- Jessica Pecush
Honey Lemon Fennel Slaw
In keeping up with the experimentation with fennel this weekend, and in looking for new spring/summer salad ideas that utilize some of my most favourite flavours, I turned to this vibrant and refreshing Honey Lemon Fennel Slaw!
The recipe of inspiration comes from Chef Michael Smith, a Canadian chef, nutritional activist, food media producer and host on the Food Network.
The honey? A deliciously smooth honey from Petroni Vineyards in Sonoma Valley, California...a picturesque vineyard I had the privilege of visiting quite recently! You may view the Petroni Vineyards website here.
The recipe utilizes just a few ingredients, but the impact of the flavours combined with one another makes for the most refreshing slaw yet! The combination of honey, freshly-squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and pepper is the perfect combination come spring and summer! The recipe may be viewed here.
*Note: I chose to double the recipe and the doubled recipe yielded approx. 2 cups of slaw. I also chose to use a box grater with the fennel, to yield more finely chopped fennel. I garnished the slaw with some of the feathery fronds from the fennel stalks.
About Fennel...
An important component of the food culture of Mediterranean countries[i], fennel is such a TREAT for the taste buds and the body!
With its crunchy, celery-like texture and slightly sweet, licorice-like taste, fennel is a flavourful and nutritionally powerful addition to a recipe, whether it be a juice, salad or dessert!
As part of the Umbellifereae family, fennel is closely related to parsley, dill, carrots and coriander, and the bulb, stalk, leaves and seeds are ALL edible![ii]
Key Health Benefits:
Dietary fiber – fiber is critical in the diet, working to remove potentially carcinogenic toxins from the colon[iii]
Vitamin C – assists with neutralizing “free radicals” in the body (uncharged electrons that move freely through the body, causing oxidative, cellular damage); antimicrobial
Potassium – assists in lowering high blood pressure
Folate – converts a dangerous molecule (homocysteine) into other, benign molecules[iv]
Due to its unique combination of plant nutrients/compounds, fennel provides strong antioxidant activity for the body, therefore reducing inflammation to assist in preventing the occurrence of cancer.[v]
In addition, fennel assists with relieving the challenges associated with a number of health-related conditions, including:
Anemia
Indigestion
Intestinal gas
Constipation
Colic
Diarrhea
Respiratory disorders
Menstrual disorders[vi]
ENDNOTES
[i]-[vi] The World’s Healthiest Foods: Fennel. Retrieved May 11, 2016 from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=23
[vi] Organic Facts: Unbiased Info on Nutrition, Benefits of Food and Home Remedies – Health Benefits of Fennel. Retrieved May 11, 2016 from http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/health-benefits-of-fennel.html