Why everyone should love (and eat) liver!

I have never liked liver. My Mum used to make beef liver in a gravy with onions when I was growing up. Sorry Mum but it was gross. :-(
But when she made chicken liver pate I loved it and became a convert!

As a Sports Nutritionist and someone living a low carb whole foods lifestyle, I think everyone should eat liver. LIVER is FULL of VITAMINS, MINERALS, MICRONUTRIENTS and TRACE ELEMENTS which support energy production, healing, and health. In fact, per ounce, liver has more than many fruits, vegetables and muscle meats, including the fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K), iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, folic acid, Vitamin C (yes Vitamin C!), and the list goes on and on. I'm not saying you shouldn’t eat low carb vegetables and nutrient dense fruit like berries (which are full of phytonutrients, certain vitamins and minerals as well as fiber). We just don’t have the research to support avoiding all fruits and vegetables (stay tuned).
So here it is, one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet - Chicken Liver and Bacon Pate!

(Why add bacon? Who doesn't love bacon! Try it and you'll be glad you did.)

Pate may not look great but tastes AMAZING!

Ingredients:    

1 pound fresh chicken livers, diced

6 slices bacon, chopped

9 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1/4 cup brown onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp capers (or green peppercorns)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 cup sherry (brandy or Cognac works too but Sherry is less expensive)

Directions:
(Some recipes say you should soak the livers in milk for a few hours to tenderize and soften the flavor. I've tried it several times for up to 4 hours and not noticed any difference.)
1. In a large frying pan cook bacon on medium high heat.
2. Add 6 tbsp of butter, Olive oil and saute the onion until soft.
3. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
4. Add the chicken livers, capers, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper.
5. Cook the livers for 5-6 minutes or until browned no the outside but still pink on the inside.
6. Add the Sherry and cook for another 4-5 minutes and some of the Sherry has evaporated. Check the livers are cooked through. If not cook for another 1-2 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
8. Remove the bay leaves, place the mixture into a food processor, add the last 3 Tbsp of butter and pulse until well blended.
9. Put the pate in small containers, cover and place in the refrigerator until firm (4-6 hours).
10. Enjoy the awesomeness!!
(Note: For a tasty liver snack on the go or when you are travelling, check out grass fed liver bars from EPIC Bar - https://epicbar.com/buy.html)