Açaí palm | Cook Plate and Fork

If you enjoy leafy greens or salad greens you will enjoy this unique salad green that was discovered by accident in Belgium in the 1800’s. It grows in the dark with the use of chicory. Another reference for this lettuce is chicory heads. The vegetable we are referencing is “Endive“.

Enjoy the video and we hope you enjoy preparing Endive and Fruit Salad with Chicken.

Research on Endives reports the following positive health effects:

Lowers glucose levels in the blood stream and helps control insulin resistance.
Reduces LDL cholesterol levels (bad).
High in dietary fiber.
Improves skin health and helps improve eyesight and protects the body from certain types of cancers.
The vitamin B complex content in endives such as folic acid, thiamin, niacin, and pantothenic acid encourages the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats.
Helps with digestion by increasing and stimulating the appetite because of the bitter juices from the leaves that improve the secretion of bile.
Natural diuretic as it consists of 95% water.
Eating endives regularly can help clear skin of acne problems.
Making a juice of endive leaves, celery and carrot can help to treat respiratory problems like asthma.
Parsley and celery juice with endives added to it can be used to treat anemia.
You could treat constipation by mixing endive juice with either apple juice or carrot juice.
Blend endive juice with carrot and celery or parsley and spinach juices for an effective treatment for eye problems such as glaucoma or cataract.

Endive and Fruit Salad with Chicken

Preparation is for 2 servings.

1 endive

½ grapefruit

1 orange

1 Granny Smith apple, grated

1 leek stalk

2 tbsp. chopped pecans

4 tbsp. Greek yogurt

2 tbsp. cream

2 tbsp. orange juice

2 chicken breasts cut into ﬁllets and into strips

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp. vinegar

Dash salt and pepper

Heat a large skillet with oil and cook chicken until no more pink. Add pecans and sauté brieﬂy.

Slice endive in ½ inch thick strips, remove peel and cube grapefruit and orange, grate apple and cut leek stalk in rings. Mix all ingredients together in a large salad bowl.

In a small bowl mix yogurt, cream, orange juice, vinegar, salt and pepper and pour over salad and toss.

Plate salad and top with chicken strips.

What Others are Writing About Fruit:

Mango season in the Northern hemisphere is April to October. One does not need special skills to eat the ripe fruit. Simply peel the fruit and bite into its juicy flesh.

Many love to eat the raw skin of the fruit as well. Myself personally, I have never tried to eat the peel. Now days you can find the mango dried, or frozen. In both cases the mango is still sweet in flavor. You can juice the mango, which I have with fresh blueberries, what a yummy smoothie.

You can make mango salsa and even in India they make Mango Jam. Mangoes do not grow in mild to cooler climates, they are grown in tropical regions of the earth. In 2012 the consumption of mangoes by Americans was up 30% over the prior 5 years.

If you are familiar with NPR or National Public Radio (USA), they had a report the morning of April. 9, 2013 entitled “Demand Is High For Mexico‘s Magnificent Mangoes”.

Take a moment to listen. Just Click Here to listen to the 1 1/2 minute NPR Report – another window will open to here report.

Our featured recipe:

Mango Coconut Rice Pudding

1 – 14 ounce can coconut milk
¼ cup Arborio rice
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
1/6 tsp. nutmeg, ground
1/6 tsp. cinnamon, ground
¼ cup mango (pureed)
some macadamia nuts (chopped, optional)

Place the coconut milk, rice, salt, sugar and cardamom in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 25-35 minutes stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and let cool. Mix in the mango and garnish with chopped macadamia nuts.

What Others are Saying About Mangoes: