Fennel.....Sauteed ala Mediterranean

Fennel looks like an onion on the bottom and dill on the top.  It smells like anise and has a sweet tinge.   Fennel grows like an onion, half under ground and half above.  It is an excellent accompaniment for fish, meat or poultry.  Fennel can be served fresh shaved in a  salad.  It can be grilled with salt, pepper and olive oil.  Sauteed is a the way I like it.  When you saute fennel it should be cut into quarter inch thick wheels and place into a large skillet with about a half cup olive oil with salt and pepper to taste.  Make sure the oil is very hot when the fennel wheels are in the skillet.  Cook the wheels until wilted and are brownish in color.  For an even greater depth of flavor chop about ten pitted Kalamata olives and stir them in the pan and let them cook a few minutes more. The addition of olives allows for a balance of favors and color.  Fennel has long been neglected from my table. Now I found it and can say that its texture and add brightness to the meal.
In addition to being very tasty fennel has many health benefits.  It contains a very high amount of iron and therefore is very good for the blood.  This onion like vegetable is commonly used in the treatment of blod disorders.Fennel is sweet and licorice in flavor for this reason it acts as a breathe freshener.   It also acts as a diuretic, meaning that the consumption of fennel with clear your kidneys.  Constipation is eliminated because fennel contains plenty of fiber to allow for the clearing of the colon.