LOW CHOLESTEROL LIVER PATE: Guilt-free Indulgence, Low-Fat & Cholesterol, Make-Ahead; dairy free options

Punchy, tangy Liver Pate that won't send cholesterol soaring ... 

updated 3/2022; first posted 2015 

Liver Pate for Passover that's gutsy & flavourful without lashings of chicken fat

Food in the Middle East is wonderful - both simple and exotic.   Hot bread - fresh from an oven at a tiny downtown stall - slathered with unsalted butter and dripping with fresh honey. Or, over a border, delicate 'tablecloth' flatbread cooked on an upturned oval of thinly beaten metal, passed down from generation to generation.   And, in the foothills of purple Iranian mountains, a tiny bus-stop cafe with unadorned but unforgettable chicken and saffron rice.  

What strikes a visitor to the Middle East is the similarities in cuisine, not the differences.  Flavours are strong and gutsy, casseroles and stews are distinctive and assertive - even aggressive - and the recipes are steeped in traditions and prohibitions eons old.  The food could not reflect the peoples of the Middle East more.  

Chopped Liver (or Liver Pate) is almost an essential in parts of the Middle East.  It is greatly loved, and as one lovely gentleman told me, is nothing without lashings of chicken fat.  

Not for 67goingon50, it isn't.

This version of chopped liver is a combination of a traditional-ish recipe (adapted from Ina Garten) and a Western creamy liver pate.  It was developed for the fat and cholesterol phobic and butter and olive oil replaces chicken fat.   It still however packs a punch, flavourwise, and the yoghurt makes for an appealing layer of tanginess.  (Traditionalists can use chicken fat but the cholesterol count goes way up and you’ll have to stick to plant, not dairy, yoghurt.)  

For the Festive season, it's easy on the budget and packed full of iron. It looks good on a festive buffet table or makes a good starter course with toast or hot rolls. 

It's also easy to prepare and can sit in the fridge for a day or two before serving.  

Cost: depending on livers & the cupboard - from £2.50'ish to £4.50'ish
Makes: 5 cups; halves easily

Ingred:
   500 gms/16 oz chicken livers, pref. organic, trimmed & free of green spots
   5 tbsp butter or olive oil or a mix (see note below)
   2 teacups med diced onions (about 2 whole onions) OR well cleaned fennel with the green of a few spring onions
   1/3 cup madeira/sherry/red wine/grape juice
   4 eggs, hard boiled
   1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
   2 tsp fresh thyme or 1/3 rounded tsp dried
   2 tsp kosher salt
   pinch cayenne

   3/4 cup strained fat-free dairy or plant yoghurt or Greek yoghurt

Method:

BLOGGER'S FAVOURITE EASTER LAMB RECIPES

HAVE A LOOK AT WELCOME TO THE BLOGs (on the Nav Bar above)

With extra Tips and photos

These terrifically tasty and satisfying lamb recipes are the Blogger's choice from the Archive.  Whether singleton, pensioner twosome, familuy gathering ot a crowd, there's something wallet-friendly and easy prep for everyone. 

Roast Lamb with Savoury Mint Gravy

 Minty gravy elevates this delicious half shoulder roast, just the right size for a small household

Lamb Koftas with Sensational Tahini Sauce

Easy. Prepare the night before. Suitable for barbie and grill.  Even if the weather's horrible, these Mediterranean style koftas warm body and soul. 

Slow-Roasted Crispy Lamb Ribs 

Easy Crispy Meaty Lamb ribs with a crusty brown surface and much lower fat

Flash Fried Lamb Steaks with Sherry Soy Sauce 

Please leave a comment         .

These recipes have been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced without the author's written permission. 

SPRING ORANGE CAKE: fat-free, wallet friendly

Deliciously scented, subtle flavours that pack a punch...

Rustic but light; gorgeous texture despite lack of fat

This lovely cake, adapted from Sky McAlpine, is easy to make, high in good fibre and more importantly, when sunflower oil is disappearing fast from supermarket shelves, FAT-FREE!

The texture is just right: with enough heft to make it a substantial mouthful and enough air-iness to make it slightly dreamy. 

And the flavour!  The orange is just sublime, enhanced by essence of orange along with the fresh fruit.  Tasters stop in their tracks and marvel after the first bite.  

It's the kind of thing that guys like and women enjoy because it's so different from the usual.  It's sturdy enough to pack in a tin to slice at will during a long journey OR serve on arrival as the first holiday treat.

And it's also good for volunteers for local elections.

67 prefers a loaf tin - it's easier to serve in slices - but a 9in/23cm will also do.

But wherever and whenever it's eaten, 67 promises the cake will be unforgettable.  In the best way.  

Cost: £2.50'ish (3/24)

Makes: 1 good-sized loaf

Ingreds:

3 eggs

120g/4.2 oz sugar

zest & juice of 1 orange 

1 tsp orange essence (near the vanilla)

100g/3.6oz self-raising flour (80g white; 20g brown*)

  90g/3.2oz ground almonds

  10g/1/3oz shredded unsweetened coconut 

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cardamum (or ginger)

generous pinch of salt

Decorate with:

generous dusting of icing sugar OR

orange flavoured buttercream (with dairy free option)with or without finely chopped orange bits

 

Method:

PROTEINS & HEART HEALTH - SUMMARY TIMES 30/3/22 BY PETA BEE

67goingon50 summarises the  article on Proteins & Heart Health by Peta Bee in the Times on 30 Mar.
Notes from the Blogger

• There are two aspects to Peta Bee's article  

i. how a variety of proteins, not the type of proteins, reduces the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure)

ii. why minimum protein requirements rise after middle age 

• The Blogger has divided the article ,into section isolated the main points and simplified the language 
• Items in bold are the Blogger's emphasis, aimed at the blog's reader base of people of any age practicing graceful ageing

***
MAIN POINTS: ACCORDING TO RECENT RESEARCH, PROTEIN CHOICE CAN IMPROVE HEART HEALTH

• changing diet can cut the risk of hypertension
• a greater variety of protein is better for all-round health
• for best health, we need to vary types of protein as well as fruit and veg
• pea, hemp & other fashionable plant proteins may curb cravings and accelerate workouts but it's not enough for all round health

LATEST PUBLISHED RESEARCH: Southern Medical University China publ 3/22

• 18 year study of 12,200 men & women in their 40's
• assessed the links between the variety and quality of proteins from 8 major food sources and new-onset hypertension 
• the proteins were: unprocessed meat, processed red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, pulses, whole and refined grains

Results

•  findings published in the journal Hypertension showed more than a third of the total developed high blood pressure for the first time, including those who ate the most OR least amount of protein 
• but it also showed that those with the most varied intake, consuming at least 4 different types of protein, had a 66% percent lower risk of hypertension
• it isn't the amount of protein but the range that made the difference 
• Professor Xianhui Qin of Southern Medical University’s Nanfang Hospital's concluded: “... consuming a balanced diet with proteins from different sources, rather than focusing on a single source..., may help prevent the development of high blood pressure."