Rocket & Rose's Black Olive Pate with Deliciously Ella's Superfood Bread (vegan, gluten & yeast free!)

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Madonna ~ Erotica 
The Gossip ~ Keeping You Alive
Bon Jovi ~ You Give Love A Bad Name
Keith Urban ~ She's Gotta Be
ZZ Top ~ Gimme All Your Lovin'
John Lennon ~ (Just Like) Starting Over
Suzi Quatro ~ I've Never Been In Love
KORN ~ Burn The Obedient 
Joan Jett ~ Fetish
Jack Johnson ~ Fortunate Fool
Sara Sant'Ambrogio ~ Sonata Op 65: 1. Allegro Moderto
Depeche Mode ~ Higher Love
Queen ~ We Will Rock You
P!nk ~ Funhouse

*doing my happy dance from the kitchen, around the house and then finally crashing onto my office chair...but keeping my intensely large grin*  

The reason for this sudden burst of rampant happy filled dancing? Quite simply the gluten free, yeast free bread recipe I made this morning from DeliciouslyElla's blog. This goddesslike woman has created the most amazing gluten free recipes and earlier in the week I tested out the quinoa pizza crust and it was so good that it inspired me to keep testing the other recipes I had printed off of her site. Today was the turn of the Superfood Bread...

...now I admit I had begun to give up on ever enjoying a bread based food item again. I have tried many gluten free recipes both oven baked and in our bread machine and all were...awful. I dislike the sandy texture you get with many of the offerings out there. For the same reasons I dislike most shop bought gluten free products or they have eggs added to them..or a ton of junk that when reading through them I felt like my head was going to explode. Then I found out that I had an intolerance to yeast too...*sighs*...I then stopped trying to find a product as all vegan gluten free bread recipes seemed to rely heavily on yeast. Then I found Ella's blog....

I like Ella's recipes because they are simple recipes, with good healthy ingredients and they.....WORK! lol. The quinoa pizza was very much enjoyed and I can't begin to put into words just how much I enjoyed the Superfood Bread and for Ella's recipe click here! The bread is a good mix of nuts and seeds and I chose to use the buckwheat flour option although you could use brown rice flour instead. I also used psyllium husk powder for the first time. This loaf is laughingly simple to make and then after an hour of 'sitting' its goes into a moderate oven and 40 minutes later you have a great seedy loaf. The flavour is so good and almost reminiscent of my beloved wholemeal/granary loaves from the past. I loved it! Thank you once again Ella! (Update: It appears I forgot to add the herbs to my loaf but I didn't miss them until I was re-reading the recipe after writing this post...so just so you know..no herbs works fantastically as well)

Now as it is forever since I enjoyed a sandwich I knew I needed to create a new pate to spread on top of my slice. For some reason images of a creamy olive pate came to mind topped with a slice of a vine ripened tomato and some rocket leaves. Yes, my topping for my pizza also had a similar assembly but what can I say..I am a black olive, tomato and rocket addict. lol. That's why I chose the name of my blog...my love of Rocket leaves and white roses..lol. I digress...

This pate isn't as heady as full on olive tapenade and that is exactly what I wanted. I love olives but can find myself olived out with the tapenades. I chose to use a bean to add the creamy texture and my bean of choice is the humble Butterbean because I believe it gives a creaminess that the other white beans don't. However I suspect any white bean would work ok in this pate..choices is yours as ever folks. I also used garlic infused olive oil as I wanted subtle garlic rather than the raw hit. But if you need to reduce the oil...try using a small garlic clove..remove the centre core and then micro grate it into the processor. I also used the store cupboard ready-ground black pepper because I wanted the depth of flavour in this pate. After I had finished blending this pate together I made my final testing and was smiling all over the place...its been a good recipe day today. I love those days...lol. 

I've been creating in the kitchen whilst ML and our nephew Myles have been waging an epic war via Starwars...lol. The little guy came to stay over again last night after we share a great day out adventuring with him and his sisters. I love that he is still excited to stay over...

Ella's Superfood Bread open sandwiches, spread with R & R Black Olive Pate

Rocket & Roses Black Olive Pate    Makes 1 generous cup
(Original Recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen) 

1 14oz tin of butter beans, rinsed and drained
15 large black olives 
2 tbsp garlic infused olive oil
1/2 of lemon juice 
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
a good sprinkle of Himalayan salt (optional)

In the bowl of a food processor, place the beans and olives and pulse until they have broken down a lot. Then drizzle the oil and lemon juice and pulse quickly once again. Then sprinkle in the black pepper and Him/salt if using and then...be patient! Start to blend on a high speed and when necessary push it down from the sides. Process until a creamy texture has been reached. Sadly in my processor that takes about 15 minutes but hopefully it won't be as long for you. Then store in a container with an airtight lid in the fridge until ready to use. 

Assembly: 

Cut two slices from your Superfood Bread loaf....

Look at that seedy yummy goodness...

 
Slather your slices with the Black Olive Pate and then top with a slice of a vine-ripened tomato and some small rocket leaves. Then serve....

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Saturday is as fulfilling as mine has been so far....not to mention I hope you get the chance to do your happy dance too! lol

~Red~ 

NB: The Superfood Bread is not my creation and therefore I take no credit for it whatsoever. It is the hard work and creation of Ella@ DeliciouslyElla and hers alone. But thankyou once again Ella for a fantastic recipe...~R~

Isa & Terry's Chestnut & Lentil Pate

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Soundgarden ~ Taree
The Union ~ Siren's Song
Orianthi ~ Fire
Jem ~ On Top Of The World
Deep Dish ~ Flashdance 
Beth Rowley ~ Sweet Hours
Beth Hart ~ I'll Take Care Of You
Missy Higgins ~ All In My Head
Auf Der Maur ~ I Need I Want I Will
Faith No More ~ Ricochet
The Dodge Brothers ~ Churchhouse Blues
Mike Patton ~ Che Notte!
Jackson Browne ~ The Naked Ride Home
Nerina Pallot ~ Geek Love 

Can't silence be deafening? I've just had the most splendid day with my little nieces. I was just starting to make veggie lasagna for lunch when they arrived and in minutes they were strapped into their aprons and 'helping'. We had so much fun...and they only ate about half of the fillings and sauce..lol. I was so happy when Noo decided to start munching on raw broccoli and then decided to try orange and yellow peppers. She even had a side salad of them with her pasta. Happy, happy Auntie! It was an all round great day and I only wish my poor sister was getting some more sleep because she looked shattered. But they are now all gone and the house is silent once more...till next Saturday. So today's recipe...

I really enjoy a good pate and actively collect new recipes and create my own all the time. They are so versatile and I use them for sandwich fillings, toast toppers, jacket potato fillers, dips and also served inside salad veggies as a canape. I was flicking through my copy of Veganomican and this recipe caught my eye because I had two packets of vacuum packed chestnuts that were just on their sell by date. I always like a great pate in a tub in the fridge over the festive period so I have as little as possible to make. After all of the rich festive foods I enjoy a simple slice of toast with a spread of pate.  I have made one adaption to Isa's and Terry's original recipe...I used 2 tbsp garlic infused oil & 2 tbsp rapeseed/canola oil instead of their 1/4 cup of grapeseed. I just prefer the mellow garlic flavouring...and to be honest I forgot to add the fresh garlic to the cooking lentils..lol

The hardest part of this recipe is being patient whilst the lentils cook...lol. Then it's simply a matter of throwing everything in the processor and letting it do its magic. 

The pate is deeply satisfying and surprisingly light. No one ingredient overpowers the others and the flavour is rounded by the wholesome lentils and chestnuts. I've enjoyed it used as a canape, on toast and with salad in a sandwich. All were delicious...

Chestnut & Lentil Pate in Mini Pepper Boats

Chestnut & Lentil Pate (Adapted) Makes 2 cups of pate
(Recipe from Veganomican/Moskowitz/Romero)

1lb whole cooked chestnuts
1/2 cup french/puy lentils, rinsed and drained
2 1/3 cups of water for cooking lentils 
1/2 cup water for processing 
2 tbsp garlic infused oil
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1/4 tsp low sodium salt
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

In a small saucepan add the lentils and water, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes until lentils are tender. Drain well and then place in a processor with the chestnuts and blend a little. Then add the 1/2 cup of water and process until smooth. Add the oils, salt and parsley and blend again until smooth. If the mixture seems too thick add a little more water. It should be thicker than the consistency of hummus, by not by much. 

Place in a airtight container and store in the fridge until ready to use. 

Gratuitous foodie close up shot...cute little boats, eh? lol

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your DAY has been a fantastic one....

~Red~   

NB: This is not my recipe so therefore I take no credit for it's creation. I merely adapted the very excellent recipe by Terry Hope Romero and Isa Chandra Moskowitz and send thanks to them for the great cookbooks. ~R~  

 

Rocket and Roses Roasted Chestnut and Sprout Pate with Christmas Tree Toasts

Kitchen Play List: John & Yoko ~ Happy Xmas (War is Over)
                                     Wizard ~ I Wish It Could Be Christmas...
                                     Slade ~ Merry Christmas Everybody                 
                                     Tom Jones & Cerys ~ Baby It's Cold Outside
                                     Elton John ~ Step into Christmas
                                     Little Saint Nick ~ Beach Boys 

I was given a lovely bag of fresh Chestnuts last week and after the initial glow of receiving them, they sat in the bowl. And sat. I then decided to roast them by cutting a slit into the skins and roasting them on a baking sheet in the hottest oven for 25 minutes. And they still sat. Then I begged asked My Love nicely to shell them for me...2 hours later, I was not the most popular person in this house..let me tell ya! Ooops! And when it came to the mystery ingredient item this week I was reminded that I had the roasted chestnuts to use...well maybe not that politely...Ahem! lol So the Mystery Ingredient Challenge Item this week is Roasted Chestnuts ! Wehoo! Ahem..lol 



Wonderful..roasted chestnuts...what to do? lol Eat them! Not sure I would get away with that as a recipe and it would be a very short blog...Roast Nuts...Eat Them! Nope, I had to bring out the big guns and get creative. My mind wondered off to the chestnut recipe I dislike the most which is Chestnuts & Brussels Sprouts. I have lost count how many times I have been passed this dish at meals and been reassured that it's a 'real veggie' dish. Yes..if you don't cook them in animal fat and toss in bacon too! *sighs* But then, I don't really liked my veggies dressed in butter...it takes some patience to keep saying to family members, that veggies that have butter melted onto them is not vegan! But for me it's not a vegan issue..I have just never liked them smeared in anything. And I don't like gravy either. Vegan buttered veggies and veggie gravy is just lost on me. Thinking of beautiful succulent chestnuts and sprouts ruined in this dish is saddening to me. 


How could I make a dish using chestnuts and brussel sprouts, that wouldn't leave me disappointed, that the little round balls of yumminess hadn't just been left the heck alone? I was stumped for a while and pottered about doing other things. Then the idea started to form and I grabbed the chestnuts and brussels and got cracking. And before I knew it I had a full on Christmas dish coming together. 


I love a good pate especially if it isn't full of hidden ingredients. I like the veggies used to be the star of the show and I like something a little crunchy to schmear it on lol. As I was cooking the pate and scribbling the recipe down at the same time..lol I racked my brains for a simple cracker recipe to go with it. But after a frustrating while I gave in because nothing I could think of would give me the comforting perfect other half to this pate recipe. Until I looked at my wholemeal bread loaf and my Christmas cookie cutters that I had retrieved, ready to make Christmas Cookies with with the Little Ones on Saturday...and had one of those "Doh!.." moments. lol. It was so obvious that I couldn't see it. Why make crackers when the perfect crunch could come from wholemeal toast...cut into Christmas tree shapes! Marvelous. So I fired up the toaster and started the fun task of cutting out trees. And it worked so well I was grinning all over the place and having so much fun making this dish. lol. 

Obviously you can make the trees from Gluten Free bread and still have the same effect and the pate is naturally gluten free. This pate would be good with crudites too. 


The pate had a good texture...it looks wholesome...and tastes really, really good. The roasted chestnuts mixed with the brussel sprouts, onion, garlic and parsley have a savoury richness with a creaminess too. It has texture still from the chestnuts which aren't blitzed to dust and isn't too solid or too soft. It schmears well on the trees and tastes good warm and cold. It would work well as a starter, on a buffet or as a lunch. It makes a very sizeable portion and would easily look good in small pots for individuals or in a serving dish for many. 

I only wish I had some more roasted chestnuts to make this for Christmas but getting My Love to shell roasted chestnuts twice in one week may be pushing it! lol. I am very happy with the results of this recipe and I really hope you try it for yourselves...

Rocket and Roese Roasted Chestnut and Sprout Pate with Christmas Tree

Rocket and Roses Roasted Chestnut and Sprout Pate
(Original Recipe from the Rocket and Roses Vegan Kitchen)

1 tsp of rapeseed oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
4 oz brussel sprouts, roughly chopped
2 small garlic cloves, roughly chopped
6 oz roasted chestnuts, shelled
1 heaped tbsp of chopped fresh parsley
6 fl oz of boiling water
low sodium salt to season, to taste
3 fl oz of warm water

In a skillet heat the oil and saute the onion, sprouts and garlic for 10 minutes until softened. Add the parsley and stir well. Then add 4 fl oz of the boiling water, stir well and then cover and cook for a further 10 minutes until all veggies are very tender. Season with salt to your taste and stir well. Remove from the heat and set to one side. 

In a food processor blitz the peeled chestnuts until they are of a crumb like size. It took my processor a few minutes to get them to this point. Then add the remaining 2fl oz of boiling water whilst the motor running and allow the water to blend well with the chestnuts. You don't want a puree! Just enough to soften. Leave for a few minutes for the chestnuts to absorb the water. 

This is the time when I started to toast the wholemeal bread and have fun cutting out the Christmas trees...leave to cool on kitchen towel to avoid them going soft. But the shape or use of toast is entirely your choice. ~R~  

Spoon the onion/sprout mixture into the food processor and begin to pulse the two mixes together. This will take a few moments to get going and a little spatula work. Then add the 3 fl oz warm water to the mix as the motor is running and process for another couple of minutes. 

The texture should be 'wholegrain mustardy' and then store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve. Reheat in the microwave if serving warm...or enjoy at room temperature.  If serving in individual pots and warm for a starter spoon into ovenproof pate pots, cover with foil and warm through in a moderate hot oven. 

I couldn't get the angle right on this shot and this is the best of them..lol But I just wanted to show how the serving platter looks with the pate, tree toasts and some parsley greenage. ~R~

Enjoy! We have...
~R~

Rocket and Roses Roasted Cauliflower, Roasted Garlic & Butter Bean Pate/Spread

Kitchen Play List: Whitesnake ~ Here I Go Again
                                     Chris Cornell ~ Safe and Sound
                                     Pixie Lott ~ Cry Me Out
                                     Nicola Benedetti ~ Rondo Capriccioso
                                     Dinah Washington ~ What a Difference..
                                     Tina Arena ~ Chains
                                     
Some people get lovely bunches of flowers...but I get lovely bags of cauliflowers...8 to be exact! lol. But they were as welcome as any cut flower. So I chopped 6 of them into chunks, spread them out over two large baking sheets, drizzled them with the tiniest amount of rapeseed oil and put them in a hot oven to roast. And when they were done I made three recipes with them. All my own recipes...one soup..one sauce and this pate. I call it pate because it's rich and dense and it would also make a very good sandwich filling and baked potato filling. (Potato filling I can confirm as we had some with a baked potato yesterday! ~R~) 


Sometimes recipes just come to me in a flash and I have to scramble to find paper and a pen and jot it down. This happened with this pate..thankfully I was sat at my desk whilst staring at the bags of cauliflowers. lol. I threw a couple of unpeeled garlic cloves on to one of the roasting trays and I drained off a tin of butter beans. It was that simple for this recipe.

Rocket and Roses Roasted Cauliflower, Roasted Garlic and Butter Bean Pate ~ Tastes good on pumpernickel bread too!

Rocket and Roses Roasted Cauliflower, Roasted Garlic 
& Butterbean Pate 
(Original recipe from the Rocket and Roses Vegan Kitchen)

1lb roasted cauliflower chunks
1 14oz tin of butter beans, rinsed and drained
2 large garlic cloves, roasted 
salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

In the bowl of a processor place the butterbeans and pulse a few times to break them down a little. Then add the cauliflower and cut open the garlic and squeeze the creamy centres into the mix. Season with a pinch of salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Store in a airtight container in the fridge until needed. 

Enjoy! 
~R~  

Smokey French Lentil Pate with crostini

Kitchen Play List:  Bruce Springsteen ~ Glory Days
                                      Chris Cornell ~ Ghosts
                                      Danny Kaye & Jimmy Young ~ No Two People
                                      Def Leppard ~ Animal
                                      Guns & Roses ~ Paradise City
                                      Enrique Iglesias ~ Love to See You Cry

Last night I cooked a meal for two good pals, J & S, a belated birthday celebration for S's birthday...turns out it was his 60th...sneaky one kept that quiet. I enjoy cooking for them and we take the opportunity to have a good catch up. S's birthday was actually back in April but due to the lurgy we weren't able to celebrate with him. 

I usually cook us something spicy and almost always an Indian banquet...but this time I wanted to do something a little different. My Love suggested the Courgette Lattice Flan from A Vegan Taste of France...great idea. So with the main course sorted I arranged the menu around a French theme. I wanted a starter as I was planning on spoiling S last night. But nothing was really coming together so I made a random search online and this pate was the first recipe that came up. It was posted on an blog which seemed to be a dead blog now as no postings had been done for 18 months. The blog was Vivacious Vegan. 

I love french lentils which are the main ingredient in this pate but I'm not the biggest 'smoked' fan.  As I was cooking the onion and garlic mixture which is where the smoked paprika is added I was overwhelmed by the smokiness and I did worry that I wouldn't be able to eat it. 

It was very easy to put together and the crostini take ten minutes in a hot oven. And as it's all served cold you could easily make this the day before to save you time on the day. 

It's not the most attractive dish...but the flavour is amazing! Yes..I loved it..we all did and there was competely empty pots and plates. I'm looking forward to having the leftovers (that didn't fit in the pots!) for my lunch today. Thank you Vivacious Vegan...

Smokey French Lentil Pate

Smokey French Lentil Pate 6 servings
(Recipe from Vivacious Vegan blog)


1 cup of french lentils (green lentils)
1 bayleaf
2 cups of water or  veggie stock (I used stock ~R~) 
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 glass of red wine (70ml)
2 tbsp shoyu (I used tamari ~R~)
Salt and pepper to season
1 tsp olive oil
Olive to drizzle

Bring the lentils and bayleaf to a boil in the stock or water. Reduce to a simmer and cook the lentils with the lid on the pot until all the liquid is absorbed. (I needed to add a little more hot water to the pot as the lentils were still on the hard side...~R~)

Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic until soft in the tsp of olive oil. Add the thyme, paprika, wine, mustard and shoyu and stir until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the onion mixture to the cooked lentils and puree with a stick blender or food processor until very smooth. Season with the salt and pepper. 

Serve the pate in a ramekin with a thin layer of olive oil drizzled over the top and lots of fancy crackers or crostini. Ooh lala! 

NB: Crostini is simple to make, slice a baguette into small slices and then place on a baking sheets covered with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 350'F/180'C/Gas Mark 4. For ten minutes and then leave to cool...you have crostini! lol. 

Smokey French Lentil Pate with Crostini starter...

Enjoy! 

~R~

 

Butter Bean Pate

Kitchen Play List:   Jonny Nash ~ I Can See Clearly Now
                               Evanescence ~ My Immortal
                               Sammy Davis Jr ~ Too Close For Comfort
                               Jack Johnson ~ Sitting, waiting, Wishing
                               Rufus Wainwright ~ Hallelujah
                               P. Diddy ~ Tell Me
                               Sheryl Crow ~ C'mon, C'mon

I have had a very busy weekend which has been great fun but left me very much behind with my cooking and blogging..so please forgive my tardiness. lol. I needed to catch up on my salad topping and soup making for the week. And as I had a large tub of freshly pressure cooked Butter Beans in the fridge it seemed only right that I start with them.

I found this recipe on the BBC Goodfood website. It looked like the creamy topping that I had in mind for my salad today. And it was so easy to make. I have to admit that it does look like creamy mashed potatoes in the photos. lol.

 Butter Bean Pate 
(Recipe from BBC Goodfood)


8oz Butter Beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 lemon, grated rind and juice
1 sm garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped (I used 1/2 tsp dried)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp water
salt and black pepper to season, to taste

Place all of the ingredients into a blender or processor and blitz until smooth and creamy, adding very small amounts of water if needed. 

Enjoy!  

Rocket and Roses Roasted Parsnip Pate

Kitchen Play List:       Sara Sant'Ambrogio/Cellist ~ Dreaming Album

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

 

Red Lentil Pate

Kitchen Playlist - Maroon 5 ~ It Won't Be Soon Before Long Album

I would never take credit for anyone else's work  or creation and I always give credit  where its due. But I truly  do not have any idea where this recipe originated. I found it on an American website posted by Anon. But whoever they are...Thank you. I use this pate as a topping for salad, for a sandwich filling, on crackers or toast. It has so many uses. It also looks great as part of a buffet. So it you have a vegetarian or vegan coming to an event and you are trying to work out what to provide for them...try this. I promise it wouldn't disappoint.  Unless they dislike fennel?  Then  it may not be so good. lol. It makes quite a large pate. I make mine and leave it to set in a large rectangle pyrex dish that has a lid.  Then it sits in the fridge and keeps for up to a week. For a buffet I line a loaf tin with cling film and then fill with the mixture and leave it to set then simply unmold it and gently take off the cling film and add simple but elegant garnish. But please make sure its had the maximum setting time. Lol. 

Red Lentil Pate 
(original recipe by Anon)

1 1/2 cups finely diced onions (2 1/2 med-lrg onions)
1 cup finely diced shallots (10 small round shallots)
2 tsp Rotino Healthier Cooking oil or oil of choice
1 tsp Fennel seeds, gently crushed in a mortor 
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup veggie broth or water
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups of red lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 bayleaf
freshly ground black pepper to season 

If molding in a loaf tin. line with cling film and set aside. Or ready your dish of choice.

In a large heavy pot, heat the oil and then add the onions and shallots. Saute for 8 minutes until the onions and shallots begin to brown. Stir in the fennel, thyme, garlic, and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds. Add the broth and scrape up any browned bits sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook until most of the broth evaporates, approx 30 seconds.

Add the water. lentils and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Season with pepper and continue cooking until the lentils have melted into a coarse puree. You may need to add a little bit more water at this stage. I usually have a small cup of water next to the pan whilst the lentils cook out. But I can't stress enough...do not add alot of extra liquid. You will need to keep a close eye on it at this time. 
Cook for approx 15 minutes longer. Remove the bayleaf and re-season with pepper. 

Stir well, mashing down any whole lentils against the side of the pan. If the puree is still quite loose then cook out without a cover for another 5 minutes. Keeping a constant eye on it. It should thicken quickly. 

Pour the puree into your pyrex dish or loaf pan. Smooth the mixture over. Leave to cool down to room temperature. Then cover and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours before eating. 

If i'm serving this at a function I leave it to set overnight. Just to be safe! lol