mediterranean magic

This quick and delicious vegetable side dish just screams “Mediterranean” to me. I love every single distinct flavor here. I served this with the mahi-mahi from yesterday’s post, but it just as easily compliments pork or chicken as it does fish. And it takes literally, only about 7 minutes to put together, well OK – depending on your knife skills! So sharpen your chef’s knife and have a wonderful weekend!

Sautéed Fennel with Olives, Capers, and Orange

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced, fronds reserved
1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, drained, pitted, and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons rinsed and drained capers
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Zest and juice of 1 large orange

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fennel, onion, pepper, olives, and capers. Sauté for about 3 minutes or until fennel is just crisp-tender. Add orange juice and cook another minute. Season with salt and pepper, going easy with the salt, as the olives and capers are already quite salty.

Remove from heat and serve immediately, garnished with orange zest and reserved fennel fronds.

Serves 4 to 6