August 2007: Anise/Fennel

Host: Heather

The Menu:
Jeri: Biscotti
Heather: Spaghetti
Hannah: Fennel Soda Bread
Sarah: Licorice Caramels
Jenny:Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Toasts
Erika: Fennel Chicken Pot Pie
Bethany: Fennel and Orange salad


Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Toasts

8 oz soft fresh goat cheese
1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 Tablespoon fennel seeds, finely crushed
2 teaspoons of grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

2 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
30 thin slices French-bread baguette

12 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon
Lemon peel strips (for garnish)
Tarragon sprigs (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix first 5 ingredients in a small bowl to blend. Set aside. (The cheese mixture can be made a couple of days ahead of time.)

Brush oil over both sides of bread. Arrange bread in single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake until bread is just crisp, about 5 minutes on each side.

Spread cheese mixture over toasts. Top with salmon, trimming to fit. Garnish with lemon peel strips and tarragon sprigs. Arrange on platter and serve. (from elise.com/recipes)

Anise & Chocolate Almond Biscotti.

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon anise extract, or 3 drops anise oil

In a medium bowl, beat together the oil, eggs, sugar and anise flavoring until well blended. Add baking powder. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, stir into the egg mixture to form a heavy dough (you might not use the entire 3 1/4 cups). Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

For the chocolate biscotti, make another batch with the same recipe, substituting the anise extract for 2 tsp almond extract. Add 1/4 cup baking cocoa and 1/2 cup toasted almonds.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Divide each dough into two pieces. Form each piece into a roll as long as your cookie sheet. Place roll onto the prepared cookie sheet, and press down to 1 inch thickness. Make one roll of plain chocolate and one roll of plain anise. Divide the remaining two pices of dough into halves. Sandwich the two halves of different dough together, roll out and twist slightly before pressing down to 1 inch thickness. You should have 1 roll of anise, one of chocolate and two rolls of the twisted dough.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. When the cookies are just cool enough to handle, remove from baking sheet and slice each one crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Don't let the cookies get too cool or they will crumble when you cut them, and I found that a sharp bread knife worked the best. Place the slices cut side up back onto the baking sheet. Bake for an additional 6 to 10 minutes on each side. Slices should be lightly toasted.

Serve plain or dip 1/3 of the end in melted chocolate. Definitely have Heather's hot chocolate to go with them.

Oh, and I was really excited about the pictures I took of our meal tonight because it was such a pretty candlelight dinner and for some reason the camera claimed it was taking pictures but failed to actually record them to the memory card. So sorry. I was pretty sad.


Fennel Chicken Pot Pie

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
2 leeks
½ fennel (or 1 tsp. fennel seed)
1 shallot
3 cloves garlic
2 T. flour
½ nonfat milk
½ can low sodium chicken broth
½ tsp. oregano
½ tsp. basil
Pinch of salt & pepper
1/3 bag of frozen peas
10 mini carrots
½ container of fresh sliced mushrooms (yep, I left the fungus out)
2 pie crusts

Bake 2 chicken breasts for 20 minutes covered with foil at 350 degrees (put a little olive oil, salt & pepper in the bottom of the pan).

In a skillet add: 2 T. butter, olive oil, leeks, fennel, shallots and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes and set aside in a separate dish.

In the same skillet add: 2 T. butter, flour, milk and whisk until thick. Then add the chicken broth, oregano, basil, salt & Pepper. When thick add the sautéed ingredients along with the frozen peas, diced carrots, mushrooms and cut up chicken. Mix all together and put into pie plate lined with pie crust. Cover the mixture with the other pie crust. Seal the edges and puncture the top for venting.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.


Fennel Soda Bread
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon fennel seed
2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons melted butter
3 tablespoons butter, chilled

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10 inch round cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and fennel seed. In another bowl, stir together the eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, until just blended using a large spoon. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Dot with the 3 tablespoons of chilled butter.
3. Bake for about 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until puffed and golden. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Black Licorice Caramels
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 c sugar
1 c butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 c Karo Syrup
1 small bottle anise flavoring
3/4 tsp black food coloring

Mix first 5 ingredients. Boil on medium low heat for about 20 minutes to 234 degrees. Cook longer than regular caramels because of the oil in the anise. Take off stove and add flavoring and coloring. Pour into 8x10 well-buttered pan. When cool but into squares wrap in wax paper.