Fennel is in season right now – it’s awesome raw or cooked. Pick some up when you next visit the grocer. It’s a very unique taste – excellent for digestion and can be made up as a tonic for babies to relieve colic. It can also be used by the nursing mother as it aids in breast milk production. It truly is an all rounder!

Well isn’t this a treat! 3 recipes in one post – it’s the perfect combination for a weekend dinner!

I’ll just cut to the chase shall I?

Mushroom Risotto

3 large mushrooms
1 large onion
2.5 cups of brown rice
3 tbs of butter
2 tbs of oil
125ml of white wine
1 generous bunch of parsley, washed and chopped.
1lt of good quality vegie stock
Salt and pepper to season
Parmesan cheese to garnish.

1. Heat stock in a separate saucepan and once boiling, turn back to a simmer
2. Chop and cook mushrooms in 1tbs of oil and set aside
3. In a large fry pan, heat remaining oil and butter, adding onions once bubbling and cooking until onions become clear.
4. Add 1/2 of the parsley and the 125ml of wine and once stirred through, add the rice, ensuring it is coated well.
5. 2-3 ladles at a time, add the stock, stirring in between each addition regularly – only adding more stock once each addition has been absorbed – if using brown rice this can take quite a while.
Allow at least 1 hour for rice to soften.
6. Once cooked, add the mushroom and remaining parsley and stir well.
7. Season if required and serve.
8. Garnish with shavings of parmesan.

Orange and Fennel Salad

1 large orange
1/2 a fennel

Slice up both and combine – this can be done a little in advance so that the juice from the orange coats the fennel. You may choose to season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. I find it tastes great without it.

Buttered Brussel Sprouts

12 brussel sprouts
1 nob of organic butter

Steam brussel sprouts, once cooked, stir through butter and serve.