Caramelized Endive with Apply Honey Dressing

Did you know in addition to kale, avocado, wild berries and all the other buzz worthy healthy foods of the moment, there is a whole food group that you should be eating more of? Veggies of course would be one, but what about bitter foods? How often do you consume the foods that activate all those taste buds on your tongue? Bitter foods are seriously great for your gut – there’s a reason why most digestives have a bitterness to them. Bitter foods increase saliva and stomach acid production, they may help stimulate the digestive system and increase nutrient absorption. New evidence even suggests that bitter foods may boost our healthy bacteria balance. For those reasons, I’ve been exploring bitter foods a little more frequently and I’m finding the flavor to be very satisfying.

When you pair bites of bittery caramelized endive with subtly sweet green apple and honey dressing, you get a perfectly balanced dish. Serve this as an appetizer course or as a warm salad or side dish.

Caramelized Endive with Apply Honey Dressing

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 T. grass-fed butter (Kerry Gold is a good one)
2 T. organic extra-virgin olive oil
8 medium-size heads white endive
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
Dressing:
1 green apple, peeled and cored (1/2 finely diced and 1/2 whole)
1 T. organic honey
1 small garlic clove, whole
1 T. Bragg’s apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
pinch sea salt & pepper
Toppings:
Pecans or Walnuts (your choice), diced
2 T. Kite Hill Almond Cheese, crumbled

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F.

In a very large, oven-proof skillet over medium heat, add grass-fed butter and olive oil. Place the endive, cut side down into the pan. Cook one face-side down until browned, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.

Turn the endive over, and season with a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper. Place skillet in oven and roast until the endive is tender, but not too softened about 8 minutes.

While endive cooks, make the dressing. Set aside half of the green apple and finely dice. Take the other half of the green apple and simply add to blender along with all the other dressing ingredients, blend until smooth, then fold the finely diced apple into the emulsified dressing.

Carefully remove the skillet from the oven (handle will be hot). Serve the endive as a side dish or starter course individually plated and drizzle the apple and honey dressing over the top. Finish with a sprinkle of walnut or pecans and Kite Hill Almond Cheese.

 

 

Cleanse Your Life Today!

Subscribe to to receive weekly inspirations, recipes and healthy lifestyle tips from Elissa's newsletter.

Subscribe today and also receive Elissa's exclusive Immunity Essentials Guide!

Groups

Thank you for subscribing! You will receive an email with download link shortly.