Goes great with grilled fish too.

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  32. Let me know what you think, Kim. We loved it!

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  33. Thank you, Jennifer. It is the perfect side dish!

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  34. Fennel has an usual taste for a vegetable, kind of like licorice, Kelli, so it probably won't pass the Mr. Picky Eater test, but I hope you like it.

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  35. I need to try it roasted, Paula! I'll bet that is delicious too.

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