Liverloaf

This post and recipe are courtesy of Stanley Fishman, author of Tender Grassfed Meat.

Liver from grassfed cattle is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It is full of vital nutrients, including all of the B vitamins, Vitamin A and Vitamin D, most amino acids, and many other substances that are crucial for good nutrition. All of these nutrients are in a form that is easy to digest and absorb. It used to be the custom in the US and Europe to eat liver at least once a week. Today, most people never eat liver.
 
Why? For one thing, many people think the liver is used to store toxins. That is not true. The liver stores nutritive substances that are often used to remove toxins from the body. If you want to avoid toxins in your meat, one of the best things you can do is to eat only grassfed meat. Also, the liver from factory cattle is far less nutritious and very unappealing, to say the least. Many people have given up liver for good after one taste of the factory version. Even grassfed liver can have a taste and texture that many do not like, and can be difficult to deal with in its natural form, due to membranes and veins that are difficult to remove from the slippery meat.
 
The Europeans discovered the solution to the taste of liver long ago — butter and onions.
 
US Wellness has solved the texture and trimming issues by developing a wonderful raw sausage known as Raw Braunschweiger. This ground mixture is 60% grassfed beef and 40% grassfed beef liver. We made a meatloaf yesterday using this sausage, along with the European method of butter and onions. How did it taste? A picture is worth a thousand words, so here is a picture of the serving dish not too long after we started eating.

Liverloaf
Serves 4

1 pound U.S. Wellness uncooked braunschweiger
2 slices whole grain bread, (either sourdough or made from sprouted grains), cubed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons pastured butter
1 free range organic egg
¼ cup full fat cream, (raw or organic)

1.    Place the cubed bread in a blender and process into crumbs.
2.    Melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy bottomed frying pan. When the butter is hot and bubbly, add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Place the sautéed onions in a large bowl. Add all of the other ingredients, including the breadcrumbs, to the bowl. Mix well.
3.    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the mixture into a 1 quart loaf pan and form into a loaf. Bake for 40 minutes.

Serve and enjoy this delicious liverloaf.

For more great recipes, check out Stanley's cookbook Tender Grassfed Meat.

Super Bowl XLIV - Football Feast

To a true football fan, February 7th, 2010, is the Sunday of all Sundays!  One mention of the Super Bowl and their ears perk up, their eyes get misty, and (with our help) their mouths salivate!  Whether your team made it to the big day or not, the Super Bowl is a great time to get together and eat! 

Try these simple, yet tasty, treats to kickoff Super Bowl 44!

Mini Hot Dogs: cut our hot dogs in half and cook as normal.  Serve on mini hot dog buns with ketchup, mustard, relish, onion.
 
Mini Shredded BBQ Beef or Hickory Smoked Brisket Sandwiches: heat up the pre-cooked shredded bbq beef or hickory smoked brisket and serve on dollar rolls with our bbq sauce.
 
Mini Tostadas: heat up the pre-cooked shredded beef (no bbq) and mix with salsa and taco seasoning to taste.  Put meat on round corn tortilla chips, top with cheese and tomato, serve with sour cream, guacamole, and/or salsa.

Wings, wings, wings....they are a natural fit for football!  Click below for the different wing recipes.

Pictured: Sweet and Spicy Wings

Tropical Wings (fried with coconut breading)

Cheesy Baked Chicken Wings (variation: Crispy Wings)

Sweet and Spicy Wings (fried or baked - no breading)

BBQ Wings (fried or baked - no breading)

Enjoy the game (and the food)!

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Tags: Grass-fed Beef, Recipes, Free-Range Poultry

The Garden of Eating Cookbook Giveaway

Drawing on the landmark work of Weston A. Price, D.D.S., and the time-tested food ways of healthy preagricultural people, The Garden of Eating is a comprehensive guide for obtaining the health-building benefits of a diet based on fresh vegetables and fruits along with pasture-fed animal products. It provides a simple, practical dietary plan and includes time-saving tips, resource lists, shopping lists, menus, and 250 delicious, nutritious, family-friendly, grain- and dairy-free recipes, plus eight appendices; 592 pages, illustrated and indexed.

See below the recipe for your chance to win this great book!

Herbed Meatballs               

Prep: 15 minutes/Cooking: 15 to 20 minutes/Yield: 24 meatballs; 6 servings
                    
You don’t need to sauté or stir meatballs while they cook, nor do you need pasta to make the meal. You can serve them over spaghetti squash with red sauce, or with roasted vegetables and a side salad, cooked leafy greens, or blanched or parboiled vegetables with a dip or dressing.

Notes: Transfer frozen meat to the refrigerator 24 to 48 hours before cooking. If you don’t tolerate oats, bind the meatballs with dried shan yao (Radix Dioscorea), a starchy white tuber sold in dehydrated slices in boxes in Asian markets and herb shops. Powder it in a blender or spice-dedicated coffee-grinder, then add it to meat mixture below.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup thick or old fashioned rolled oats (aka oatmeal or see variations)*
1/4 cup almond, cashew, or coconut milk, water or broth
1 medium to large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons dried herbs or 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons minced:   Italian blend, Herbes de Provençe, or combination of 2-3 herbs: sage, thyme, marjoram, oregano, basil, thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotlé or black pepper
1 clove of garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes 
1/2 to 1 teaspoon finely ground, unrefined sea salt or 1 to 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
1/2 cup minced onion or 1 tablespoon freeze dried onion or shallot flakes
1 to 1 1/4 pounds lean ground beef, bison, or lamb
1/2 cup water, use only if simmering meatballs

1.    In a medium bowl, combine oats (or shan yao) and milk. If possible, soak for 1 to 8 hours in the refrigerator. Add eggs, herbs, cumin, red/black pepper, garlic, parsley, salt or tamari, and onion.
2.    Crumble meat into a large bowl and add the mixture from step #1 above. Mix with clean bare hands pulling apart rather than squeezing and packing to evenly distribute seasoning (I use disposable gloves). Do not over mix. Shape into 24 (1-inch) balls.
3.    To simmer: Bring 1/2 cup water to boil in a 12-inch skillet. Add meatballs. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until the same color throughout. Remove lid and cook away liquid.
       To bake: Omit 1/2 cup liquid. Bake meatballs on parchment-lined baking sheet in a preheated 350˚ F-oven for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking pan occasionally, until done.
4.    Serve, then freeze any leftovers you don’t plan to to use within 3 days.

1 serving (beef): 140 calories, 19 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate (1 g fiber), 5 g fat, 26 mg calcium, 202 mg sodium

Variations:

• Gluten-free meatballs Replace rolled oats with 1/4 cup powdered, dried Shan Yao (described above). If you don’t have oats or shan yao, you can simply omit it.
  
• Egg-free meatballs: Replace eggs with 1 1/2 teaspoons Energy Foods Egg Replacer dissolved in 3 tablespoons of warm water, then whisked well after 5 minutes.
  
• Replace herbs in the master recipe with 1 teaspoons ground coriander, increase cumin to 1 teaspoon, and add 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice with 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add garlic if desired, and proceed as above.

For more information about this book and the authors, visit their website and blog!

CLICK HERE for your chance to win this book!  Entries must be received by 12:00 pm (noon) CST on Friday, February 5th, 2010.  The winner will be announced in the newsletter on February 7th.  Good luck!

Help for Haiti

To donate to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund, click here or the banner above.  To make a donation by phone, call 1-800-RED-CROSS

We can all help the Red Cross throughout the year, not just during times of tragedy.  Donate to any of the worthly causes listed here, volunteer, or give blood.  If you don't have money, volunteer; if you don't have time, give blood.  We all have something to contribute.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Oprah's 25 Superfoods

 

According to Oprah's O Magazine, there are 25 superfoods that should be incorporated into your diet.  Since this is the time for making resolutions to lose weight, excercise, quit this, start that....here's a list that will help you make better choices about what you put in your mouth!

 

1. Avocados: contain the "good" monounsaturated fat and helps your body block the absorption of "bad" fat.  They're also high in lutein (good for eyesight) and in potassium and folate (may reduce the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease).  Try this recipe with our Sardines: Sardine Salad Sandwich
2. Beets: contains the disease-fighting phytonutrient betacyanin.  Also a good source for folate (guards against birth defects, colon cancer, and osteoporosis) and are high in fiber and beta-carotene.  Beet Dip with Sour Cream and Horseradish
3. Horseradish: rich in glucosinolate for fighting cancer and killing bacteria.  Also a good source of calcium, potassium, and vitamin C.  Incorporate horseradish into your diet with these recipes.
4. Sweet Potatoes: contain phytonutrients that promote heart and eye health and boost immunity.  They're also full of beta-carotene and vitamin A.  Sweet Potato and Chickpea Puree
   
5. Cruciferous Vegetables: such as cabbages, cauliflower, and broccoli rabe contain powerful disease fighters that lower the incidence of colon and lung cancers. Try this recipe with our Beef Italian Sausage and Walnuts: Pasta with Walnut Pesto, Sausage, and Broccoli Rabe
   
6. Blueberries: rich in antioxidants (combat the damage of inflammation).  They may also have antidiabetic effects and new research indicates blueberries might protect the heart against damage as well.  Try some of our many nuts in this recipe: Frozen Yogurt Sundae with Spiced Nuts
7. Dark Leafy Greens: such as spinach, kale, and swiss chard are an excellent source of iron, vitamin A, and lutein.  Spinach Florentine Pinwheels or 4-Cheese Stuffed Shells
8. Alliums: the botanical family that includes leeks, onions, and garlic, share many remarkable traits.  They can aid in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.  Research indicates they inhibit the growth of prostate, stomach, and colon cancer cells.  They also have antibiotic properties and can ward off germs. Leeks Vinaigrette
9. Whole Grains: high in magnesium, B vitamins, fibe, and manganese.  Whole grains, such as buckwheat, have shown to help in NOT overeating by making you feel fuller. Whole Grain Pancakes and Waffles
10. Spelt: like whole wheat, spelt is sweeter, nuttier, and higher in protein than its processed relatives.  Both are also good sources of manganese and copper. Read more about spelt.
11. Turmeric: used in holistic medicine as a digestive aid and wound healer, can also serve as an anti-inflamatory.  Add turmeric to your diet by adding curry into recipes (turmeric is the primary ingredient in curry).  Try our Pre-Cooked Beef Roast with Gravy which includes turmeric.
12. Oregano: has extremely high levels of antioxidants.  A half teaspoon of dried oregano has the benefits of a whole spinach salad.  Oregano can also clear congestion and improve digestion. Popcorn with Dried Oregano and Lemon
13. Cinnamon: has one of the highest antioxidant levels of all herbs and spices.  It also has a positive effect on blood glucose levels and digestion.  Cinnamon is also used in some cosmetics, such as our Chocolate Cinnamon Soap, for its astringent, antimicrobial, and antiseptic properties.  In this deep-freeze we're experiencing, who couldn't go for a Mexican Hot Chocolate?
14. Ginger, Cayenne, Black Pepper: the heat you experience when eating these spices is evidence of gingerols, capsaicin, and piperine, compounds that boost metabolism.  Gingersnaps with Orange-Ginger Cream Filling
    
15. Miso: is a flavorful, fermented soybean paste which is a great source of low-calorie protein.  Contains B12 and zinc. (miso is one of the only soybean products we recommend because it is fermented.)  Miso Noodle Soup
16. Yogurt: is rich in calcium, phosphorus, and protein.  Unlike milk, real yogurt also contains probiotics, the good bacteria in your digestive system.  Try our nuts in this recipe: Frozen Yogurt Sundae with Spiced Nuts
17. Sardines: wild-caught sardines are low in mercury and high in vitamin D; a three-ounce serving has as much calcium as 8 oz. of milk.  Try our Sardines in Spring Water or Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a Sardine Salad Sandwich.  Sardines can be eaten several ways, try grilling, adding to salad, or eating right from the can!
18. Canned Salmon: King, sockeye, and coho salmon have more DHA plus EPA omega-3 fatty acids than almost any other seafood, as well as some of the lowest mercury levels.  Canned salmon is nutritionally as good as fresh but costs less!  Try our Canned Salmon in this Salmon Cake recipe. 
19. Sesame Seeds: contain sesamin and sesamolin which can help lower cholesterol.  The seeds are also a good source of calcium, phosphorous, and zinc.  Sesame seeds can easily be added to baked goods, such as breads and muffins, or simply sprinkled on salads.  Popcorn with Dried Oregano and Lemon
    
20. Walnuts: Of all nuts, walnuts have the most alpha-linolenic omega-3 fatty acids, which lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol and may reduce inflammation in arteries.  Walnuts are also a great source of antioxidants, vitamin E, Selenium, and magnesium.  Our walnuts are a great addition to salads or just eaten by the handful!
21. Green Tea: has protective antioxidants (along with black and white).  It's full of a metabolis-boosting compound called EGCG, which prevents damage to the heart muscles.  Dried Spinach and Sencha Tea
22. Dark Chocolate: high in flavonoids which have shown to improve blood flow, suppress coughs, improve memory, and give you hydrated smooth skin.  Try our Raw Decadence Dark Chocolate which is unlike any chocolate you're ever had!
23. Flaxseed: rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which speed up cell metabolism and reduce inflammation in the body, reduce triglyceride levels, and lower blood pressure.  Ground flaxseed can be added to baked dishes, smoothies, cereal, or just about anything!  Citrus and Sesame Granola
24. Figs: an excellent source of dietary fiber and a good source of calcium and potassium. Try one of our goat cheeses in this recipe: Grilled Figs with Rosemary and Goat Cheese
25. Seaweed: (hijiki, wakame, kelp, nori) contain nutrients commonly found in green, leafy vegetables, along with most minerals found in the ocean.  They're full of magnesium, which may prevent migraines and asthma attacks.  Grate nori on popcorn and eggs, add wakame to soups, and marinate with hijiki with sesame oil for a quick salad.  Artichoke and Oyster Mushroom Rockefeller

Happy New Year to you, and if you made resolutions, enjoy the new you!

 

Multi-Purpose Bread

This great bread recipe can be used for many different things: sandwich bread, rolls, sweet breakfast bread, and French toast.

• 4 tablespoons room-temperature butter
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 4 cups sprouted flour
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 (1/4 oz.) package yeast

For Sandwich Bread:  Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mix together until dough forms.  Knead 8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Oil the bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl.  Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.  Punch down the dough.  Form into a loaf and place into a buttered loaf pan.  Let rise until double.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, bake for 15 - 18 minutes.  Remove the loaf from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

For Rolls:  Instead of putting the dough in a loaf pan, form the dough into 12 rolls and place them on a buttered baking sheet 2 inches apart.  Let rise until double in size.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, bake for 12 - 15 minutes, until golden brown.

For Sweet Breakfast Bread:  Prepare the bread above, but before putting it into the loaf pan, roll dough out into a rectangle.  The thicker the dough, the less swirls of cinnamon and nuts; the thinner, the more swirls!  When rolled out, drizzle with honey and maple syrup, the amount depends on your taste.  I prefer to lightly cover all of the dough.  Then sprinkle with cinnamon, chopped nuts, and raisins.  Roll dough and form into a buttered loaf.  Bake the same as the sandwich bread.

For French Toast:  Cut the sweet breakfast bread into thick slices.  Melt butter in a cast iron skillet.  Whisk together a couple pastured eggs.  Dip the slices of bread into the eggs and add slices to a hot skillet.  Cook on one side and flip, cook on the second side.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Top with chopped nuts, sliced banana, and maple syrup! 

The Grass-Fed Difference!

For more videos, go to our YouTube page!  More videos to come soon!

Cacao Fudge Cookies

In response to #realfood chat on twitter...quest for cookies:

• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup cacao powder or carob powder
• 1 cup sugar or your favorite sugar substitute
• 1/3 cup yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup sprouted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  In a medium saucepan, melt the butter.  Cool slightly and stir in the cacao powder, sugar, yogurt and vanilla; mix.  Add the flour, baking soda and salt; mix well.

Place teaspoonfuls of batter on a greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.  Bake 8-10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan 2-3 minutes; remove to a wire rack and cool completely. 

Join us on the first Thursday of every month from 9 - 11 pm EST: http://tweetchat.com/room/realfood

Enjoy the chat and celebration of #realfood!!

Tender Baked Short Ribs

Tender Baked Short Ribs
By Stanley A. Fishman, Author of Tender Grassfed Meat

Some of the toughest cuts of meat have the best flavor. That flavor only comes out if the meat is cooked to be tender. A tougher cut of meat that is cooked wrong tastes tough and terrible. A tougher cut of meat that is cooked to be tender is wonderful.

Short ribs are such a cut. Cook them wrong, and even the best short ribs will be horrible. Cook them right, and you will love the rich beefy flavor, enhanced by the bone, and the tenderness of the meat. Cooking short ribs is not complicated or difficult. This recipe is so easy and so delicious. The ribs and the onions provide all the liquid needed to cook the meat, and give you a delicious gravy. The ribs come out tender, and their great natural flavor is awesome. I like to use U.S. Wellness Meats short ribs for this dish.

•  2 pounds U.S. Wellness grassfed short ribs
•  2 large organic onions, coarsely chopped
•  2 teaspoons paprika, (organic, or imported from Spain or Hungary)
•  4 cloves organic garlic, crushed and chopped
•  1 teaspoon freshly ground organic black pepper
•  1 teaspoon coarse natural sea salt, crushed

1.    Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
2.    Wash the short ribs with filtered water. Go over them with your fingers to make sure that any bone fragments have been removed. Cut the pieces into individual ribs, leaving the meat attached to the bone.
3.    Combine 1 teaspoon of the paprika with the garlic and the pepper. Rub this mixture all over the meat.
4.    Place the short ribs in a cast iron casserole (enameled cast iron is also fine), resting on the flat, narrow edge of the bone, so they are standing up, crowded together.
5.    Place the chopped onions on top of the short ribs. Sprinkle the salt and the remaining teaspoon of paprika over the onions.
6.    Cover the casserole, place in the preheated oven, and cook for 2 hours. Test the ribs for doneness. They are done when easily pierced with a fork. If they are not done, return to the oven and continue checking at ten minute intervals.

Enjoy the tender, flavorful meat.

Thanks to Stanley for sharing this great recipe!  All of us here at US Wellness Meats have truly enjoyed his cookbook!  And we're not the only ones!  Read Kimberly Hartke's (of Hartkeisonline.com) review of the book!  Sally Fallon Morell has also reviewed this book, read her review here under Update #2!

Thanksgiving Leftovers

                                      

One of the best parts about a holiday is all the food!  Trying out new dishes, surprising the in-laws with your talent, and the opportunity to make new meals with the leftovers!  Here are two ways to use your leftovers:  Leftover Turkey Pot Pie and Turkey Sandwiches with Feta Mayo.

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie 

• Leftover turkey, cut into bite-size pieces
  
• Leftover gravy
• Leftover vegetables (can use any cooked vegetables or raw vegetables from a veggie tray, you may want to cook raw veggies a little)
• Leftover mashed potatoes  

Add the first three ingredients into an appropriated sized oven-safe dish for your amount of leftovers.  Top with mashed potatoes.  Bake at 350 degrees until heated through.

Serve with any leftover salads and/or bread!  It's like a whole different meal!

Turkey Sandwiches with Avocado and Feta Mayo

     Feta Mayo:

• 1/4 cup lacto-fermented mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro 

     Sandwiches:

• 2 large ripe avocados
• Juice of 1 lime
• 8 slices of sprouted bread
• 4 lettuce leaves
• Turkey leftovers
• Tomato slices
• 8 slices cooked bacon
• Sea salt (optional)
  
• Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)
  

Stir all mayo ingredients together in a small bowl.

Spread mayo on the bread slices.  Layer all other ingredients, season with sea salt and pepper (if desired), top with remaining bread.  Enjoy!

If you have ideas for using up leftovers, we'd love to hear them!

This post is part of the Real Food Wednesday Blog Carnival! Find inspiration at KellytheKitchenKop.com and Cheeseslave.com!