The work day is done, and you are looking for a little snack before you order your Friday night pizza or maybe prior to going out later on this evening. Look no further.

Endive

There is actually a website for endive, http://endive.com/what-is-endive and they share recipes and some scoop, no pun intended, on endive:

“Endive is a member of the chicory family, which includes radicchio, escarole, frisee and curly endive. It has a crisp texture and a sweet, nutty flavor with a pleasantly mild bitterness — great served raw or cooked.

Get out of your comfort zone.

Endive is only 1 calorie per leaf, and that beats crackers or bread as a base for building some very cool appetizers. The boat-like look and function holds up well when filled with meat, fish, cheeses, or other veggies. Here are some easy suggestions for your endive appetizers. I hesitate to use the word recipe because it really isn’t one. You  cannot lose so give it a try.

What you need:

Version One:

• Goat cheese. Plain is good with this, but any will do
• An orange- peeled and sliced/cubed
• Walnuts- rough cut
• Figs, fresh if at all possible- diced please
• Prosciutto if sliced, cut into small pieces; if cubed, you are good to go
• Drizzle with Olive Oil or any type of balsamic glaze.

What to do:

Use any or all of the items as you see fit. Now built your boats!

Version Two:

• Peeled and deveined shrimp. At least a ½ pound boiled and chopped, not too fine
• Red onion chopped fine
• Celery chopped fine
• Little bit of mayonnaise
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Cocktail Sauce- hot is best
• Baba Ghanoush for dipping
• Siracha sauce for extra heat

What to do:

Mix the shrimp, onion, celery, S&P, and mayonnaise into a salad. Top each boat with a little spoon of the hot cocktail sauce. I usually place a spoon of the Baba Ghanoush and Siracha in the center of the plate for dipping. Seaweed salad goes beautifully with this! Now built your boats!

Be creative, you can build anything you’d like. Enjoy it with Prosecco, my personal favorite!

Endive boats with shrimp salad, seaweed salad and hot cocktail sauce.