"Endive" always wanted to try it

There are some foods that I didn't even know existed until I started to indulge in cooking as a hobby. I grew up in a household with very delicious food, but void of any variety. Every Monday night was Red Beans and Rice and Pork Chops, then the rest of the week consisted of Rice and Gravy and Chewy Meat (yes my mom actually called it that and we loved it), Spaghetti with Red Gravy, Paneed Meat, and Roast with Mashed Potatoes. On the weekends we would have Turkey Poulet, Fried Chicken Breast Sandwiches, Hamburgers and classic New Orleans cuisine. We were a very "stick to routine" type of family when it came to meals. As children, my siblings and I were very picky eaters and my mom would have been wasting money to experiment with new ingredients that we wouldn't have dreamed of eating.

This upbringing contributed to my ignorance of certain types of foods. Endive falls into that category. The first time I even heard the word was during a viewing of the Food Network. I knew I wanted to give this unique pretty little vegetable a try. I am pretty adventurous in the kitchen and I introduce a wide variety of menu options in my home. I have this luxury because my husband isn't a picky eater and he is my only victim. This was my first time using endive in a recipe. I figured it would be a tasty since it follows my basic successful salad equation of "fruit - nut -cheese". I was right, this was a great recipe to introduce me to the world of endive!

Endive Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Walnuts
Adapted from Cooking Light September 2001

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1 tablespoons honey
  
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 16 Belgian endive leaves (about 2 heads)
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
  
• 16 small orange sections cut in half(about 2 navel oranges)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Preparation

Combine 1 tablespoon honey, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, and cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 5 minutes).

Fill each endive leaf with 1 orange section (2 halves). Top each section with 1 teaspoon cheese and 1 teaspoon walnuts; arrange on a plate.

Drizzle the vinegar mixture evenly over leaves, and sprinkle evenly with chives and pepper.