Easy roast chicory

I dreamed up this easy way with chicory this evening, to go with slow roast free-range pork.  We also had my braised sliced courgettes alongside, which I will post shortly.  The lovely bitterness of chicory cuts the fattiness of pork, helping you digest it.  You could also serve this as a starter, with a sprinkling of parmesan, or a tablespoon of chopped, raw walnuts.

 

 

For 2:
2 medium heads of chicory, treviso, or radicchio, rinsed, then halved lengthways
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of Atlantic sea salt or Himalayan salt
Optional: 2 dsp freshly grated parmesan cheese (avoid for dairy-free)

1. Preheat oven to 200C (fan 185).
2. Place the chicory in a roasting tin, cut side up, and drizzle over about a dessertspoon of extra virgin olive oil.
3. Roast for 15-20 minutes in the oven until wilted.
4. Serve with a few good grinds of black pepper, a pinch of salt and another drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.  If you are feeling decadent, sprinkle a teaspoon of freshly grated parmesan over each half.

Why this is good for you:
Chicory, radiccio and treviso are examples of foods that help you to digest a fatty meal.  This is because their bitterness stimulates the flow of bile and digestive enzymes from your gallbladder.  This helps break down (emulsify) fat into tiny droplets, which can then be digested all the easier by the digestive enzymes made in your pancrease and also in your small intestine.   Other foods/drinks that do the same thing include dandelion coffee, dandelion leaves, rocket and bitter apple sauce made from cooking apples.