Endive and Pomegranates

Oh my.  This is so tasty.  My family has asked for it three times since we first made it a month ago.  It started as an idea to make the fennel pomegranate dish that I made last year for the first time. Unfortunately the supermarket was out of fennel – which surprised the produce guy as much as it surprised me.  He said, “I don’t think we’ve ever actually run out of fennel before and I’m not even sure when it’s delivered, because no one ever asks.”  Leave it to me, right? Anyway – as I stood in the produce section trying to figure out what would be a good substitute for fennel (besides anise, I don’t like anise), I couldn’t think of anything.  So I thought that I might just make it into a more traditional salad.   I walked over to the lettuce and they had beautiful endive.  I love endive and I don’t use it enough because it’s so expensive.  I figured though, that I wouldn’t need that much so I bought 4 hearts.  Chicken breast was on deep sale and pomegranates were 2 for 2 and I was going to round it out with rice, so I figured the cost wasn’t too bad. I brought it all home and here’s what I did.  Super easy, I promise!

First start the rice – saute onion and garlic in a deep, heavy bottomed pan.  Add the rice and saute till pearly, add the liquid (I used vegetable stock I had on hand.  Add the liquid, cover and cook according to package directions.  Don’t ever open a lid on a pot of rice until the time is up.  That’s the secret.  Rice is a dish best left alone.  Don’t forget to turn down the heat though.  I forgot once.  Once is all you need.  It took days to get my stove cleaned.  I never forgot again.

While the rice is cooking make the dressing and the salad

Dressing:
the juice of 1 large naval orange
1/2 c. white balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 big squeeze of honey (I guess about 3 tablespoons)
1/4 t. salt
2 grinds of fresh black pepper
Juice and strain the seed and pulp of the orange into a clean screw top jar, add the rest of the ingredients and shake well, set aside.

Salad:
The seeds of 2 pomegranates (See instructions here)
4 tangerines segmented
4 hearts endive

Here’s a quick vid on how I segment citrus.  Please to enjoy my NY accent.  (I never realize how bad it is till I hear it played back to me – I tend to think I’ve lost it – wrong!)

That wasn’t so bad was it?

Clean and rough chop the endive and put in a big bowl.  Add the pomegranate seeds and tangerine segments.  Cover and set aside.

When you’re ready to eat, shake the dressing very well (make sure the honey gets incorporated) dress and toss. Try not to drink the dressing straight from the container.

We grilled chicken to go with this, but you could certainly do pork chops, or fish, or even have it as a vegetarian meal.  It’s sooo good.

If you liked this, you might like:

• Yummy for My Tummy (and Yours!)
• Stuffed Pablanos and Spinach Salad
• Korean Short Ribs over Jasmine Rice and Peas
• Asian Pasta Salad
• Sometimes You Just Need a Plate of Chicken Nuggets