Organ meat for cocktail hour

Apparently liver is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet! (Interesting article on the world’s 11 most nutrient dense foods here). I haven’t tried beef liver yet, but there are two big ones waiting in the freezer. I have, however, now tried chicken liver mousse and actually enjoyed it. I’ve made two batches, the second even more delicious (no really!) than the first. I think I followed the recipe more closely and the flavors blended more smoothly.

 

I expected it to be hard to like, but it’s genuinely tasty. I suppose not thinking about what exactly it is you’re eating, or what it looked like before you cooked it, helps somewhat…

Organ meat is important on the AIP, and is also emphasized on the GAPS diet and the Wahls Protocol. 12 ounces or 3-4 times a week is recommended. The reason is that these diets aren’t just about cutting things out, (all potentially inflammatory food in the case of the AIP), they are also about nourishing you so your body can heal. You’re definitely supposed to pay as much attention to what you do eat as what you don’t. Thus, organ meat: with hundreds of times the recommended daily value of micronutrients like B12, it is also one of the best sources of CoQ10, an enzyme necessary for energy production and, apparently, something of which we should all be getting more. It seems like liver is such a superfood it’s kind of a shame no one eats it anymore.

 

Anyway, to celebrate delivery of a batch of chicken livers and the creation of a second batch of pâté, we had a little cocktail hour. Cocktails are certainly something I’ve been missing (and the first thing to go when I started feeling so unwell, it’s been months now!) so sometimes it’s fun to make a mocktail. I’ve been condensing batches of potent ginger brew via grated ginger in the pressure cooker, this mixes well with sparkling mineral water for a digestive tonic to drink throughout the day. Add some frozen raspberries and it starts to seem, well, not entirely unlike a cocktail. Not exactly gin and tonics and a cheese spread, but at the moment that doesn’t even sound so good. It’s really interesting to watch how much your cravings and tastes change after long enough without certain foods.