Classic Végé-pâté

No geese were harmed
during the production of this
vege-pâté.

The idea behind végé-paté, as in many vegetarian dishes, is to mimick a popular meat-based favorite. In this case, liver pâté sandwich spread. Which it does rather nicely, without breaking up families of geese or duck in order to snatch their livers. Végé-pâté may not be a complete protein source, but it is healthy and low-fat, with the rare benefit of nutritional yeast. It is excellent on French baguette, or when spread out on a "wrap" type sandwich (soft thin tortilla), adding such as lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet onion, etc. It can be a light supper, as easily as it can be lunch. Take it with you to work, it's miles beyond food court food.

Ingredients

1 c unsalted sunflower seeds
1/2 c olive oil, (preferably extra virgin)
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c nutritional yeast (preferably torula yeast)
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 med to large (or 2 small) potato (or 1 sweet potato), peeled and chopped
1 large carrot, peeled (if not organic) and diced
1 onion, chopped (Optional: and/or 2-3 spring onions, sliced)
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 lg. clove garlic, peeled
1/4 c light soy sauce (preferably Bragg's) (Optional. I usually prefer without the soya sauce)


Spices

1/2 t (each) of any/all of the following dried herbs: thyme, savory, dill, basil, sage
1 t fines herbes (optional)
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/2 t ground dry mustard (Substitution: 1 t regular mustard)


Instructions

Lightly grease an 8x8 inch baking dish with a bit of the olive oil. Mince the garlic with the flat blade of a knife as demonstrated here. Throw the garlic, onions and/or spring onions into the food processor, blend until finely shredded. Then add the carrots and repeat. Then the potato (repeat). Then the celery. And finally the sunflower seeds. Continue to process until the mix is finely minced. Add the flour, yeast, lemon juice, mustard, salt (unless using soy sauce), herbs and spices. Process for a couple of minutes until everything is smooth and homogenized. The mix should be about the consistency of cake batter. If the mix is too dry, add water, 1/4c at a time, until it forms a heavy liquid batter, and pours slowly (when falling off a spoon). Be careful not to make the mix too wet with liquid. Pour into an 8" x 8" pyrex dish (or metal), bake for 1 hour @ 350F degrees, until lightly browned. Cut into squares.

(Optional: Cover the dish with the vege-paté tightly with aluminum foil, and place it into a larger dish, partially filled with water. Replenish water as needed, if it dries out during cooking. Remove foil cover during the last 15 minutes of  baking).