Destination Anywhere

This is a variation of an old favorite recipe of my mothers. She got it from Gourmet magazine in 1995. I used pecans instead of the original walnuts, added pear to the mixture to stretch out the cheese calories, eliminated the olive oil, and cut down on the cheese. It turned out very well, with the sweetness of the pear adding a lot of nice contrast to the nuttiness of pecans and cheese and the slightly bitter endive. I calculated these to be about 30 calories per leaf.

-Parmesean, Pecan and Pear Salad in Endive

2-3 Belgian endives, trimmed, and leaves separated

1 small garlic clove, minced and mashed
1 Tbs. low fat mayonnaise
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup shredded or coarsely chopped Parmesan cheese (not finely grated--you want texture)
1/4 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup finely diced ripe pear
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped fine, plus 2 Tbs. for garnish
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh parsley
a few grinds black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients but endive. Dip the wide end of each endive leaf into the salad, scooping 1 Tbs. or so of salad onto the leaf. Lightly press onto the leaf, and arrange on a platter or plates. Sprinkle with the reserved chopped pecans to garnish. The mixture can be made the day before, and the leaves filled an hour before being served. Makes 20-25 or so, and is easily doubled.