Liver with Bacon, Onions and Collard Greens served with Garlic Cauliflower Mash {AIP, GAPS, SCD, Paleo}

My mother frequently fed us offal when I was a child and I remember how my brother and I groaned as she handed out the plates. I can sympathise with how she must have felt now, since my children balk at the mere mention of ‘the dreaded salmon’, be it in any shape or form. But offal, they love and I do too, for many reasons actually. The primary one is obviously taste but a close second is that it is so amazingly good for you, any nutritionist will tell you that. To name but a few of the micronutrients, it contains high levels of anti-inflammatory Omega-3, iron, folic acid, Vitamins A, D, E, K, B12 and is a fantastic source of Vitamin C. But there are more bonuses .. it is cheap to buy and speedy and easy to cook. How can you not love all that? My daughter even requested this for her Birthday dinner, which you’ll understand was a very proud moment for me!

Liver, bacon and onions is a classic dish but adding coconut aminos (a soy sauce substitute) injects a good boost of flavour. I frequently use chicken livers in my cooking but for this recipe I prefer beef, it has a richer flavour that works so brilliantly with the saltiness of the bacon and the sweetness of the coconut aminos.

Of course liver, bacon and onions are all the better for a good comfort food accompaniment and you really can’t improve on cauliflower mash with a hint of garlic. I don’t miss mashed potatoes because cauli does the job perfectly well. It tastes creamy without all the butter and milk that potatoes need to achieve the same effect and also it’s much less work. I’m all for that!

liver with bacon, onions and collard greens
Liver needs to be eaten seriously fresh so when I buy mine I tend to pop it straight into the freezer if I don’t intend to use it straight away. When I need to defrost it, I put the sealed bag into a large bowl of water and it only needs to sit for 40 minutes or so before it’s defrosted and ready for cooking. It is a perfectly quick, tasty, inexpensive and über healthy meal!
(serves 4)

3/4 lb grass fed beef liver, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
6 rashers nitrate free smoked bacon, cut into small lardon sized pieces
1 heaped tbsp solid fat
1 large white onion, peeled, halved and sliced into thin semi circles
small bunch collard greens, spines removed, rolled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup coconut aminos (I use this brand)

Melt the fat in a large skillet and add the onions. Sauté on a low heat until translucent, approx 6 minutes, then raise the heat to medium, add the bacon and cook a further 2 minutes. Add the liver to the skillet and cook a few minutes more until it has lost its raw look, approx 2 minutes. Add the collards and coconut aminos, cover with a lid and leave on a low heat until the greens are wilted, approx 2 minutes more. Serve immediately.

garlic cauliflower mash
There’s nothing more to say about this recipe, other than you need it in your life!
(serves 4)

1 large cauliflower
3 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
2 tbsp duck fat
sea salt (I use this one)

Cut the cauli into florets and peel the garlic cloves, leaving them whole. Put an inch of water into a large pan and bring to the boil. Put in the cauli florets and garlic and cook till tender, approx 10 minutes. Alternatively steam the florets until tender. Drain, then put the cauli and garlic back into the pan or alternatively into the food processor with the S blade. Add the duck fat and whizz in the processor or with a hand blender for a short time until you have lovely silky mash. Add salt to taste.