Doc V's Healthy Kitchen

After two weeks in Sicily it’s about time to post something new.

We had a wonderful time exploring the island. Sicily has so much to offer. We even passed by the little village Sambuca where Oskar, our 2year old doggie, came from. It was an emotional experience, for Oskar, for us and for the enthusiastic, caring volunteers of the shelter.

Sicily is heaven for foodies, especially for fish and vegetables lovers. We also had the best pistachio ice-cream ever. We know all about the difference between arancina or arancino, and we had fabulous fried fish.

Springtime vegetables such as fresh green beans ( fave) and artichokes are a perfect couple to bring us back in the right mood. Fritedda is a typical Sicilian vegetable stew with artichokes, fresh peas and beans. Today we will have to do it without the peas. For 2p, as side dish or starter, clean and slice 2 artichokes, and pod 1 kilo of fresh beans. Chop 2 garlic cloves, and 1 shallot. Fry in 1 table spoon of olive oil. Add the vegetables. Stir and fry for a few minutes. Add 2 table spoons of white wine vinegar, a pinch of salt, a few branches of fresh oregano and 100 ml of hot water. Cover the pan. Allow to simmer for 15 min. Cool down.

Mix 2 table spoons of (Sicilian) olive oil with chopped fresh oregano leaves ( 4 stems), chopped mint leaves ( 1 stem) and 1/2 teaspoon of ground fennel seeds.

Serve the stew with the herbal oil and enjoy the Sicilian flavors.