Description of the useful properties of endive. What is its calorie content, what components the body needs are included in its composition. Can everyone use this product. The use of chicory salad in cooking: how to eat it right, in which dishes to add. Separately, it is worth noting the importance of eating chicory salad for everyone who wants to lose weight. First, as we said above, this plant contributes to the rapid digestion of food and the elimination of toxins, and accumulated toxins are one of the main causes of excess weight. Secondly, the product is low in calories. Thirdly, it also promotes the removal of excess fluid from the body, which is also one of the reasons for weight gain. Pierre Dukan himself, the author of one of the most famous diets, noted the benefits of chicory salad in the fight against obesity.
Contraindications and harm of salad chicory
Despite the fact that endive is very useful, it is not devoid of some contraindications, like any other product. Although, let's say right away, the salad has a few of them.
To begin with, it is worth saying about the wisdom of eating a plant for food. There is a fine line between the benefits and harms of salad chicory in this sense. If you eat it in moderation, the body will only say thank you, and if you abuse it, unpleasant symptoms, mainly from the gastrointestinal tract, will not keep you waiting.
It is also important to say about the possible individual intolerance to the product. Of course, an allergy to salad crops is a rare case, but it is quite possible. Therefore, if this is your first time eating endive, do it with caution, special attention should be paid to people prone to allergies, as well as pregnant women, lactating women and young children.
Another important point in the use of the culture is the high concentration of vitamin A, which does not mix well with alcohol and tobacco. Thus, if you eat chicory salad dishes, it is strictly forbidden to combine them with alcoholic beverages and smoke immediately after drinking them. Ideally, observe the difference of 6 hours, that is, smoking and drinking alcohol should not be 6 hours before and after consuming endive.
How is chicory salad eaten?
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, endives can be eaten either as a standalone product or as part of a particular dish. Let's first figure out how to properly eat this plant as an independent product.
First, lettuce must be thoroughly rinsed, due to the multi-layered structure, dirt can penetrate deep into the head of cabbage and it is important to wash it thoroughly. Secondly, if it is not grown on its own, but bought in a store, it will be great to soak it for a couple of minutes in a solution of apple cider vinegar and salt (1/2 teaspoon of salt per 100 ml of vinegar), this will help remove the pesticides used for growing it, in the end you will only benefit from the product.
It is also worth recalling that chicory leaves have a pronounced bitterness, and the closer they are to the outer layer, the bitter they are. In addition, the "age" of the plant is important: young leaves are less bitter than old ones. However, there is a way to remove the bitterness, for this you need to put them in warm water for half an hour. Of course, the aftertaste will still remain, but there will be no pronounced bitterness. Finally, it is worth talking about how to return crispness to the salad if the leaves have faded a little. To do this, put the leaves in ice water for 10 minutes.
So, when all the necessary manipulations have been done, the endive can finally be eaten. Tear the leaves with your hands, add a little salt, season with olive oil and lemon juice and enjoy a healthy and tasty salad.
Chicory salad recipes
Surely, you already had an idea that the recipes for making endive will not differ in originality, and the only dish you can put it in is fresh salad. However, in fact, the plant has found much more widespread use in cooking. Yes, of course, chicory leaves are primarily added to salads, which are ideal additions to grilled meats and fish.
However, endive does well as an ingredient in veggie soups, vegetable stews, and steamed dishes. And chicory leaves are also used to prepare baked dishes, in which they play the role of an elegant base of the "boat", due to their ability to keep their shape well.
Let's take a look at several uses in chicory salad recipes:
- Traditional Dutch dish "Stamppot" … Peel potatoes (1 kg) and boil in lightly salted water. Brown pepper (1 piece) over an open fire - you can also do this using a regular gas stove, "adjust" medium heat, put the pepper on a skewer and, rotating continuously, bake from all sides. Place the peppers in a deep bowl and cover with cling film. Chop the onion (1 piece), fry until soft in a pan. Dice the hard cheese (150 grams). Rinse the endive (1/3 of a medium head) thoroughly and chop finely. Take out the pepper, remove the peel from it, after the procedures done it should work out with ease, and cut it into strips, mix with the onion. Combine milk (1/2 cup) and grainy mustard sauce (1 tablespoon), heat. Check the potatoes for readiness and drain the water, add butter (50 grams) and prepared milk-mustard mixture to it, as well as black pepper to taste. Remember potatoes, add onions, peppers, lettuce to it and mix thoroughly. Add cheese and serve. In Holland, such a side dish is eaten with smoked sausages.
- Chicory with figs and blue cheese … Mix cream (100 ml) and blue cheese (150 grams), you should get a homogeneous mass. Melt the ghee (1 tablespoon), add sugar (3 tablespoons) and pecans (24) - when the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to bubble, add the nuts. Cut the figs (6 pieces) into quarters, drizzle a little with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes in the oven heated to 180 degrees. Separate the leaves (24 pieces) from the chicory, in each of them put a quarter of a fig, a nut and, using a pastry syringe, a cream cheese mixture.
- Chicory baked with cheese … Cut the endive (leaves from 2-3 heads of cabbage) in half, remove the base of the head. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil and bake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees. Prepare the sauce: melt butter (20 grams) in a frying pan, add flour (20 grams) and fry, stirring constantly for 3-5 minutes. Add milk (250 ml) and, constantly stirring the sauce, bring it to a boil and cook for another five minutes until thickened. Season the prepared sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Chop parsley (5 sprigs), garlic (2 cloves), grate cheese (4 tablespoons), mix these ingredients with bread crumbs (6 tablespoons) and butter (3 tablespoons). Cut the cherry (12 pieces) into halves and put on the chicory leaves, pour the sauce on top, then a mass of cheese, butter, breadcrumbs, garlic and parsley, bake for another 10 minutes.
- Carrot salad with honey … Peel the carrots (500 grams) and cut into thin strips with a vegetable peeler, immerse them in boiling water for 2 minutes. Rinse the endive (1 head) and arugula (100 grams) thoroughly, combine the greens with carrots, add pine nuts (50 grams). Prepare the dressing: Whisk together honey (2 tablespoons), lemon juice (1 lemon), olive oil (4 tablespoons), add salt and pepper to taste. Season the salad, stir and eat right away.
As you can see, many interesting and even delicious dishes are prepared with chicory salad. The ability of the leaves to keep the "elegant" shape is especially appreciated in cooking and really helps to make the presentation of the dish original and unforgettable. That is why endive is so loved not only by ordinary housewives, but also by chefs.
Interesting facts about chicory salad
Salad chicory is often called witloof, but this is not entirely true, only the first grade of endive was called that, of which there are a great many today. However, for almost a hundred years, Witloof was the only cultivar, and therefore this integration of names is not surprising.
Chicory heads are small, on average, each head weighs 100-150 grams.
Endive is an unassuming cold-resistant crop, and therefore can be easily grown in our climate. The only "whim" is the neutrality of the soil; salad chicory tolerates acidic soil especially poorly.
When buying endive, you should pay attention to even smooth heads of cabbage; plants with damaged discolored and sluggish leaves should not be taken. Such a salad loses not only in taste, but also in benefits.
Chicory salad is best kept in the refrigerator, away from other herbs, vegetables and fruits.
Endive juice is a real medicine that helps to fight the general ailments caused by chronic fatigue, and pointwise influence the healthy functioning of certain organs and systems. And if you mix this juice with parsley and celery juice, you get the most effective cure for anemia. If the bitterness of endive prevents you from drinking the juice from the plant, mix it with fresh carrot, then the drink will turn out to be not only healthy, but also tasty.
Watch the video about endive:
Endive is an amazing culture. This salad has a high nutritional and healing value. It is very healthy, and culinary experimentation with it is truly endless. If you come across chicory salad at the supermarket, be sure to get it and try it. Just do not forget to properly prepare the plant for cooking and study the contraindications.
