Cara Cara Oranges, Marcona Almonds & Goat Cheese Endive Leaves w/ Sherry Vinaigrette

"It was this seemingly random composition of goat cheese, almonds, oranges, chives, sea salt, endive, sherry vinegar and olive oil that I haven't stopped pining over ever since."*

So wrote The Smitten Kitchen's Deb Perelman in 2014 about a dish she first ate at José Andrés' Miami restaurant in 1999!

Still a little gem today, serve this colorful dish soon for appetizers or a light lunch while cara cara oranges are still in season.

My Paleo Marin Rating: 4.5 Persimmons

Ingredients:

3 cara cara oranges

1-2 navel oranges
2 medium heads of endive

1/2 cup marcona almonds (or sliced almonds)
2 oz. soft goat cheese, preferably Capricho de Cabra (Whole Foods), crumbled
Olive oil for drizzling on top
Sherry Vinegar for drizzling on top
Flaky sea salt, such as  Fleur de Sel or Maldon
Freshly ground pepper

Garnish: Chopped chives and/or radish sprouts

Directions:

1. Cut tops and bottoms off oranges. Cut off peels and pith around the sides. Separate the orange segments from the membranes, chop into bite size pieces and set aside.

2. Carefully toast the whole marcona almonds (or almond slices) in a dry frying pan for about 3-5 minutes, just until they turn light brown. If desired, chop the marcona almonds into bite sized pieces. Set aside.

2. Trim the bottom of the endive heads and wash and separate the leaves. Spread the leaves out on a platter.

3. Distribute the orange segments, toasted almonds, cheese crumbles, salt and pepper among the endive leaves. Drizzle the olive oil and sherry vinegar on each one (squeeze bottles work well). Top with garnishes.

Makes about 30 endive appetizers.

#paleo-inspired #caracara #oranges #navel #marcona #almonds #goatcheese #endive #sherryvinegar #appetizer #lunch #snacks #chefandres #miami

*Recipe and quote from Smitten Kitchen website.

My Paleo Marin Rating 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.