One Hand Cooking Episode 4: Expanding Horizons

illustration by Michelle Lassaline for our book How to Grow a Baby coming September 21, 2021 — illustration by Michelle Lassaline for our book *How to Grow a Baby* coming September 21, 2021

Despite my persistence, there’s two things people tend to be too busy to do with me. One is Nordic skate skiing and the other is eating grass-fed beef liver.

I’ve rarely struggled to convince my friends to go backcountry skiing, climbing, or my favorite activity—walking—with me. Likewise, when I cook for people the food I serve meets little resistance. That isn’t to say it’s perfect, but it’s nourishing and a tangible taste-able gift of my love and care.

But, people tend to have things pop up suddenly in their schedules if I invite them to go skate skiing or if I offer to share some grass-fed beef liver. It’s fine, really! Don’t do anything you don’t want to do. But also, don’t knock it ‘til you try it.

The thing about liver and skate skiing that I find most frustrating is their inaccessibility. Without access, gear, and the most essential ingredients—snow and time—skate skiing is just not realistic most days even for me, a lover of skating on groomed trails; just me and my skinny skis.

But liver—my favorites are chicken liver and grass-fed beef liver—should be widely available to people who have chosen to consciously consume animal products. The reason?

Eating liver (and other organ meat) is way to reduce animal waste by eating nose to tail and this (super)food is insanely nutrient-dense—think incredibly high levels of vitamin B12, iron, vitamin A, niacin, vitamin B6, and folate.

For me, nutrient-density matters equally as much as taste and pleasure. And the recipes in this episode are delicious on so many levels. When I eat liver, I feel this sensation in my body of calm strength—like Pop-eye on spinach, but less masculine/anabolic steroids and more centered/balanced power.

Eating is an act that marries the past, present and future. By this I mean that eating has the power to restore our bodies from past events (like pregnancy), fulfill us deeply in the moment (mentally, physically and spiritually), and sustain and regenerate our health in the long run.

These three meals are the ones I ate the most postpartum. I’ll never forget devouring bacon and eggs after the births of both Holden and Otto. And I won’t forget the feeling of liver and bone broth congee rebuilding my strength and supporting my energy from the inside out. So, if you’re looking for some healing, restoration and a sense of deep, stable calm, these recipes are for you.

One Hand Cooking || 3 rules

Safety. This week I reminded Max of the number one rule you learn in CPR training: assess the scene for safety first!
Let it go. Summer is a busy season friends. Balance out the events and pulls of your energy with a long dip in the lake or river and simple mornings outside with plants and birdsong.
Support each other. Reciprocate love and giving and accepting and kindness. We are living in a challenging world, during challenging times. The best we can do is to try to take a little better care of each other and ourselves.

grass-fed beef liver with sourdough bread, fried apples + greens

2-4 ounces grass-fed beef liver frozen and very thinly sliced (look for it at your local food co-op or order it online)
1 pound broccolini or broccoli
1 apple, cored and thinly sliced (Yep-I used a nectarine in this episode because I didn’t have any apples and the ones on my apple trees weren’t quite ripe! The nectarine was tasty, but I prefer using apples)
1 piece of sourdough or gluten-free bread (I used our favorite local bread!)
Big handful of parsley or other herbs
Broccoli sprouts if you have them (If you’re in the Reno-Tahoe area, get them from Prema Farms!)
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
Prep your ingredients: Grab the frozen liver out of your freezer and using your sharpest, strongest, burliest knife, slice it into super thin pieces. This takes a little muscle so be careful. Then, slice up the apple and your piece of bread.
Heat your cast-iron skillet to medium-high and add a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Throw in the broccolini and season with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Cover the broccolini for a few minutes so it softens, then add the apple slices to the pan, and let them cook until they’re slightly crisped, softened and browned all over.
You can toast your bread in a toaster, or make a spot to fry it in some olive in the pan as well. This second approach creates a crispy cooked bread experience that I find superior to the toaster approach.
If you have parsley on hand, throw it in with the broccoli and apples, stirring to combine. When the broccoli, apples and parsley are crispy, remove them from the skillet and onto a plate. Then add another glug of olive oil to the skillet and quickly sear the liver on both sides, seasoning generously with salt.
To serve, spoon the liver, apples, and parsley onto your bread and enjoy the broccoli on the side. Finish with a dash of flaky sea salt and broccoli sprouts if you have them.

bone broth congee with grass-fed beef

1 cup rice (I used brown basmati in the video because it’s what I had, but I prefer using half short grain brown rice and half white rice)
3 cups water
3 cups bone broth (chicken or beef)
1 head cauliflower
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1 pound ground grass-fed beef (or lamb, or sliced steak, or chicken, or tempeh)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1” piece ginger, minced
1 cup fresh basil
2 tablespoons nama shoyu (substitute soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos)
Sea salt
Olive oil
In a large pot add the water, bone broth and rice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and stir occasionally. Simmer for one hour—until the congee is thick and creamy.
While the congee cooks, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Break apart the cauliflower florets, lay them on an unlined baking sheet, and season with olive oil, sea salt and pepper and roast until the cauliflower is crispy, about 30-35 minutes. Stir the cauliflower halfway through cooking. On another baking sheet lined with parchment paper add the tomatoes and sprinkle with olive oil and salt. Roast until the tomatoes are crispy and very umami, about 30-35 minutes.
While the veggies roast, heat a cast iron skillet to medium high and add two tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Press the ground beef into the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Allow the beef to nicely crisp and brown, then turn and break into smaller pieces with a spatula. Move the beef to the side of the pan and add the garlic and ginger, allowing them to sizzle for a minute, then stir into the beef. Season with a tablespoon of soy sauce, taste, and add more if needed. Finally, stir the basil into the beef, cooking for a minute, until wilted, then remove from heat.
Stir a tablespoon of soy sauce into the congee. To serve, spoon congee into large bowls, top with the beef, cauliflower, and tomatoes. I ate mine with pickled carrots, extra basil and mint leaves. You can also eat the congee by itself, or with an egg or two on top, which is an exquisitely simple way to enjoy this nourishing food.

bacon, eggs and greens

I have to tell you the truth. When I ate bacon and eggs postpartum, I ate 3 eggs and 3 pieces of bacon every morning for breakfast, usually in bed. Sometimes I also had a big piece of crusty sourdough bread smothered in butter, honey and flaky sea salt. Those first few days after birthing a human, I wasn’t worried about vegetables and I took unbelievable delight in this simple meal.
Now, I get the green stuff into my meals and fancied this breakfast up a bit with squash blossoms, zucchini and basil from my garden. I also added some ricotta. I’ve been known to throw figs or apricots in to sizzle with my eggs and bacon and sometimes I add some salmon roe on top.
**There is no limit to how delicious breakfast can be, so take the basics: free range organic eggs + pastured bacon + greens and run wild using the best the season has to offer.**