Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Christmas

Christmas starter - vegetarian pate - help!

24 replies

Selks · 04/12/2011 21:51

Hi folks. I need some assistance with this.

I want to do a simple starter for my Christmas dinner. There will be six of us including two veggies.
So I'd like to do a vegetarian pate of some kind, but it needs to not have nuts, spinach, mushrooms or stilton in it (due to the various dislikes of people -sigh).
So that leaves me a bit stumped.
I was thinking of some kind of olive tapenade, but don't know if that is Christmassy enough. Some kind of soft cheese pate might work, but I can't figure a recipe.

Any suggestions?

OP posts:

Report

leftmymistletoeatthedoor · 04/12/2011 21:54

Tesco used to do a ready made morrocan chickpea one which was lovely. Will have a look for a recipe for one similar...

unacceptablebehaviour · 04/12/2011 21:56

Invite different people?

Selks · 04/12/2011 21:57

Ha ha Unacceptable......tempting!

Mistletoe, that sounds really interesting, thanks

OP posts:

leftmymistletoeatthedoor · 04/12/2011 21:57

Chickpeas are a great source of protein and iron as well as fibre, vitamins A and B6, riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and potassium. One cup of chick peas has the usable protein equivalent of one 30 g (41/4-ounce) steak. When chickpeas are combined with dairy products, the usable protein increases.
This chickpea pate is very tasty and goes well as a dip or spread on bread or crackers.

CHICKPEA COOKING TIME: 1 - 2 hours
PREPARATION TIME: 10 minutes
YIELD: about 3 cups (750 ml)

1 cup (250 ml) raw chickpeas, soaked overnight
11/2 teaspoons (7 ml) salt
1 cup (250 ml) sour cream
1/2 cup (125 ml) finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground coriander
1 tablespoon (20 ml) fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) ground black pepper
1 tablespoon (20 ml) olive oil
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) yellow asafoetida powder
1/2 cup (125 ml) celery, finely minced

Drain the soaked chickpeas and place them in a large saucepan with lots of water. Boil for 1 to 2 hours or until they're soft.
Drain the cooked chickpeas and blend them in a food processor or blender until they become smooth and creamy.
Add salt, sour cream, parsley, ground coriander, lemon juice, and black pepper and continue processing for 2 minutes.
Heat the olive oil in a pan and saute the asafoetida. Add the minced celery and saute for 1 minute or until the celery becomes soft. Add the celery mixture to the food processor and process a little more. Place the pate in a suitable bowl and refrigerate until firm. The pate can be refrigerated for tw

SnowMuchToBits · 04/12/2011 21:59

I'm sure there is a recipe in one of Delia's books for a cheese terrine.

Brambleschooks · 04/12/2011 21:59

Olive tapenade sounds gorgeous. I'd love it that someone had gone to that effort for me x

leftmymistletoeatthedoor · 04/12/2011 21:59

...For up to 2 days.

(Sorry about the nutritional info at the start!!)

Tinselrella · 04/12/2011 22:00

I buy a avocado, cashew, mango & chilli pate from Findlater's. It's bloody lovely. I reckon you could probably substitute the cashews for something else, or leave it out altogether. I am sure it would be pretty easy to reproduce yourself but I am too lazy

Looking at their website, they also do a red lentil, coconut and sesame seed pate

Selks · 04/12/2011 22:04

Mistletoe, many thanks. That's definitely a contender.

Brambles - thank you :o)

Tinselrella, both of those sound gorgeous. I'm wondering if I could buy the avocado one and sneakily pass it off as home made...(would save a bit of slaving in the kitchen)..

OP posts:

leftmymistletoeatthedoor · 04/12/2011 22:05

You can also look here

Selks · 04/12/2011 22:07

Thanks x

OP posts:

leftmymistletoeatthedoor · 04/12/2011 22:08

Just buy readymade if you want to and just say so. I wouldn't be bothered by that at all.

Selks · 04/12/2011 22:10

What do you think of this - is it Christmassy enough....it looks fab but all mediterranean flavours; possibly not festive enough.

Oh, I'm fussing too much probably. Just want to do a lovely meal that everyone will like.

OP posts:

Moln · 04/12/2011 22:12

the lentil pate off come dine with me

i'd ink it but i'm on my phone and it'd take me to christmas to manage it

But if you google 'lentil pate come dine with me' it should come up as the first one

It's V nice

ChippingInNeedsSleep · 04/12/2011 22:13

Bloody hell - I'd be happy if you bought something - ecstatic in fact :) so don't worry about that! Pass it off as your on if you want to - no one will care

pecanpie · 04/12/2011 22:35

I have a fabulous recipe for a chestnut/red wine pate but it does have pecans in it for texture. If nuts are only a problem taste wise and not allergy wise, I can post it. It's delicious and a 'glamorous' vegetarian pate and it freezes well if you were to make it in advance.

Selks · 04/12/2011 23:26

Moln, thanks for the suggestion.

OP posts:

Selks · 04/12/2011 23:28

Pecanpie, that chestnut pate sounds fabulously festive. If you have the recipe and are able to link it I'd be very grateful.

Many thanks to everyone for your help with this - you've been great.

OP posts:

EightiesChick · 04/12/2011 23:39

Not a pate, but Nigella's pea and pesto soup is veggie, easy to make (just blend everything) and kids love it. Always worth considering. I have posted the recipe on here before or if you google I bet it's out there.

pecanpie · 05/12/2011 11:05

It's a recipe my mum adapted years ago from one in a recipe book, so here are the details:-

Ingredients:
1 onion, finely diced
2 sticks celery finely diced
1/2 pint stock and dry red wine mixed - I like to make this from 2/3 wine, 1/3 stock
200g pecans coarsely ground
2tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 eggs
1/2 tin merchant gourmet chestnut puree or other similar
Breadcrumbs - equivalent to 1 slice bread

Method:
Fry onion and celery until onions are glassy.
Add wine and stock mix and simmer for 5 mins
Add chestnut puree and mix thoroughly
Leave to cool for 20 mins
Add eggs, nuts, parsley and season with salt and pepper
Add breadcrumbs - mixture should be a thick batter
Bake at 180 celsius for 30 mins maximum

Leave to cool.

Best left for a couple of days before eating - the flavour matures

Selks · 05/12/2011 21:05

Mmm, liking the sound of that, Pecanpie. Thank you very much.

Thanks Eighties chick, that soup sounds yum, I might make it for dinner this week!

OP posts:

rhondajean · 05/12/2011 21:16

Are the mushroom haters and the veggies different people?

Because if so, Sainsburys do a lovely ready made mushroom pate, and Id be tempted to get and make a liver pate and let them get on with it!

or have you considered making soup instead?

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Email address

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Eggrules · 05/12/2011 21:20

I like this butterbean pate recipe.

I love the mushroom pate from Sainsbos too.

Selks · 09/12/2011 23:40

Oo, more ideas, thanks!
And it is one of the veggies who is the mushroom hater,

OP posts:

Flip

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.