Braised Belgian Endive, Roasted Carrots and Brussels Sprouts, Baked Fall Vegetables; "Dinner with Dilip" word cloud

I wanted to experiment with Belgian endives; I know they are a bit bitter (I've sometimes had their leaves in salads) and great sources for vitamin B, potassium, selenium, and fiber. I started with an idea for braised endives that I found and modified.

Here is what I did. I cut off about a quarter inch from the base and then scooped out a cone about 1/2" deep from the center (as illustrated on the Belgian endive.com recipes page). In a sauce pan with a little bit of olive oil, I gently cooked four endives for a few minutes along with thin slices of shallots, turning occasionally. Then I added a cup of hot vegetable broth, a bit of salt, and even a pinch of turbinado sugar, then simmered, partially covered, for about 20 or 25 minutes. It came out well! The broth added a nice flavor and cut the bitterness. I'd like to try a dish like this followed by maybe layering in a casserole dish the cooked leaves with roasted fall vegetables or maybe eggplant or other vegetables.

I also served a oh-so-tasty white sweet potato; as soon as I cut it open, it released a nice perfume. I baked delicata squash as well, and served it with hot sauce and the broth-shallots from the endives. I prepared carrots and Brussels sprouts pretty much like I did the roasted potatoes yesterday, and sauteed some tempeh.

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Tomorrow is my birthday, and I think my Mom is having a few friends over at her home for dinner. I enjoy attending First Night Raleigh and for some years have organized through the vegetarian society a pizza party with pizzas donated by Lilly's Pizza. These are the six pies I'm ordering with vegan VeganRella "cheese":

• Artichoke hearts, basil, pine nuts, tomato slices; half no "cheese"
• Eggplant, sundried tomatoes, roasted red bell peppers, pistachios; half no "cheese"
• "The Buddha" - oil, garlic, spinach, zucchini, olives
• "Queen of Hearts" - oil, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, onions
• Red onions, banana peppers, green olives, mushrooms, potatoes; half no "cheese"
• Thin crust (new) - half spinach, yellow onions; half baked tofu, Kalamata olives, portabello mushrooms

So tonight was my last dinner I'm cooking for the year! Happy 2007 to all!

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Thanks to jenny of the living vegan blog, I found SnapShirts, which can generate (and produce t-shirts) custom word clouds. I pointed it over here to my blog today, and it came up with the word cloud above.