I’m feeling weird, at the start of #SaLockDown 35 days ago I wasn’t sure how I was going to navigate my days. I decided at the get-go to have a routine and a purpose. I walk my doggie, Kenzi every day. She needed to be cared for along with my need to be exercised. I do this to keep a healthy perspective on life. It’s free and easy to do. I never for 1 millisecond ever thought this could be taken away from me. Considering my lack of options, I decided to turn our garden into our gym, complete with a ball throwing area for Kenzi. I set up a 30 min routine with music and I invited Brian to join me too. We signed in every day and this is how we took control of our otherwise very different landscape. 23.5hours left now what, I asked scratching my head. I love to cook. Yes yes let’s share our daily meal on my Fresh Kitchen Facebook page. I have to say I’m so grateful for this purpose in my day. I started every morning on my couch, surrounded by my cook books and a question ” what do you feel like eating today?”. When I read this I realize how very fortunate we are. Millions of people in South Africa do not have a choice. They wake up to what’s available, if anything at all. I’m stuck here writing this. How can I make a difference. There’s a small kernel of an idea germinating. For now, let me share our last meal in #SALOCKDOWN. Tomorrow is a new day, we are all expecting #Level4. Tomorrow I will set new expectations for our next level of lock down. Cheers to ever person who has followed my page so far. Thank you for the encouragement and love. I didn’t know what to do but I like to cook and I have enjoyed sharing with you. Today’s post is a request from an enthusiastic fan on what to do with chicken liver. I’m not a fan of offal, in fact I think it’s awful. I will however, consider chicken liver as an option because I do like chicken liver patè. A couple of years ago we traveled through Plettenberg Bay and we stopped for a while to enjoy lunch at Cornutti’s. They made a chicken liver salad. It’s a food memory for me that is embedded in my mind whenever I think of chicken livers. I also think of Durban and the first time I enjoyed chicken livers peri-peri about sixty hundred and fifty seven years ago. Here’s a combination of those two memories with my own flavour thrown in for good measure. Enjoy. Cheers I love you

Chicken Livers Peri-Peri

Ingredients

Bulgar wheat
50g butter
tomato paste
spinach
olive oil

Instructions

Simple ingredients - if you are going to have chicken liver make sure they are the very best. Honestly only organic. These came from Nahoon Beach Rd Spar. They were a beautiful colour and didn't look like they had cirrhosis.
I love Bulgar wheat. It's completely underrated and a good alternative to rice and potatoes which I grew up on. Add 1 cup of Bulgar wheat to the pot along with 600ml water.
Add 5ml salt place on boil with lid on pot for 15 min until water has absorbed into wheat. Turn heat off a leave until ready to use.
In a pan add 50g butter.
Melt butter and when sizzling add 1 onion finely chopped. Cook until translucent
Add 4 cloves garlic and 2 chillis finely chopped. Cook for 2 min
Add 125ml white wine. Cook until reduced by half
Back to Bulgar wheat - zest 1 lemon into wheat
Juice 1/2 lemon add to onion and wine mix
Add 1/4 cup tomato paste to onion pan along with lemon juice
Add heaped 1/4 cup of double fat yogurt to tomato onions
Get plates ready - shred 4-6 spinach leaves between 2 plates
Toss pine nuts into pan and dry fry until golden
Add 2 Tbls of pine nuts to zesty bulgar wheat
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until ready to serve
The next step is quick. Get every one ready at the table. Melt 2 Tbls of coconut oil in microwave. To a bowl add salt and pepper along with 1 tsp of Portuguese chicken spice. Add the coconut oil to spice bowl
Cut the chicken liver into bite size pieces. Remove any dark and bloody, stringy bits. Dry on absorbent paper. Toss into coconut oil mix
Heat pan to HOT. ADD chicken livers and turn after 2-3 min. Do not move them around too much. Be careful of hot oil splatters.
Remove from hot pan into peri-peri sauce.
Cook for 1 min to mix peri peri sauce with livers
Place a pile of Bulgar wheat onto plate
Place chicken livers peri-peri on top of wheat. Sprinkle with 2 chopped tomatoes and torn basil leaves
Add a few extra toasted pine nuts
Serve with a nice white wine