Shaved Fennel with Maple Gastrique

Here's yet another side dish with an international flair and all-vegan ingredients. A gastrique is simply a reduction sauce of a vinegar and a sugar - in this case, cider vinegar and maple syrup.

Heat a tablespoon of canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of fennel seeds, a teaspoon of fresh minced ginger, 2 whole star anise (available in the spice aisle), and 2 minced garlic cloves. Cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally. Add one large fennel bulb, very thinly sliced, and cook another four minutes until the fennel begins to brown, still stirring occasionally.

Pour in 1/4 cup cider vinegar, scraping the bottom of the pan in case there are any brown bits. Add 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes until the fennel is very tender (this step actually only took me about 10 minutes, because I think I had my burner on a little too high). Remove from heat and discard the star anise.

1/4 cup of this as a side dish is 60 calories.

Cost:
ginger $1.15
fennel $1.35