Bring the taste of the Mediterranean to your home. Fennel, is a very popular vegetable  found in the Mediterranean, mainly in Italy and used in many different dishes. It has a licorice taste, although once cooked it just tastes sweet.

Chicken Breast with Rosemary and Fennel is such a fragrant and delicious meal that is also good for you. Fennel contains its own unique combination of phytonutrients—including the flavonoids rutin, quercitin, anethole and various kaempferol glycosides—that give it strong antioxidant activity. The anethole in fennel has repeatedly been shown to reduce inflammation and to help prevent the occurrence of cancer. In addition, it is also an excellent source of vitamin C that is needed for the proper function of the immune system.

Right now fennel is in season, so if you have never eaten this tasty vegetable, try it and let me know how you liked it. Enjoy!

Ingredients: Serves 2

• 2   4 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 large fennel bulb, cut into 1/2 inch slices
•  2 teaspoons dry rosemary
• salt and pepper to season
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Preparation:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the sliced fennel, season with salt and rosemary, crushing the rosemary between the palms of your hands and cook over medium low heat for about 12 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and cook for about 3 more minutes. Remove the sauce and fennel from the pan and keep warn.

To the pan add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and heat until hot. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes per side over medium low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the fennel and sauce back in the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cover. Turn the heat off and allow to sit for about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Serve and Enjoy!