Red Endive Appetizers for Valentine's Day

Oh, Valentine's Day. It's here and we love it! If nothing else it serves as a reminder to tell those closest to us how much we care about and appreciate them. Why not also use it as a reason to eat a bit more extravagantly than normal? That's the best thing about any holiday, right? Here are a couple of simple, elegant appetizer recipes that use our red endive, the perfect way to implement a little V-day color into your meal! Happy Valentine's Day!

Shrimp and Avocado Spears

Ingredients

2 heads California endives

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 pound shrimp - deveined and peeled

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

1 large avocado - pitted, and cubed

salt

Instructions

1. Cut the ends from endive. Separate leaves and place onto serving tray.

2. Into a saute pan heat butter over medium heat. Add shrimp, season with salt and red pepper flakes. Cook until shrimp are opaque. Remove from heat.

3. Chop shrimp into bite sized pieces and place into a small bowl. Add cilantro, avocado and a squeeze of lime juice. Gently toss to combine.

4. Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon onto each endive leave.

5. Garnish with lime slices and additional cilantro if desired.

Ricotta and Endive Appetizer

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

2 tablespoons craisins

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh lemon thyme

salt/pepper

1 1/2 cups ricotta

2 endive heads

honey to drizzle - optional

Instructions

1. Into a small bowl add: almonds, craisins, oil and thyme. Season with salt/pepper.

2. Place a dollop of ricotta onto endive leaf. Top with approximately 1 teaspoon of nut mixture.

3.Drizzle with honey if desired.

Paula Jones is one of five food bloggers associated with our OnDiva ambassadorship.  She is the author behind the food blog, bellalimento.