Want a hearty, warming snack that’s loaded with vitamins and minerals? Take a chomp out of this toasted sourdough bread with roasted butternut squash puree and crispy sage. Top with a few pieces of pastured and seared chicken livers with sautéed onions, and you’re all set. Enjoy!
Why eat this?
First, because organ meats are the s#@t!
While everyone and their mother swears by good ol’ muscle meat cuts of beef (yes, steaks are damn tasty!) it’s the organ meats that by far contain more nutrients than your average cut of beef, or most other foods for that matter. That’s a nutrient bomb ready to happen in your body. And, contrary to popular belief, the liver does not store toxins but instead, does store valuable nutrients like; A, D, E, K, B12, folic acid, and other minerals like copper and iron.[1] How much to consume depends on a lot of different factors, but generally a few ounces per week should be just fine.
- Chicken liver is a great source of high quality protein
- Is loaded with B vitamins
- Contains CoQ10, a critical nutrient for heart health
Whenever possible, try to get fresh pastured livers for best quality and nutritional value.
The second reason to eat this; roasted butternut squash is damn good for you.
According to Rebecca Wood’s, The New Whole Food Encyclopedia, Butternut squash is considered a warming food that is medicinal to the spleen, stomach, large intestine and the lungs. High in complex carbohydrates, it can a medicinal food for diabetics and those with digestive problems.
- Excellent source of carotenoids
- High levels of vitamin A
- A good source of fiber, potassium and magnesium
Finally, because it’s hard to beat chicken liver on toast. A nicely toasted piece of naturally leavened sourdough bread is hard to pass up.
Yes, we know, the gluten thing! If you must use a gluten free option by all means go ahead. Truth be told this would be a great dish without the bread, but it’s damn near great with it. If this is an issue for you there have been studies that indicate that the natural fermentation process of sourdough has been shown to breakdown gluten content. In some of these studies even celiac patients showed no ill effects.[2][3]
INGREDIENTS:
1 butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and diced or cut in moderate chunks
1/2 a small onion, peeled and sliced thin
Fresh sage leaves
A few pieces of pastured chicken livers – remove any veins, ducts, other connective tissues or membranes (you can have a butcher do this for you)
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Unsalted pastured butter
Sourdough bread - toasted
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Toss squash in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Preheat a pan with a bit of olive oil. When the pan is hot toss in the sliced onions, add a pinch of salt, lower the heat so you don’t burn the slices, and stir occasionally. Cook onion slices until lightly golden. Remove from pan and set aside.
Wipe pan if needed and add one tablespoon of olive oil and a pat of butter for added flavor. Turn your heat to a moderate or medium high heat. Don’t let the oil and butter smoke, but add the chicken livers when the oil is slightly shimmering. Let the chicken livers get a nice quick sear on each side, about two to three minutes per side. You want them still slightly pink in the middle. Once they reach desired doneness take off the heat and set aside.
Wipe out the pan and add a couple of tablespoons of butter. Cook on medium heat. Add sage and cook 2-3 minutes, or until crispy.
Smear the toasted sourdough with a nice layer of the roasted butternut squash, layer your onions on top of that, then your chicken livers. Finally, top with crispy sage leaves and eat up!
[1] http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/the-liver-files/
[2] http://www.cghjournal.org/article/S1542-3565(10)00987-0/abstract