LIVER & BACON BRAISED WITH RICE & LEFTOVER VEG

This one is for those who love chicken livers...and there are more out there than you think!

Economical, richly savoury chicken livers braised with bacon, rice & veg
'So generously studded with veg and meat it's like a celebration...' Taster

For many, chicken livers are an acquired taste.  But cooked properly, they are magnificent -- tender, creamy, smooth, and very meaty. 

They're great if you're hungry and in a hurry for a high protein meal.  

And if you're watching the pennies - and aren't we all? - there's very little waste.

67 only buys organic livers or livers from a good independent butcher.  

Waitrose has recently been selling 400g/14.1oz organic livers for £3; that's enough for 3 generous portions, probably more for a canny cook.

Standard livers are usually £1.50 for the same weight.

Chicken livers are versatile.  Add them to mince to make a ragout for pasta go further and enrich flavour and texture.  Cook with fruit and curry spices for the flavour of the souk. (See the popular Spiced Chicken Liver with Figs)  Throw them in a hot pan with bacon, tomatoes and basil for a simple sauce to smother a carb.  Or make a glorious smooth but punchy low-cholesterol pate.

Liver'n Bacon with Braised Rice is basically a one-pot meal and though it involves waiting time, it is pretty easy.  The resulting flavour is more than worth it.

It's also very forgiving --  less of one thing or more of another is no problem.

Cost: £2.50'ish, depending on veg in fridge (1/23)

Serves: 1-2 generously

Ingred:

Prepare ingredients before starting

1/2 tbsp oil & 1/2 tbsp butter
1 med onion diced (red, yellow or whites of spring onions)
1/3 red pepper, membranes removed, in med dice
1/3 cup diced celery
130gm chicken livers, connective tissue removed, in 1 cm slices
1-2 slices back bacon, fat removed, in 1/2 cm slices OR pastrami or lamb sausage poached 10 mins to fremove fat
1/2-2/3 cup cooked rice

1/2 cup water or stock

splash of sherry (opt)

splash of soy, oyster or hoisin sauce

dash of Worcestershire (opt)

 
generous 1/2 cup courgette in finger sized sticks, 

Garnish: coarsely chopped parsley or thingly sliced spring onions

Method:

CURE-ALL CHICKEN & RICE, for dicky tummies, low-fat, easy

Easily digested, delicate, lovely chicken rice: 

Chicken Rice: Gentle comfort for the ailing AND glorious main for the robust 

'...settles the stomach, easy to digest and tasty - not in the least boring'

Chicken Rice is wholesome and sustaining; its delicate flavours soothes a dicky stomach but also delights and satisfies the healthy.  

The dish pretty well cooks itself.  It can be served as it is but a trio of piquant sauces, served on the side, enlivens the dish.   

For singletons, leftovers are easily portioned up and frozen.

Brown rice is best for this dish; the high fibre content is beneficial to the gut.

Cost: £5 to £10, depending on the chicken
Feeds: 4

Ingredients:
   1 cup brown rice
   2-3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
   2 x 1/4 inch slices fresh ginger, peeled

   2 cups water or stock

   1 whole chicken, the best you can afford, backbone removed (save for stock) & breast flattened OR 4 chicken quarters
   med onion, pref red but white will do, finely diced

   couple of handfuls small cauliflower florets
   generous handful green beans or mange toute, string removed

  Garnish: small dish each of
      reduced salt soy sauce
      oyster or hoisin sauce
      ginger-scallion sauce

Method:

FRUGAL STUDENT FOOD: ONE-POT BACON RICE SUPPER, sassy frugal & nutritious

Every household has its 'restrict further food spending - budget's getting low' days.  Here's a brilliant solution.

1st posted 2018; updated 10/24

   CURRENTLY BEING EDITED & UPDATED; BACK SHORTLY

This dish proves that small - very small - amounts of protein mixed with vegetables and carbs can make a frugal dish a singular delight.  

Called 'Bacon & Egg Pie' in some North American Chinese restaurants, the dish makes good use of a few slices of back bacon and a solitary egg.  The bacon - two slices minimum, 3 if you're living dangerously - adds a glorious saltiness but the fat is removed to reduce calories.  The egg adds its own sauce. 

TUMMY CURE RICE & CHICKEN, low-fat, mild, versatile

Easy, mild, lovely chicken rice soothes after tummy troubles AND provides  a flavoursome main course ...

Chicken Rice: gentle comfort for the ailing AND gloriously savoury main course
(here with hoisin sauce) 

It's easy to go overboard with rich foods in the summer.  We in the UK still think summers will be short and sweet; outdoor dining is something to be indulged in - big time - whether in someone's home or dining out.  We pile on the barbecued meats and sample loads of tempting salads and creamy treats.

The prolonged heat wave, however, has weakening some immune systems.  A fair few are suffering from gastric flu or food poisoning, their bodies weakened from nausea but clamouring for solid nourishment. 

This recipe from 67goingon50 was created for just such an occasion.  Chicken Rice is wholesome and sustaining; its delicate flavours soothe and comfort a dicky stomach but also satisfy healthy appetites.  

Ailing cooks won't have to put in much effort for the dish; it pretty well cooks itself.  It can be served as it is but a trio of piquant sauces, served on the side, enlivens the dish for those who are strong and healthy.

For singletons, leftovers are easily portioned up and frozen.

Brown rice is best for this dish; the high fibre content is beneficial to the gut.

Cost: £5 to £10, depending on the chicken
Feeds: 4

Ingredients:
   1 cup brown rice
   2-3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
   2 x 1/4 inch slices fresh ginger, peeled

   1 whole chicken, the best you can afford, backbone removed & breast flattened OR 4 chicken quarters
   med onion, pref red but white will do, finely diced

   couple of handfuls small cauliflower florets
   generous handful green beans or mange toute, string removed

  Garnish: small dish each of
      reduced salt soy sauce
      oyster or hoisin sauce
      ginger-scallion sauce

Method:

1. Place rice in a sieve over a biggish bowl; run cold water from the tap over it, making sure all the grains are wet.  (If the grains aren't wet, they will float to the top and down your drain. Not good.)  Let the water run over the rice until it runs clear, say 5 mins
2. Add rice to a large pot with 2 cups water or stock and the diced onion; stir; place garlic & ginger on top
   
3. Bring to the boil
4. Remove skin from chicken 
5. When water is boiling, turn heat down to med high, place chicken flesh side down on the rice -  it will begin to cook in the heat & steam from the rice
   
6. Partially cover with a lid; allow rice to bubble gently until nearly all the water has gone and holes start appearing in the surface of the rice - it will take 15-20mins 

   

   
   

7. Carefully flip chicken over; the flesh side will now be uppermost; scatter over cauliflower florets
   
8. Cover with a lid lined with a clean tea towel - this helps grains remain separate.  Reduce heat to low
9. After 10 mins, scatter over green beans, mangetout, broccoli or peas
10. Cook until veg are al dente, 5-10 mins 
11. Check the chicken; there should be no pink inside
12. Place veg and chicken in a dish; cover & keep warm 
13. Remove garlic and ginger from rice (they should be easy to find)
14. Break up the chicken; serve alongside rice and vegetables
15. Serve with sauces on the side.  

Comments:
'After a week with gastric something-or-other, I was weak and very empty.  I could prepare this in stages, resting in between.  The rice ended up beautifully moist and delicately flavoured with ginger, garlic and chicken.  Though really comforting and easy to digest, it wasn't in the least boring.  Definitely one for the 'ill and infirm.'  Retired writer 

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This recipe has  been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.

SALMON & CHINESE CABBAGE RICE PLATE WITH GARLIC HONEY SAUCE, one-pot wonder

When dinner's gotta be fast and fabulous and 'don't hold the carbs!

 updated 1/25; originl 2018;

A carb-rich meal with slightly sweet sauce boosts energy in cold weather
'Seriously good; will please the entire family' Taster

Salmon and Chinese cabbage are low-fat and health giving, providing protein, omega-3, B-vitamins and several important antioxidants.

So it is sad that the cost of salmon , both fresh and frozen, has risen significantly  since this post was first posted in 2018.

But the recipe is so delicious and the prep so simple and uncomplicated, 67  includes it for cooks looking for something easy, special but not necessarily glamourous.  

Unusually for 67, the dish boasts carbs and sugar.  When the weather is as cold as it has been, the body needs energy.  You will be fine as long you return to disciplined eating when temperatures rise. 

 
Only one pot and a small bowl are needed; the meal will be ready in 15 mins.  The honey-garlic sauce is poured into the cooking pot just before serving, coating the salmon and soaking through the vegetables to the rice below. 

If garlic is not for you. replace with a whole star anise; strain the sauce before adding to the pot.  (Rinse star anise, dry & use another time.)

Carb concerns may tempt you to reduce the serving of rice.  67 urges you not to.  There is nothing better than a generous mound of soft rice smothered in Chinese leaves, moist salmon and heavenly  sauce.  

Cost: depends on salmon; frozen is best value (around £6 for 2) but probable cost is around £7.50 (1/25)
Feeds: 2

Ingred:  

   1/2 cup white, easy cook rice (67 used M&S but also likes Waitrose)
   150gm/5oz Chinese leaves OR Swiss chard 
   2x 150-200gm/5-7oz salmon fillets, patted dry, lightly seasoned with salt & pepper
   2 slices of fresh ginger per fish fillet
   2 slices lemon per fish fillet
   
Sauce
   2 med cloves garlic, grated (opt) or a whole anise (rinse, dry and used again)
   a 1-inch slice ginger, peeled & grated
   scant 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
   1 tsp reduced salt soy sauce
   2 tsp dry sherry
   1 tsp toasted sesame oil (opt)
   1/2 small chilli, ribs & membranes removed, very finely diced (opt but recommended) OR a pinch of chilli flakes 

Method: