Shaved Fennel Salad with Pomegranate
Before I moved to Italy I had fennel three or four times in my life. Fennel wasn’t something I’d stumble upon at my local Trader Joes or Ralph’s. In 2015 when I came to Italy for my feature dance tour I was served a shaved fennel salad as a starter. I couldn’t speak let alone read Italian yet, but there was a photo of “finocchio” or fennel on the menu and I though” Hey why not”! I’m glad I did and I’ve been hooked on fennel ever since. It’s indigenous to the Mediterranean and I think more common in European cuisine so that explains why it wasn’t on my plate back in Los Angeles but now it’s one of my favorite go to salads. I would like to share with you how to make a shaved fennel salad thats super easy and tasty! It’s still warm here in Northern Italy so when it turns cooler in the winter time I usually roast fennel and it’s natural anise flavor is amplified . It pairs wonderfully with citrus fruits like orange or grapefruit and a salty cheese like feta (my preference) then topped with pine nuts or pumpkin seeds for some crunch. I used pomegranate for a change and I really like it. The salad comes together fast but letting it marinate in the fridge for a few hours allows the acid in the dressing to soften the crunchy fennel and the flavors to blend together . Let me know if you make it and enjoy! XO Tera Ingredients for Fennel Salad Two Fennel bulbs One Pomegranate (or two oranges or grapefruit ) Feta cheese One lemon (fresh not bottled lemon juice) Dijon mustard – Honey Dijon mustard wors too! Olive oil Honey Salt and pepper Pumpkin seeds or pine nuts for topping Not pictured but an Avocado is a fantastic addition as well!! How to make Fresh Fennel Salad with dressing Prepare the honey mustard salad dressing first . This is what the fennel and fruits will marinate in for a few hours. I use this honey mustard dressing on most of my salads 2 tablespoons dijon mustard 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar if you don’t have lemon ) 1 tablespoon of honey (if using honey mustard then omit the honey ) 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper. 1.Whisk or blend all of your dressing ingredients in your salad bowl 2. Slice your fennel thinly using either a knife or a mandoline slicer. If you don’t know how to slice fennel let Martha Stewart show you like she showed me ! https://youtu.be/1XaV8OV3oI0?si=IXHc4AeuvIqeeNJq 3. Prepare your pomegranate or slice oranges and grapefruit without their skins into segments like this https://youtu.be/152sZmDNqnY?si=511geHJxDOEa0q2z 4. Toss the fennel and fruits and coat them in the dressing and let it marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours. I’ve prepared this in the morning and by dinner time it was still crunchy and tasty . 5. Take the fennel salad out of the fridge fifteen minutes prior to serving and crumble in feta cheese, sliced avocado (optional but elevates!) and top with toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds. I toast them in a warm pan with salt and the warm crunch combined with the crunchy fennel , salty feta, and sweet burst of citrus or pomegranate makes this easily one of my favorite salads !
Pad Woon Sen – Thai Rice noodles with shrimp!
Pad Woon Sen Pad Thai is probably the most famous of all Thai food dishes. Almost every Thai restaurant will have Pad Thai on their menu and it’s a go to favorite of mine to prepare for an easy lunch or dinner. When friends want to me to prepare a typical Thai dish but want a dish that’s not too spicy I make Pad Thai . A traditional Pad Thai recipe calls for some ingredients that I don’t always have on hand so enter my second favorite Thai noodle dish Pad Woon Sen. What you need for Pad Woon Sen This is an easy Thai noodle stir fry dish you can make pretty fast with easy kitchen staples. Glass noodles or bean thread noodles as they’re often labeled are simply just thin noodles made from either mung bean starch, tapioca , potatoes or sweet potatoes. On their own they have zero flavor so they work really well in stir fry dishes, soups, rice paper and spring rolls soaking up sauces and broths really well . These are great for low carb or gluten free diets since they’re not made from any wheat flour but it’s always a good idea to double check the package. I’m going to give you my own personal recipe for how I make this dish and how my mother taught me . A few tips I can add before would be it’s not necessary to boil glass noodles. They can be tricky to work with at times this is the number one complaint . Boiling them makes them a huge gloppy mess so I just fill a shallow bowl or pyrex type dish with warm water and lay them inside just covered. leave them for about ten minutes just until they soften then drain them . I usually snip them in half once they’re drained to make them more manageable . It also makes them easier to eat. Keep them in a glass container in your fridge if you want to use them for summer or rice paper rolls , or a salad. You can make Pad Woon Sen with any kind of protein. I’m using shrimp that I marinated in sesame oil, salt , white pepper , lime zest and red chili flakes . My Pad woon sen sauce is made up of; Soy Sauce – I use Thai sweet soy sauce or gluten free soy sauce depending . Oyster Sauce- A main ingredient in many stir fry’s which is rich and savory. Sriracha – adds a spicy component. Tamarind concentrate – for the tart balance. Coconut sugar – this won’t make your sauce sweet it’s more to balance out the salt and spicy . Tamarind is an ingredient in pad Thai but I like using it in my Pad Thai Woon Sen. Again it’s my own version. I omitted the fish sauce which is a key ingredient in most Thai stir fry’s . I don’t like it so I always avoid it and it’s more about personal preference here . I’m using one large yellow pepper that’s all I had on hand but tomatoes , cabbage , carrots , spinach all work great here. Use any combo of veggies you like.This is usually my “what I have left over in my veggie crisper ” kinda meal. You will also need two eggs . Now let’s cook! How to make Pad Woon Sen Prepare the noodles in warm water for ten minutes. I used veggie broth . Drain them and cut them in half then set aside. Mix all your sauce ingredients together . Stir fry your veggies , this is also the time to add in garlic and onion to them and cook them all together . Sometimes I add garlic if I feel like it my mother uses both . This is when I add my shrimp it cooks fast and I like to get the shrimpyness (random Tera word ) all over my veggies. If you choose chicken or tofu as your protein I advise cooking that first , transferring it to a plate then adding it back in at the end . Move your veggies to one side of your wok or pan and crack in both eggs. Cook them until they are scrambled . Now you can add back in your protein , noodles and your sauce using tongs. It’s easier to combine everything together . Make sure all of your noodles , veggies , and protein are covered in the sauce. That’s it! If you make it send me a picture and tag me on IG or Twitter ! Leave me a comment if you make it !! Enjoy XO Tera
