Mexican Green Soup

Here's another one from the Dock Kitchen Cookbook. It's full of green goodness. To turn your soup into a meal, add some diced skinless chicken breast in with the other ingredients to be fried.

2 red onions, roughly chopped (white ones are also OK)
3 sticks of celery roughly chopped including leaves if still on the stalks
2 garlic cloves chopped
2 large green or red chillies sliced thick
1 large pinch of oregano
1 tsp ground allspice
olive oil
chicken stock
Lots of greens (chard, spinach, kale whatever you have) approx. 1 kg
1 avocado sliced
bunch of cilantro chopped
lime wedges

Fry the onions, celery, garlic, oregano, allspice and sliced chillies in olive oil for about 10 minutes on a medium heat, stirring occasionally, then add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Once the broth is boiling, add all the shredded greens. Boil for five minutes. Serve in bowls with the sliced avocado and cilantro on top and lime wedges on the side.

Chicken (or duck) Livers with Six Spices and Pomegrnate Molasses

The Paleo diet is big on organ meats - but it can be hard to fit them into your cooking routine. Here is a recipe for chicken or duck livers which is so good and so easy, you can eat it every day. This recipe is a variation on one taken from Stevie Parle's Dock Kitchen Cookbook. n.b. The pomegrante molasses are essential to this dish. It should be available at ethnic markets, Whole Foods and yes, Buy-Rite Market. Everything else you can substitute such as corianger powder for coriander seeds if that is what you have on the shelf.

250 g chicken or duck liver
olive oil
1 1/2  tablespoons pomegranate molasses
coriander seeds
cumin seeds
ground all spice
ground cinnamon
ground cloves
nutmeg
salt and pepper

Heat a wide pan, season the chicken livers with salt then put a large splash of olive oil in the pan followed by the livers. Fry without touching them for a minute until browned on one side, then turn them all over and sprinkle with the six spices. Add the pomegranate moalsses, shake the pan, turn the livers again cook for another minute or two. Et voia! The livers should be medium firm and pink in the middle.

Twice-Cooked Mushrooms

This recipe comes from the Pre-Catelan restaurant in Paris. It is super easy and very delicious.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb mushrooms - any type. Regular button mushrooms are fine - cleaned and sliced
Salt and pepper
Garlic sliced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Add the mushrooms, season lightly with salt and pepper and saute just until they begin to give up their juices. About 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Drain in a colander and set aside. With a paper towel, wipe out the frying pan and add more olive oil over moderate heat.

3. Add the sliced garlic and stir for 1 minute. Return the mushrooms to the pan and cook for 2 minutes more.

4. Off the heat, sprinkle the mushrooms with the parsley. Season with fresh pepper and serve.