This morning I woke up with quite an appetite. I think subconsciously I have communicated to my body that I will be switching to a sugar free diet for the week. What could be more nutritious than: farm fresh eggs, raw butter, sour dough spelt bread, and …organic roasted chicken liver for breakfast!
Don’t let me scare you away with my appetite for chicken liver. If you ask my husband whether I am a picky eater he will wholeheartedly say “YES!”. We have had many dinners with me picking at my food, simply because of weird flavors, spiciness, or dry meat. In fact when it comes to livers I am also very particular. I don’t like cow’s liver. It is too potent and smells to grassy even after being cooked in delicious flavors, it retains the internal organ smell.
The only way I eat it cow’s liver is dehydrated and packed into capsules. Yet I will eat chicken livers in a heart beat! The trick is cooking it right… Growing up my father used to roast it over an open fire for a few minutes right after we butchered a chicken.We ate it while it was still sizzling sprinkled with fresh cracked pepper and sea salt. It is one of my fondest food related childhood memories.
Unfortunately I don’t have an open fire in my kitchen but I do have a broiler setting on my oven. Broil the liver for 3-5 minutes, take it out, slice it and eat it right away sprinkled with cracked pepper and sea salt. Trust me its delicious!
Yesterday I started studying the B vitamins for my nutrition course. Did you know that the liver contains almost all of the B vitamins? Triple the amount of the daily value of B 12! It also contains a high amount of B2 which aids the skin in fighting rashes and inflammation, Selenium which supports the thyroid gland, retinol, folate and unoxidized, healthy cholesterol. For more information on the benefits of eating liver Weston Price Foundation has a very informative article here. Adele Davis explains in her book Cook It Right:
The Liver is the storage place or “the savings bank” of the body. If there is an excess of protein, sugar, vitamins, and any minerals except calcium and phosphorus, part of the excess is stored in the liver until it is needed…Liver is, therefore the most outstanding meat which could be purchased” Page 87
Only organic, pastured livers from healthy chickens. Sick, antibiotics fed chickens have sick livers and unhealthy meat. To read more go here. Most studies and misconceptions about liver comes from testing on these poor birds.Concluding Thoughts
I enjoy eating liver once or twice a week as a snack. I love munching on it while I am making dinner, or with my sunny side up eggs in the morning. Ask your local butcher for organic, pastured chicken liver. If they don’t carry it encourage them to. It is one of the best super foods you could feed your body on a regular basis! This post is featured on Allergy Free Wednesday,
