Ingredients
Scale
- 24 medium-sized (200g, about 2 cups) button mushrooms
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons butter salted or unsalted
- 2 small onion peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 2 cups (800g) cooked green lentils
- 2 cups (280g) toasted walnuts or pecans
- 4 tablespoons liquid aminos or tamari
- 4 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- 4 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
- 4 tablespoons fresh sage or flat leaf parsley
- 4 teaspoons Cognac or brandy
- 2-teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3-4 tablespoons beetroot puree (recipe below)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Wipe the mushrooms clean. Remove stem end and slice them.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet or wide saucepan. Add the onions and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions become translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add mushrooms, rosemary, thyme, sage, and Cognac/brandy and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and cooked through, another 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a food processor, combine the cooked lentils, brown sugar, and cayenne. Scrape in the cooked mushroom mixture and process until completely smooth. Fold in beet puree. Taste. Add salt, pepper, additional cognac, soy sauce, or lemon juice, if it needs balancing.
- Scrape the pâté into a small serving bowl, top with a thin layer of vegan butter if using, and refrigerate for a few hours, until firm. (If you’re making it on the fly, feel free to freeze it)
For Beetroot Puree:
- ½ pound roasted red beets
- ¼ cup Grapeseed oil
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
- 1 tablespoons water
- ¾ teaspoons fresh cilantro leaves
- ¾ teaspoons red wine vinegar
- Pinch of black pepper
Place beets, Grapeseed oil, shallots, 1 tablespoons water, cilantro, vinegar, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt in a blender, and process until blended, about 5 seconds. Add beets, and process until smooth, about 40 seconds, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Stir in black pepper.