Roasted Belgian Endives

So here's New Veggie #44 - Belgian Endives. I've been noticing them in the store for a few weeks and finally decided to pick some up. I got on Google and mostly I found a lot of cold salad and appetizer recipes, but then I googled it again with 'Roasted' - surely, someone must eat these after they're cooked and viola .. I found this Three Tastes with a recipe that looked adaptable to my no-oil, no meat preferences.  

Roasted Belgian Endive

Prep Time: 30 min

Ingredients*:

1. 3-4 Belgian Endives, halved or quartered, depending upon the size
2. 1 tbsp whole wheat bread bread crumbs
3. 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast (or Parmesan cheese, if you eat dairy)
4. 1 tbsp freeze dried Basil
5. 3-4 leaves of fresh Basil
6. 1/4 cup Vegetable Broth

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375F. Mix bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, basil in a small bowl. Drop half a teaspoon of olive oil in a casserole/baking dish and use a paper towel to grease the whole dish and basically wipe off any excess oil leaving only a very slight layer of oil on the dish. Layer the endives, cut size up in a baking dish and sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper.

Pour vegetable broth in a slow stream over the endives, making sure to get a little bit on each piece. Most of the broth will pool at the bottom of the dish, which is fine. Add a thick layer of the dry ingredient mix on the endives. Cover with foil and bake for 15 min. After 15 min, remove foil, and broil on low, uncovered for another 15 min. The breadcrumbs become golden and crispy and the endives start to caramelize at the edges. Garnish with fresh basil and serve. I served these with hot sauce. 

My Assessment: This is the first time I've tried using nutritional yeast in a baked dish and it brings a lovely cheesy flavor to the dish. I really liked the endives too. I didn't think they were bitter, maybe because they had started to caramelize. Furthermore, the roasting process didn't make them limp and soggy, but they retained their crispness ... !! I'd definitely try these again! 

* This is a no-added-salt recipe. The nutritional yeast had so much flavor that I didn't add, or feel the need for, any salt at all. 

Veggie Fact of the Day

New Veggie #44 - Belgian Endive

Belgian Endives belong to the chicory family, the same as radicchio (New Veggie #15). Each endive consists of a bulb of white torpedo like leaves, with yellowish-green tips. 

The smaller the endive, the tenderer the leaves. Flavor-wise, the white leaves are supposed to have a slightly bitter taste, which is supposed to mellow to a sweeter flavor once baked or roasted. Hence, my decision to roast these instead of trying to eat them raw. 

Belgian endives are supposed to be an excellent source of beta-carotene, potassium, selenium, manganese, copper and iron and vitamins A, B1 (Thiamin), B3 (Niacin), B5 (Pantothenic acid), B6 (Pyridoxine), B9 (folic acid) and C. It is also rich in Inulin which is supposed to be helpful in reducing blood glucose and LDL cholesterol in diabetic and obese patients. An interesting fact about Belgian Endive? It is grown completely underground, or indoors, in the absence of sunlight which prevents the leaves from turning green and opening up. Look for white bunches .. the whiter the leaf, the less bitter the taste.