Roasted Parsnips are a firm favourite in this house. And for that reason we have them rarely as a treat. lol In fact any roasted starches are garanteed to bring a smile to our faces. Potatoes, sweet potato, carrots and beetroot are all fantastic in flavour. Many years ago I was lucky enough to experience a taste sensation in the form of parsnip pate. Only later to find it was packed full of egg white and other things that I wouldn't choose to eat. And I believed that I could maybe make a vegan version but just never found that roasted parsnips stayed around long enough to try it! lol. Last week I had a couple of large bags of them to play with so I set about making this pate.
The result was a rich and indulgent pate. It was delicious warm or cold and lasted for up to seven days stored in the fridge. We ate it with bread and on hot toast and it was very hard to eat it in moderation! lol. And although I haven't tried it, I think it would also freeze very well to make ahead of time for a special occasion.
Rocket and Roses Roasted Parsnip Pate Makes 2 cups
(Original Recipe from the Rocket and Roses Vegan Kitchen)
8oz peeled and quartered Parsnips (peeled weight)
6oz peeled and quartered Carrots (peeled weight)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 14oz tin of Butter Beans, rinsed and drained
1 oz vegan white cheeze, grated
1 tbsp sunflower oil, to saute
2 tbsp sunflower oil, to roast
Pinch of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pre-heat the oven to 350'C/180'F/Gas Mark 4. In a shallow baking dish place the prepared parsnips and carrots and drizzle over the oil and toss to ensure the veggies are covered. Then place on the middle shelf of the oven and roast for approx 45 minutes. Flip the parsnips and carrots a couple of times during the roasting. Remove from the oven when they are soft in the centre and golden and lightly roasted on the outside. Leave to cool on a trivet.
In a medium skillet heat the oil and gently saute the minced garlic until it is fragrant and golden. Do not let it burn as it will just taste bitter. Add the drained Butter Beans to the skillet and saute for 2 minutes. Making sure to keep the contents moving to avoid the garlic catching. Turn off the heat and sprinkle the cheeze over the beans and garlic. Add the parsnips and carrots to the skillet and leave to cool.
In a food processor with the blade attachment place the contents of the skillet. Pulse the ingredients for a minute to get them to break down. With a spatula press down the mix and then process until smooth. It will start to almost form a dough. At this point scoop it out and into 2 ramekins or a container for storage. If refrigerating place the pate in the fridge at this point. If wanting to serve the pate warm place the ramekins into the oven at 350'C/18o'F/Gas Mark 4 for 20 minutes. Then serve.
Happy eating! Red
