A few weeks back, I shared on Instagram a few of my go-to cookbooks for my weekly meal plans. I like to plan my meals for the week ahead of time, because I am a very indecisive person. If I wait until a weeknight after work to decide what we are going to have for supper, we either won't eat at all or end up eating something absolutely terrible for us. For weeknight suppers, I like recipes with short whole food ingredient lists, short prep times, and short cooking times (if any). After a long day of work, I need simplicity. A meal I can cook and relax with, and that I can whip up fairly quickly leaving enough time for binge watching Netflix and cuddling with the dogs and husband. SO here we have a quick, fresh, and healthy side from one of my favorite cookbooks The Sprouted Kitchen. You can also visit their website for other easy and delicious whole food recipes.
Ingredients
2 medium-large fennel bulbs, with a few chopped fronds
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
grated zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 or 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Slice the fennel bulbs horizontally as thinly as you can. Remove any large core parts, then add the slices to a large mixing bowl with the fronds.
Add the olive oil, lemon zest, and juice to the bowl and toss together. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to soften the fennel. You could do this up to two days in advanced.
Before serving add the parsley, a pinch or two of salt, and a generous grind of pepper. Toss everything together and serve immediately.
My favorite way to serve this is with pork chops cooked on a cast iron skillet with a little butter.
Note: The original recipe calls for Parmesan cheese to be added in with the parsley, salt, and pepper. I prefer it without, but feel free to add some in!
