Carol chopped 20 lb of yellow onions and didn't cry at all. Shirley chopped a pound of green onions and cried like a baby. Lori washed and chopped leeks and shallots and herbs and goodness knows what else. Shirley sliced potatoes and goodness knows what else. Janet cracked hundreds of eggs and a bunch of jokes and measured and mixed for hours.
I made 6 Lentil Pâtés as the main protein for our gluten-free and vegetarian friends. They loved it. So did the carnivores!
This Lentil Pâté is a delicious, inexpensive, easy to cook, vegan, gluten-free, protein- and iron-rich appetizer!
I garnished it with pomegranate seeds for fun and brightness and a zesty crunch ... if pomegranates are not in season a sprinkling of finely chopped red and/or orange and/or yellow bell peppers will do the trick.
The follow recipe will make one small-ish 'loaf.'
- 1 cup green lentils
- 1 can coconut milk + ½ can water
- 4 oz onion - diced
- ½ oz fresh garlic – roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- ½ oz fresh finely chopped ginger
- ¼ tsp mustard seed
- 2 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Melt the onion and garlic in the oil for 5-10 minutes - until translucent and light brown.
Add the ginger and mustard seed and heat for a minute or two – until the room starts to perk up!
Add the garam masala and turmeric and stir for another minute.
Add the lentils, the coconut milk and the water.
Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring from time to time to make sure they aren't sticking. Add a little more water if it gets too thick.
Once the lentils are cooked through (are nice and soft) turn off the heat and cool.
Throw into the food processor with the salt and the lemon juice and pulse well but don't overdo it.
Pack into a bread/loaf pan that has been lined with saran wrap. If it ends up too thin to set into a ‘loaf’ scrape into a bowl and serve as a dip!
Let it chill in the fridge for a good 12-48 hours or longer.
Turn out and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds
Serve with pita bread or chips or any kind of veggie cruditées etc.
Add the ginger and mustard seed and heat for a minute or two – until the room starts to perk up!
Add the garam masala and turmeric and stir for another minute.
Add the lentils, the coconut milk and the water.
Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring from time to time to make sure they aren't sticking. Add a little more water if it gets too thick.
Once the lentils are cooked through (are nice and soft) turn off the heat and cool.
Throw into the food processor with the salt and the lemon juice and pulse well but don't overdo it.
Pack into a bread/loaf pan that has been lined with saran wrap. If it ends up too thin to set into a ‘loaf’ scrape into a bowl and serve as a dip!
Let it chill in the fridge for a good 12-48 hours or longer.
Turn out and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds
Serve with pita bread or chips or any kind of veggie cruditées etc.
A few words about lentils
Lentils come in all colors and sizes, from orange and green to brown and even black. I get mine from the Indian Supermarket where there's a plethora of choices. I have yet to cook the black ones but am dying to try them out.Lentils shouldn't be cooked with salt as this can mysteriously stop them from cooking all the way through. I don't like my lentils al dente so I add the salt right at the end.
Orange lentils are great for soups - they cook fairly quickly and make a delicious winter soup with lots of seasonal veggies. They are also great for thickening and adding flavor and color to any soup - I add 'em at the beginning so that they break down and become a background 'note.'
Lori and Shirley brought some Yellow Lentils back from Turkey and I used the last of them in a soup that I made with a base of rich turkey (!) stock and mostly yellow or orange vegetables: carrots, squash, corn - and potatoes. I brightened it at the end with a huge handful of chopped parsley and garlic chives.
The little round, dark green lentils (the French Lentils de Puy) are brilliant as a side dish with any kind of meat. Cook them with as much butter as you dare and some finely chopped onion and garlic. Add a little thyme for flavor. Once they are cooked add salt to taste. I sometimes add carrots as well - cubed small. I add them 10-15 minutes before the lentils are finished cooking so they don't turn to mush. At other times I will cook these divine little lentils with olive oil (instead of butter), onion, garlic and half a Moroccan preserved lemon chopped fine with some Harissa for a spicy 'North African' treat!
Mass catering note!
For the intrepid who are cooking for a party here are the quantities for 6 large 'loafs'. They fed 230 people with only one loaf left over. Of course there was lots of other food on the table - this was one of 8 or 9 appetizers. These amounts made a subtler version than the one above - it wasn't quite as spicy. I would add more ginger and garam masala next time.
- 8 cups lentils
- 32 oz. diced onion
- 4 oz. chopped garlic
- 2 oz. chopped ginger
- 2 tsp. mustard seeds
- 3 tbsp. garam masala
- 2 tsp. turmeric
- 3 cans coconut milk
- 1 ½ cans water
- 3 tbsp salt
- 6 tbsp lemon
Shopping note!
In Gainesville my favorite Indian supermarket is the one on 34th and Archer (next to Goodwill). They have a fantastic variety of grains and beans and lentils and spices and the owner and his son are always happy to weigh in on recipes: http://www.yelp.com/biz/india-bazaar-gainesville
In Gainesville my favorite Indian supermarket is the one on 34th and Archer (next to Goodwill). They have a fantastic variety of grains and beans and lentils and spices and the owner and his son are always happy to weigh in on recipes: http://www.yelp.com/biz/india-bazaar-gainesville
I get preservative-free coconut milk from the Citizen's Co-op: http://www.citizensco-op.com/http://www.citizensco-op.com/
India
Bazaar is a popular Indian restaurant or grocery store serving Indian
food and is located at 3314 Southwest 35th Blvd , Gainesville, 32608,
USA - United States of America | 352.271.7571 - See more at:
http://www.indianfoodsguide.com/indian-food-guide/indian-grocery-stores/united-states/florida/gainesville/india-bazaar-.html#sthash.1w57CBmY.dpuf
India
Bazaar is a popular Indian restaurant or grocery store serving Indian
food and is located at 3314 Southwest 35th Blvd , Gainesville, 32608,
USA - United States of America | 352.271.7571 - See more at:
http://www.indianfoodsguide.com/indian-food-guide/indian-grocery-stores/united-states/florida/gainesville/india-bazaar-.html#sthash.1w57CBmY.dpuf
