Christmas starter - vegetarian pate - help!

[Selks]

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?

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

Invite different people?

Ha ha Unacceptable......tempting!

Mistletoe, that sounds really interesting, thanks

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

1. 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.
2. Drain the cooked chickpeas and blend them in a food processor or blender until they become smooth and creamy.
3. Add salt, sour cream, parsley, ground coriander, lemon juice, and black pepper and continue processing for 2 minutes.
4. 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

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

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

...For up to 2 days.

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

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

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)..

You can also look here

Thanks x

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

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.

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

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

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.

Moln, thanks for the suggestion.

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.

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.

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

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!

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?

I like this butterbean pate recipe.

I love the mushroom pate from Sainsbos too.

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