Braised Olives in Tomato Sauce

Use an assortment of your favorite olives in this dish. Served warm with thick slices of bread for dipping into the savory sauce, this becomes a hearty appetizer or side dish-almost a meal in itself!

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Yields: 4 cups, about

Ingredients

• 2  cups  assorted green olives in brine or 2  cups black olives
• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 4 -5  cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2  teaspoons  crushed fennel seeds
• 2  cups  chopped fresh tomatoes or 2  cups canned tomatoes, drained
• 4 -6  minced sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed)
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh oregano or 2  teaspoons dried oregano
• 1⁄4 cup red wine (optional)
• 1⁄4 cup  chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Rinse the olives and set them aside.
2. In a nonreactive skillet or saucepan, warm the oil and garlic on medium heat.
3. When the garlic begins to sizzle, add the olives, fennel seeds, tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, and the red wine, if using.
4. Cover and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, and serve warm.
6. Enjoy!