Vegetable Pate
Vegetable Pâté

Vegetable pate is one of our favorite spreads. It's great on crackers, and it makes a nice sandwich spread.

For a long time, I bought prepared pate - but only as a treat, because it's expensive. Now that my children are bigger, they can eat an entire box in one sitting!

I was shocked to find out how easy - and inexpensive - it is to make homemade pâté! Now that I have this easy recipe, we eat vegetable pate whenever we want!



Check that you have these staples at home

  • in the cupboard

    • garlic
    • tamari
    • olive oil
    • nutritional yeast
    • thyme

  • in the fridge or freezer

    • onions
    • sunflower seeds
    • flax seeds

Buy these fresh ingredients

  • white sweet potatoes

Get out your equipment

  • Essential

    • a food processor
    • a 9 x 13 " pan
    • a mixing bowl and spoon
    • a fork
    • measuring spoons and cups
    • a cutting board and sharp knife

  • Nice to have but not necessary

    • a silicone brush for oiling the pan
    • a spatula (if not, use the back of a spoon)
    • a Magic Bullet blender for grinding the flax seeds




    The recipe

    1 cup/250 mL sunflower seeds

    1/2 cup/125 mL nutritional yeast

    1/2 cup/125 mL flax seeds

    1 tsp/5 mL thyme

    1 large orange sweet potato

    1 small onion

    3 cloves garlic

    1/4 cup/60 mL tamari

    1/4 cup/60 mL olive oil

    Preheat oven to 350 F/175 C.

    Grease a 9" x 13" pan.

    Grind the flax seeds.

    In a mixing bowl, combine the sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, ground flax seeds, and thyme.
    Stir with a fork until well mixed.

    Peel the sweet potato.
    Chop the sweet potato, onion and garlic into smallish pieces.
    Place them in the food processor.
    Add the tamari and oil.
    Process until very well blended.

    Add the seed mixture to the food processor.
    Purée until the seeds have been reduced to small flecks.

    Transfer the mixture into the greased pan.
    Using a spatula, spread the mixture out evenly and smooth it flat.

    Bake until the top of the pâté looks dry, and the edges are brown and crispy (about an hour).



    Substitutions

    • Use an orange sweet potato in place of the white sweet potato. Or use a regular potato instead of a sweet potato.

    • Use soy sauce in place of the tamari.

    • Use another vegetable oil instead of olive oil.

    Ideas for making this recipe your own

    • Experiment with different seeds. How about using pumpkin seeds, or sesame seeds? Use them instead of or as well as the sunflower seeds and flax seeds. Just be sure that you have about 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) seeds in total.

    • Try using different spices instead of thyme. How about some oregano, or basil, or parsley, or tarragon?

    Tips

    • Nutritional yeast (also called "savory yeast") can be found in bulk at natural food stores. I use the flake variety, but the powder variety would work too. Don't confuse it with brewer's yeast - it's a completely different thing.

    • Of course, you use hulled seeds (without their shells)!

    • Storing seeds in the refrigerator keeps them fresh.

    • Grind the flax seeds with a blender, food processor, or coffee grinder. (I use my Magic Bullet blender.)

    • Baking time will vary. Start checking for doneness when you begin to smell a delicious aroma - or after 45 minutes at the latest.




    If you like this vegetable pate, you may also like these other easy spread recipes: