Lentil Mushroom Walnut Pate: Savory Bean-Meat Swaps

Lentil Mushroom Walnut Pate: Savory Bean-Meat Swaps

by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

Lentil Mushroom Walnut Pate: Savory Bean-Meat Swaps

Lentil pink peppercorn pateSwapping out a meat-based ingredient for a plant-based one is a balancing act of texture, taste qualities (like umami) and flavors from aromatic compounds. Particularly with liver—can you think of any plant that tastes or smells like it? Please let me know if you do.

Liver is a cheap ingredient that many cultures embrace and adore but can be an acquired taste due to its strong odors, unique and sometimes metallic flavors and texture challenges. My first whiff of liver was thanks to my childhood friend Mary whose father regularly cooked the beef version as a breakfast “treat” on his favorite cast-iron pan.

I dreaded being asked to try it, but never was asked. I didn’t taste liver until I lived in Paris, where you were expected to appreciate pâté.

Pâté commonly uses chicken liver which has distinct poultry flavors, but this umami-rich lentil version is popular at parties among traditional pâté-lovers and non-meat eaters. Walnuts and mushrooms add texture and savory notes (particularly umami from plant-based glutamate). Cornichons and lemon add brightness, cayenne gives a hint of eat, Madeira offers a soupçon of sweet and pink peppercorns surprise with complex flavors like resin.

Lentil Mushroom Walnut Pâté

Makes nearly 2 ¾ cups

Pate Ingredients

¾ cup dried green lentils (if using cooked about 2 cups)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup walnut pieces (about 5 ounces), toasted
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari
1 teaspoon fresh minced thyme
few pinches cayenne pepper (less than ⅛ teaspoon)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
12-14 (about 10 ounces) medium-sized cremini mushrooms
¼ teaspoon salt
1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon Madeira or marsala
8-10 cornichons, diced fine (about 3 tablespoons)
1 ½ teaspoons pink peppercorns, lightly crushed

Prep Steps

  1. Check lentils for debris, put in pot, add 3 cups water and the salt. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to maintain a rapid simmer for 20-24 minutes or until lentils are tender (more tender than if using in a salad). Drain well in a colander to remove excess water. This can be done a day in advance.
  2. Toast walnuts in a skillet. Add walnuts, lentils, lemon juice, tamari, thyme and cayenne to a blender.
  3. Clean and dry mushrooms and cut into 1/4”-1/2” thick slices. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add mushrooms and sprinkle with the salt. Cook without stirring until browned on one side (about 6-8 minutes), toss them and cook 4-6 more minutes. Add to blender.
  4. Reduce heat to medium, add remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet then the onions and garlic, cook 4-6 minutes. Add madeira and sweat the onions about 6 more minutes or until onions are soft and liquids have evaporated. Add to blender and process pâté until smooth.
  5. Scrape mixture into a mixing bowl. Mix in one teaspoon of peppercorns and 2 tablespoons of cornichons. Use remaining ½ teaspoon of peppercorns and tablespoon of cornichons as garnish. Refrigerate until use, keep for 7 days in the refrigerator or freeze for a couple months.

Pate Serving Options

1. Serve pâté with crostini, baguette slices, toasts, crackers or on slices of cucumber.
2.It also works as a sandwich spread or a filling to stuff cherry tomatoes.

Other Veggie-Meat Swaps

Try this other savory use of walnuts to mimic meaty-umami flavors in my walnut, mushroom ragout.

    About Me

    The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
    Michele Redmond

    Michele Redmond

    French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

    It's about Making Food First

    Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

    Quick Pickled Leeks with Lime

    Quick Pickled Leeks with Lime

    by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

    Quick Pickled Leeks with Lime

    Leeks are versatile, but most often, are cooked until soft or used as an aromatic veggie in stocks. This recipe for pickled leeks lets them maintain a fresh texture and flavor. In less than 10 minutes, hands-on, you have a versatile, delicious garnish and ingredient for multiple dishes.

    Many recipes for pickled leeks combine two acids, a vinegar and a citrus, typically lemon. In this recipe, lime is a perky final touch that pairs well with starch-buttery leeks. A hint of heat from garlic and mustard seed doesn’t suck either.

     Pickled leeks with lime

    Ingredients

    2 leeks, each about 1½ in diameter
    1 cup water
    3/4 cup champagne or white wine vinegar
    1 teaspoon fine sea salt
    2 teaspoons sugar
    3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
    ½ teaspoon yellow mustard seed
    3 sprigs fresh thyme
    3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (one large-sized lime)

    Steps:

    1. If the leeks are not trimmed, remove outer, tougher stalks, slice the root ends off and cut each stalk lengthwise in half. Under running water, fan the leek layers under running water or swish the halves in a bowl of water. Take each half and slice into moon-shapes about 1/4-inch thick (about 4 cups leeks when done.) Add to a pickling jar, glass or ceramic container.
    2. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the water, vinegar, salt, sugar, garlic and mustard seed. Bring to a boil and add thyme. Remove saucepan from heat and leave for 4-5 minutes or until you can discern a hint of thyme when tasting. Add the lime juice.
    3. Remove the thyme from the pickling juice then pour juice over leeks. Press leeks so the liquid just covers them. Add a couple tablespoons of water if needed and stir into leeks.
    4. Cool pickled leeks in the refrigerator uncovered, but cover when cooled to store. Since this is a fast pickle and not one done with long-term preserving methods, you can only keep in the refrigerator up to two weeks, but they won’t last that long!

    For more information on using leeks, their most excellent nutrient profile, why they work so well in stocks and how they star on their own in a dish, check out my article in Food and Nutrition Magazine on leeks.

    Pickled Leek Serving Options:

    Legumes and Veggies: use as a garnish on grilled vegetables and add to bean salads
    Grains: use an ingredient in grain or pasta salads to add textural interest and flavor contrasts
    Poultry: use in omelets, scrambled eggs, chicken salad and to garnish roasted poultry
    Cheese and sausage: serve as a condiment

     

      About Me

      The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
      Michele Redmond

      Michele Redmond

      French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

      It's about Making Food First

      Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

      Meaty Walnut Mushroom Ragout: Flex Your Meatless Options

      Meaty Walnut Mushroom Ragout: Flex Your Meatless Options

      by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

      Meaty Walnut Mushroom Ragout: Flex Your Meatless Options

      Walnut Mushroom Ragout (Ragoût, for zee French appetite)

      This walnut mushroom ragout (pronounced like the Italian Ragù) is a veggie and meat-eater favorite that delivers a ground-meat texture and umami-meaty flavor from toasted walnuts. Walnuts are high in umami flavors from free glutamate, the amino acid primarily responsible for savory, brothy, meaty flavors. They’re also high in omega-3 fatty acids that most of us struggle to get into our diet in meaningful amounts and, as a nut, walnuts uniquely are an excellent source of the plant-based form alpha-linolenic acid.

      walnut mushroom ragoutDon’t let the nutrient-rich profile and French name fool you into thinking this is a fancy health food; ragout is your basic comfort food. A French ragoût can have any range of vegetable or meat ingredients, but an Italian ragù, with the same sounding name and diverse applications, is traditionally meat-centric.

      From the French verb ragoûter, meaning to “refresh or stimulate the appetite” (the noun goût means taste) .

      Combined with common ragoût ingredients such as tomatoes and mushrooms, it’s a crave-worthy dish that complements polenta, pasta or rice and can mimic ground meat in some dishes. By making a few additions, like adding vegetables common to bolognese or spices common to sloppy joes, this dish can flex in multiple directions.

      I first demonstrated this dish at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris as part of a plant-based class on using plant-based umami to make veggies more crave-worthy.  It also showcased at the national Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in Chicago to highlight how to create vegan meals that omnivores, and everyone, will love.

      Walnut Mushroom Ragout Ingredients

      1 ½ cup (about 3.5 ounces) unsalted walnut pieces
      1 pound cremini mushrooms (white button can substitute okay)
      ¼ teaspoon salt
      2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
      3 tablespoons tomato paste
      1 medium yellow onion, diced fine (about 2 cups)
      2 medium-sized cloves garlic, minced or grated (about 2 teaspoons)
      ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
      1 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
      1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari
      6-8 sprigs fresh thyme, minced (about 1 teaspoon)

      Steps

      1. Heat walnuts in a skillet over medium heat, tossing frequently for 3-5 minutes until toasted. Pour into a food processor and pulse or chop by hand until resembling ground meat.

      walnut mushroom ragout prep

      2. Rinse the mushrooms to remove any dirt. Keep stems, but slice of any ends that may have trapped dirt or debris. Slice mushrooms ½” thick. Put in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Stir and microwave another two minutes.

      3. Heat a large skillet over a medium-high heat and use a slotted spoon remove the mushrooms into the skillet, keep the mushroom liquid. Sprinkle on the salt and cook mushrooms without stirring. Once start to dry out (about five minutes), add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss mushrooms. When mushrooms closest to the pan surface are brown (about 8-10 minutes) stir or toss, cook 2-4 minutes longer then pour into a bowl.

      4.Add to the still warm skillet the remaining tablespoon of oil and tomato paste. Reduce the heat to medium, stir to cook the paste for 2-3 minutes.

      5. Add the onion, garlic, smoked paprika, walnuts and mushrooms. Stir and cook 2-3 minutes. Add wine, tamari and mushroom liquid, cook until walnuts are tender and liquids are absorbed but the mixture is still moist (20-25 minutes). Stir in minced thyme. Season with salt if needed. If desired, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil for additional rich, supple textures.

      walnut mushroom ragout prep | Thetasteworkshop.com

      Walnut Mushroom Ragout Serving Options

       

      walnut mushroom ragout

      Serve with polenta, rice, pasta and baked potatoes or add as a meat substitute for stews or turn into sloppy joes by adding classic sloppy joe spices and ingredients like bell peppers.

      Walnut Storage Tips:  Because of the luscious nature of walnuts (lovely fat qualities), store in the refrigerator if using soon or the freezer if they won’t be used for a month or more.

      More info here at https://walnuts.org/how-to/how-to-buy-care/

       

        About Me

        The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
        Michele Redmond

        Michele Redmond

        French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

        It's about Making Food First

        Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

        Chickpea Corn Cakes: Crave-worthy Carbs

        Chickpea Corn Cakes: Crave-worthy Carbs

        by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

        Chickpea Corn Cakes: Crave-worthy Carbs

        chickpea corn cakes top

        If you enjoy crunchy, sweet summer corn and savory, nutty chickpea flavors and a fast, easy recipe, continue. However, I feel compelled to defend corn just in case with this comment:

        Carby chickpea corn cakes cause carb-avoiders cringe-worthy concerns, or conversely, conscious cravings. Now breathe.

         

        Corn often gets dissed as low-nutrient, high-starch food, but this oversimplifies corn’s dietary profile.

        chickpea corn cakes

        Instead corn’s a good source of fiber, micronutrients and minerals that connect to health benefits.

        As for corn cravings, sweet corn is a comfort food that connects us to summer and chowing down on a cob is just plain fun. Corn’s also a good source of umami offering savory, meaty flavors.

         

        The Chickpea Ingredient

        The chickpea in this recipe is from chickpea flour (besan or gram flour), a nutrient-rich, gluten-free flour. In these egg-free corn cakes, the sticky bean flour is a primary binding agent.

        Enjoy corn cakes as an appetizer with a dollop of lemon yogurt sauce, garlic and walnut herb sauce or a salsa or as a dinner with a side salad.

         

        Chickpea Corn Cakes

        Yield: Makes 18-20

        Ingredients

        4 ears of corn (about 2 pounds trimmed or about 3 cups of kernels)
        1½ cup chickpea flour
        ⅓ cup sweet rice flour
        1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
        2 tablespoons ground sumac (a citrus-like flavor, but is optional)
        ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or ½ teaspoon for more hint of heat)
        ¾ to 1 cup water
        1 large shallot, minced (about ⅓ cup)  (or ¼ of a small yellow onion)
        4 tablespoons organic canola oil

        Prep Steps  

        1. Shuck corn if needed, cut off kernels (hold stalk upright in the center of a tea towel and use a chef knife to strip off kernels). If using canned corn, drain and pat dry the kernels.
        2. In a bowl, stir together chickpea flour, rice flour, baking powder, salt, sumac and cayenne.
        3. Add water, shallot and corn. Mix with a spoon until blended. If not using immediately, refrigerate for 20 minutes or overnight to make forming patties easier.
        4. Form palm-sized patties about 1/2” thick with an even surface for nice browning. In a large skillet, heat the oil over a medium-heat burner until it shimmers. Add patties leaving space between them, cook until each side is a dark brown color. Place on paper towels and repeat.
        5. Serve hot or at room temperature—see serving ideas below.

        Serving Ideas & Nutrition Bonus:

        Serve with dips sauces or topped with tangy Greek yogurt, Garlicky cheese-free pesto or a chunky-tomato ragout.

        Nutrition bonus: for 4 corn cakes: Fiber 9 grams (woohoo) and 10 grams protein for only 236 calories

        Like Chickpea flour? Also try my Chickpea shrimp fritters

        Like the pan? I don’t represent Lodge cast iron, but do recommend them: more info here

          About Me

          The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
          Michele Redmond

          Michele Redmond

          French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

          It's about Making Food First

          Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

          Citrus and Almond Olive Oil Cake with Tangerine Glaze

          Citrus and Almond Olive Oil Cake with Tangerine Glaze

          by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

          Citrus and Almond Olive Oil Cake with Tangerine Glaze

          This isn’t a typical olive oil cake. Often they are dense and extra unctuous, which can be desirable, or lighter and cake-like. This version is in between thanks to a flavorful addition of moist almond meal and corn meal. These additions also create a nutrient-rich cake as well.

          Despite a moist interior, the top of the cake develops a nice crust which holds up well to an addition of almonds and a grand marnier tangerine glaze. If tangerines are not in season, substitute with the related mandarin or clementines or “cousin” orange.

          While I recommend following measurements when baking, I made this cake for a taste workshop and class at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris without the benefit of measuring tools or scales, so either it’s very forgiving or I made lots of lucky estimates that day.

          Recipe for Cake

          Olive oil cake cupDry Ingredients 1 ¾ cup ground almond meal/flour ¾  cup fine ground corn meal 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 2  teaspoons baking powder ½  teaspoon fine sea salt 1  cup sugar

          The Topping: ¼ cup slivered almonds

          Moist Ingredients ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil 3 large eggs 3-4 Tangerines (2 tangelos or oranges): 2 teaspoons zest for cake 1/3 cup tangerine juice for cake

          Glaze Ingredients: 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon tangerine/citrus zest, finely grated 2 tangerines (3-4 Tablespoons) 2 teaspoons Grand Marnier Small pinch of salt

          Steps: Pre-heat oven to 350˚F

          1. Lightly coat the base and sides of a 9-inch nonstick cake pan or a quick-release version.
          2. In a mixing bowl, add flours and whisk well to remove lumps. Add the salt and baking powder and mix well. Add the sugar and mix in.
          3. To an equally large or larger mixing bowl, add the moist ingredients. With a hand mixer, blend the eggs and oil for 2 minutes on medium speed (will form bubbles on the surface).
          4. Add the zest and juice and blend only a few seconds—a moist custard-like texture quickly forms.
          5. Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture and blend until incorporated. It has a cornmeal batter texture.
          6. Pour the batter into the oiled cake pan and bake on the center rack for 48-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Place on a rack to cool and run a knife round the edges to loosen.
          7. Sprinkle the almond slices on top of the cake.
          8. For the glaze, pour the powdered sugar into a bowl, add juice, zest, Grand Marnier and salt and mix.
          9. Pour some of the glaze on top of the almonds while the cake still a bit warm and retain some glaze to serve aside cut pieces of the cake.
          • A moderately flavored olive oil works best to infuse the cake with a hint of savory flavor; however, you can use a mild tasting extra virgin olive oil for a mild or even undetectable flavor.

           

            About Me

            The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
            Michele Redmond

            Michele Redmond

            French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

            It's about Making Food First

            Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

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