Fennel, Grapefruit and Barley Dish

Food pairing today.

A bulb of fennel in the veggie drawer of my fridge. What goes with fennel?

The salad varation of fennel and oranges came to my mind. But I was not in the mood for raw fennel today and I had no oranges at home.
But a pink grapefruit. Still no salad.

I wanted something warm and filling. I checked the grains and found pearl barley from the Polish store. They eat a lot of barley in Poland. I saw many dishes on different menus.

That combination of fennel, grapefruit and barley does not sound very exciting.
But no, the way of preparing the ingredients makes this into something very good.

Recipe for 2:
1 large head of fennel
1 spring onion
100 g pearl barley in a sachet
250 ml beef stock homemade
1 pink grapefruit
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt, pepper, chili flakes
2 tbsp pink balsamic vinegar

Heat up the beef stock and put the sachet with the barley in.
Cook until done, keep the cooking stock and drain the sachet in a colander.
Cut off the fennel fonds and set aside for garnish.
Cut the bulb in halves and take the core out, julienne the fennel.

In a medium pen heat up the olive oil to medium heat and put the washed fennel in. Saute for 5- 7 min, season.
Peel the grapefruit that you do not have the white skin on the outside. Squeeze the juice from the cut offs into the pan.
Add the barley and a bit of cooking stock. Cut up the grapefruit and toss it in. Add vinegar and check the seasoning.
Finish with fennel fonds.

Fennel, Red Cabbage and Lentil Curry with Prawns

Eat something with lentils and call it a Curry. In India eating a dish with pulses or legumes is called Dhal.

The most intriguing thing about cooking Indian dishes is the use of spices. The whole ones freshly toasted and the vibrant ground ones like tumeric and chilies. I love the popping sound of spices in hot ghee.
The blend of garlic and ginger with onions and chili makes the base to each dish for me.

Leave out the prawns in this dish and you have a great vegetarian meal.

recipe for 2:
100 g red cabbage
1 small head fennel
1 red bell pepper
50 g red lentils
50 g yellow lentils
3 spring onions
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 knob of ginger
125 g cooked prawns
2 tbsp parsley
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp red Curry paste
200 g Greek yogurt
salt and pepper
1/2 lime
1 tsp sugar

Chop the veggies. In a small blender make a paste with ginger, garlic and spring onions.
Heat up the coconut oil and toast the seeds, add curry paste and let it cook through completely.
Now in with the paste and all the veggies and the lentils. Cook until tender and add some water during that time.
Since cooked prawns do not need much cooking, just add them to warm through at the end before you stir in the yogurt,season with salt, pepper, lime, parsley and sugar.

The dish is mild, if you like it spicy, add chilies from the beginning.