If you’ve never tried making vegetarian pate at home, it’s actually not very difficult at all and today I have a very simple recipe for you which comes from the book Whole Food Cooking Every Day (this has been kindly gifted to me).
To make red lentil pate, you will only need 4 main ingredients: red lentils, garlic, kombu and extra-virgin olive oil.
Kombu is not an ingredient which you will normally have at home but it’s something you can easily buy online from Amazon. In case you were wondering what kombu is, it’s a type of seaweed that is really good for you since it contains a variety of nutrients that are important for your health. It’s especially beneficial for vegetarians or vegans who are trying to get enough iodine in their diet.
Kombu adds an interesting flavour to all kind of dishes and once you start using it, it will become a staple ingredient in your kitchen very quickly.
If red lentils are not a staple ingredient for you just yet, you should change that very quickly! Red lentils are commonly used among vegetarians since they cook so quickly and you can make some lovely dishes with them such as red lentil soup and dahl. What’s more, they are rich in protein and also contain iron and other essential minerals and minerals. They are also gluten-free so perfect for coeliacs and those who prefer to avoid gluten for health reasons.
Without further ado, this red lentil pate is really healthy and once you make it you can keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days and have it daily as a snack or before your main meal of the day, as a starter. You can eat it with pitta bread or serve it with vegetable sticks. If you like to prepare your food in advance definitely make this on a Sunday so you have it ready for work and can then easily add it to your lunch box when you need to.
Red lentil pate is such a simple dish so you should absolutely give a try and see what you think. Here is a recipe excerpted from Whole Food Cooking Every Day by Amy Chaplin (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2019. Photographs by Anson Smart:
Red Lentil Pâté Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentils
(185 g)
- 1½ cup filtered water (360 ml)
- 1 2-inch (5 cm) piece of kombu
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil plus more for serving
- ⅓ tsp fine sea salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Put the lentils in a medium pot, cover them with tap water, swish them around with your fingers, and drain. Repeat and return the drained lentils to the pot. Add the filtered water, kombu, and garlic and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are soft and all the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and remove the kombu (compost it).
- Add the olive oil and salt and stir vigorously until the lentils and garlic are smooth and creamy. Drizzle with olive oil and serve warm or at room temperature. Store the cooled pâté in a jar or an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
About the book Whole Food Cooking Every Day
The book contains 250 vegetarian recipes which are all free of gluten, dairy and refined sugar. Some recipes are vegan, but not all as in some recipes eggs are used.
In the book, you will find an amazing selection of recipes which will inspire you to create vegetarian dishes you’ve never thought of before.
The recipes are categorised under the following sections:
- Chia Bircher Bowls
- Genius Whole-Grain Porridges
- Gluten-free Breads
- Nut and Seed Milks and Drinks
- Simple Compotes
- Nut, Seed and Coconut Butters
- Simple and Healing Soups
- Beans
- Vegetables: Land and Sea
- Dressings
- Sauces
- Baked Marinated Tempeh
- Cauliflower Bakes
- Seeded Crackers
- Chia Puddings
- Muffins
- Easy Cakes
- Seeded Bars
- Granola
- Waffles
Just to mention that some recipes require ingredients which may not be that easy to find but normally you should be able to find everything you need on Amazon.
Many recipes are quite simple and easy to make and there is a whole lot of information about food preparation and cooking methods. In the book, you will also find detailed information about certain ingredients and ideas on how to combine different dishes. It’s certainly a cookbook worth having in your collection if you are a vegetarian or like to eat mostly vegetarian foods.
You can buy Whole Food Cooking Every Day by Amy Chaplin directly on Amazon.