Fennel & cannellini puree

Hummus is great, but you need to switch it up once in a while!

This purée makes a great appetizer served as a spread on toast or  a wonderful side dish: it will add zip to the run-of-mill grilled fish dish. Furthermore, this is one of my mothers recipes and if she likes it and thinks its easy enough to make on a week night, then it must be true and it must be great!

Serves 6 as a side dish or makes 2 cups to serves as an hors d’oeuvres

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 fennel bulb, washed and thinly sliced
• 2 garlic gloves, minced
• 1 can (454 g.) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice (Meyer lemon preferable)
• Fresh ground salt & pepper

Heat the olive oil in a cast iron pan, add the sliced fennel and stir until the vegetables are coated with olive oil. Cover and cook on low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 5 minutes or until the fennel is very tender.

Place the cannellini beans, the lemon juice and the fennel mix into mixer and purée until silky smooth. Season with salt & pepper. Serve either as a side dish or on toasted sourdough bread.