Belgian endive or chicory is not a vegetable that will be liked by everybody. It being slightly bitter puts it in the category for an acquired taste. The recipe is based on 2 pieces per serving, so if you buy the endive heads and they are large or thick and you will halve them buy less heads. You can also make a bechamel sauce to which you add cheese and nutmeg, pour that over the ham wrapped endive, add more cheese on the top and bake. Bread crumbs can be mixed in the cheese for the topping. In Holland we usually serve this with mashed potatoes.
Slow cooked beef with garlic, onions and bacon in Belgian beer – served with Dijon mustard croutons…….absolute bliss! I have eaten this many times on visits to Belgium and it remains a firm favourite, especially when eaten with piles of fluffy mashed potatoes and a glass of fine Belgian beer! This recipe serves two hungry people, but it can be increased to serve a crowd, and works beautifully in the crockpot too. (The recipe is courtesy of Cecile Loubaud and the Batham’s Brewery.) NB: Traditionally, the meat should be grilled on a barbecue – hence the name! The word comes from the Italian carbonate (charcoal-grilled).
The French love these delicious savoury cakes, they can be found in all supermarkets and good boulangeries. The texture is still very light and “cake” like, as these are not yeast risen cakes; however, the texture is also quite robust and firm, slightly “holey”, making these savoury type cakes very easy to slice. You can just slice them and butter them for a snack or use the sliced cake for an unusual and alternative sandwich bread. Or, slice them and then cut into small cubes – then using cocktail sticks attach a chunk of your favourite cheese or spread the cubes with tapenade, cream cheese or your favourite savoury spread. Olives also make a great accompaniment. Please note, that these do NOT have the same texture as a normal sweet cake – as I mentioned before, the texture is holey, firm and amost like a sourdough bread. They freeze beautifully, both in loaves or in slices. Preparation time includes the “resting” time needed for the cake batter.
Make and share this Caper Vinaigrette recipe from Food.com.
I found this on another site and tweeked it just a little, adding lemon juice. Great with a holiday meal, or any weeknight is great too.
