It all began with a knock at the door and the delivery of a beautiful bouquet … of Belgian endive. A bunch of endive, still on the root and adorned with a red ribbon, is certainly a sight to behold, especially if you’re a foodie. This is how the California Endive Farms shows its appreciation of food bloggers each year–by sending us this special treat for Valentine’s Day. To pay it forward, I thought I’d whip up these Five Spice Turkey Endive “Wraps” and share them with you.

Lovely, right? That bouquet was promptly braised and devoured. If you’ve never had braised endive, what are you waiting for?! The braising all but eliminates any bitterness, and what’s left is buttery, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Seriously, try it.

Belgian endive or witloof is actually a type of chicory that comes in a cone-shaped head of leaves. Its distinct flavor and crispness lends itself well to salads, and the leaves form the perfect edible scoop for dips. And that’s the direction we’re heading here, sorta. Morgan and I have been on an Asian lettuce wrap kick lately, and the endive seemed like the perfect “container” for appetizer-sized wraps. As a bonus, they’re virtually guilt-free, so please, gobble up as many as your heart desires–it’s always a good day when you can chow down on something that’s low-fat, healthy, and delicious. That’s my thinking anyway.

Once you have the endive trimmed and cleaned, start cooking the meat mixture. You’ll note, I’m shaving off some calories by cooking the onions and garlic in broth instead of oil. It’s important to note that the pan is non-stick.

When the onions/garlic start to brown, add in the turkey, and let that cook for a bit. Then toss in the chopped endive along with the remaining ingredients, and let everything cook through. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Spoon the meat mixture into the endive leaves and arrange on a platter. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and slivered almonds. Oh, and a little sriracha on the side won’t hurt.

See that one there? It’s calling your name. You know you can’t resist.

Here’s the printer friendly version:

Five Spice Turkey Endive Wraps

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Inspired by Asian lettuce wraps, these Five Spice Turkey Endive Wraps make a perfect low-fat and healthy appetizer.

Author: Anne Papina

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Asian

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 3 Belgium endive
• â…› cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 medium sized red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1½ tsp Chinese five spice
• 1½ tsp Asian chili paste
• 2 tsp black bean and garlic sauce
• 1½ tsp lemon grass paste
• Green onions (garnish)
• Slivered almonds (garnish)

Instructions

1. Wash and trim the Belgium endive, separating out 24 of the large leaves. Set those aside to dry, and reserve the "hearts" for the meat mixture.
2. Heat the broth in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat, and add the onion and garlic. Saute until the onion starts to brown, then add in the turkey, breaking it apart as it cooks. Saute for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, chop up the remaining endive and add to the meat mixture, along with the remaining ingredients. Let everything cook through, then remove from heat and cool.
3. Spoon the meat mixture into the endive leaves and arrange on a platter. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and slivered almonds.

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