Seared Endives with balsamic vinegar, stone ground dijon mustard, prosciutto and goat cheese

Inspiration and thoughts

My mom’s idea is yet again the inspiration for this recipe!  Mom really does know best.  Endives are so adorable, they look like little lettuce heads but cuter.  I hadn’t had too many of them and definitely never made anything with them until my mom brought them home to try one day years ago.  She cut the bottoms, removed each little leaflet, and put different things inside of the leaves like hummus and bruschetta.  I loved them and thought it was the perfect healthy snack.

I found them at Trader Joe’s right in the produce area, in packs of three, and started to experiment with different ways to eat them.  But I’ve also found them at all of my local grocery stores, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding them.  I now use these little endive bites as an appetizer at every dinner party or gathering I host, and they’re always a hit.  I always make extra because they go so fast and since they’re small, you’ll definitely want to have a lot ready to enjoy.  Sometimes I’ll whip these up quickly for a delicious lunch or snack, which Eli and I have done so many times.  When I was experimenting with my favorite topping combos Eli got to taste test every one of them and let me tell you, they went fast.  I definitely stole a few too!  Let’s get cooking!

How it’s made, notes, substitutions

This recipe really is so simple and easy.  All you have to do, in a nutshell, is cut your endives, sear them, and put yummy toppings on them.  So easy.  My favorite things about these endives are that they’re so versatile.  You can add or remove any of the ingredients for toppings that you desire, or even add any favorites you have too.  I love the ones I chose here and think they really do go well together.  But feel free to anything you want to the top of these yummy seared endives.  If you don’t like any one of the toppings you can easily remove them or substitute them, and the possibilities are endless.

Now to cutting the endives.  Before you cut them, remove a few of the outer leaflets that are already falling or loosely attached to the endive base.  You don’t want these to fall off when searing them. The first step is to remove the bottom part of the endive at the base.  Only cut a very small sliver, just to get the very base removed.  You will want to keep the base of the endive as intact as possible, so when you cut it the leaves are still attached and don’t fall off on the stove.  Cut each endive in half or in thirds, depending on how large the endive is.  I like to cut them in thirds if possible, because I prefer to put the whole endive into my mouth when I eat them! If extra leaves fall off while cutting that is fine – remember you can always sear these by themselves, eat them raw chopped in a salad, or use them as “chips” for hummus or dip.

After you’ve got all of your endives cut, they’re ready to be seared.  Heat up a large skillet with oil and add each endive, cut side down, to the pan.  Sear for about two minutes on each side, until the leaves are just slightly browned and look a bit crispy.  You don’t want to over cook these, just a sear, but I really love a good browning on these so a minute extra wont hurt if you prefer that too. After they’re done, drop each one onto a paper towel for a few seconds before you add them to your serving dish, just to remove any excess oil.

Now for the toppings!  Basically, just add everything on top and you’re ready to eat!  Here is what I like to do: add the balsamic vinegar first, then the salt, pepper and garlic powder; then the dijon mustard, prosciutto and top it off with goat cheese crumbles.  The balsamic will soak into the endive and the spices on top of that mixed with the dijon are so good.  The prosciutto adds the perfect salty bite and the goat cheese gives these the best creamy finish.  All together, this combination is so savory and creamy, with just enough crunch from the endive to make it the perfect appetizer.  Enjoy!