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Grilled Endive Recipe with Pistachios, Dried Cherries & Feta Cheese

Once the grilling season starts, it's everything my family can do to rip the tongs out of my ash-covered hands. Really, once I stepped forward with my How to: Grill LIke a Girl post, there was no way I was going to relinquish control of my barbecue domain. Sometimes I'm cooking up steak or chicken, but I find myself turning to more grilled vegetarian entrees or appetizers.

As part of my relationship with California Endive, I've eaten my fair share of endive, and I've really come to appreciate...even crave...the flavor and ease of endive, whether it's stir-fried, sauteed in a hash or grilled. When cooked, endive's distinctive taste mellows and lends itself to a variety of flavors.

I first became enamored by the combination of pistachios, dried fruit and cheese when I made these savory palmiers. The crunch of the pistachios, contrasted with the toothiness of the dried cherries gives the dish a wonderful mouth feel. And then there's the forever-popular salty and sweet flavor combination. It all works beautifully when layered over the tender, grilled endive.

If the flavors and textures aren't enough to convince you to try this appetizer or side dish, then how about the 17 grams of fiber, 9.2 grams of protein and 1743mg (!) of potassium in one serving? Nice.

The recipe:

In a shallow glass baking dish, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Add the endive and toss to coat.

Preheat the grill to medium heat. Lightly brush the grill with canola oil.

Place the endive on the grill and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the endive. The endive should be tender, with grill marks.

In a small bowl, combine the pistachios, dried cherries and feta cheese.

Divide the cooked endive between 4 plates and top each serving with some of the pistachio mixture. Serve.

Other endive recipes:

Cookin' Canuck's Sweet Potato & Endive Hash with Sriracha Buttermilk Sauce
Cookin' Canuck's Vegetable Stir-Fry with Endive & Shiitake Mushrooms
Healthy Green Kitchen's Grilled Eggplant & Cilantro Dip (with Endive)
Bell'alimento's Seared Ahi Tuna Salad
La Fujimama's Grilled Endive with Strawberries, Pepitas & Feta Cheese
All Day I Dream About Food's Cream of Endive Soup with Rosemary Parmesan Crisps

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