If you’re looking for an exceptionally nutrient-dense food, and you’re a little bit adventurous, I encourage you to try some organic, grass-fed liver. You may have to do some investigating to find a good source near you. We have been fortunate to find Forstbauer Family Natural Food Farm here in Vancouver. I’ve known about the fantastic health benefits of good quality liver for quite a while, but it has only been recently that my wife (Prenatal Coach) has been brave enough to allow me to cook it for her. I love the taste of organ meat, but if you haven’t grown up fighting your cousins for the turkey heart at Thanksgiving Dinner the way I did, I can understand that you may find the texture different from regular meat. So I decided to grind the liver up and cook it in one of my favorite chili dishes.
I’ll post another article later outlining the abundance of health benefits of organic, grass-fed liver. But for now I invite you to keep an open mind and try this recipe:
Ingredients:
1 lb organic grass-fed beef liver (I used a food processor to grind it up finely)
1 tbsp unrefined virgin coconut oil
1 onion – roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 tbsp fresh minced garlic
1 zucchini (or summer squash) – cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes
1 cup regular, organic coconut milk
1 can chickpeas – rinsed
1 can pinto beans – rinsed
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a large stainless steel pot, heat the oil and toss in the onions. Let them cook until the begin to soften.
Add the ginger and garlic. Let it cook for a minute or 2. Stir it around so it doesn’t burn.
Add the ground liver and allow it to cook as you would ground beef. Stir it regularly until it’s all brown.
Dump in the zucchini or squash pieces. Stir and cook for a few minutes (until the zucchini starts to soften).
Add all the spices (garam masala, turmeric, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper) and stir well. Toss in the chickpeas and pinto beans and mix it all up.
Pour in the tomatoes and coconut milk. Stir it well, reduce the heat and allow it to simmer covered for 15-20 minutes.
At this point it’s ready to go! I have used a few variations here, though. I have added some fresh cilantro, parsley or spinach right at the end for a bit different flavours. Get creative!
Just try it… I promise you’ll LIVER!
I just made the live and chickpea chili, well actually I substituted the liver for lean ground chicken so it was chicken and chickpea chili. It turned out amazing. I also put all the ingredients in a crock pot as I could not stand by the stove and cook it due to take care of my little one. I still did all the same steps required for the meat then I just added it in. I also added squash! Overall – yummy!!!!
I have to admit, when I read the title of your post, I thought it was going to be a humorous read. But you are serious… and Good. My daughter is totally into organic foods only. I’m going to pass this one along to her. Not sure if she’s ever had liver before, but she’s pretty adventurous. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Great recipe. I work in pediatric dentistry in Chicago and I’m always looking for healthy recipes for my patients. Thanks!