Fennel and Saffron scented oat soup...

This is one of my favorite Ramadan soups both for Iftar and Sahoor, it taste good hot or cold. The fennel seeds and saffron used in this recipe go very well together. Regular instant oats are used to make this soup but the results are very different than regular oatmeal, the soup is very creamy and light. In my family Women never cook oatmeal as directed in back of the box, they tend to cook it longer and with a bit more milk, My husband is from Morocco and if you didn't know "Moroccans like to over-cook things" not in a bad way of course but they make sure every dish is fully COOKED, so the soup is loved by both my Mother in law and husband.


Ingredients
1 cup (leveled) instant oatmeal
1 cup water
2 cups cold milk
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup light honey
2 cups hot milk


Directions
In a medium heavy duty pan combine the oatmeal with 1 cup water and 2 cups cold milk, add the fennel and salt and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the oats are cooked, approximately 7 minutes. Add two cups hot milk, the saffron and honey and continue to cook for 10 minutes or until most of the grains have dissolved and you get a creamy consistency. Serve hot, drizzle with olive oil and more honey to taste.   

Did you know?Fennel seeds contain a compound called phytoestrogen, which acts like a mild form of the female hormone estrogen. This property makes it an effective remedy for regulating menstruation, relieving the symptoms of menopause and helping nursing mothers to increase their milk production.