Cashew Mushroom Pate Food

VEGAN MUSHROOM PâTé

Steps:

• Place raw cashews into a bowl and pour over boiling hot water from the kettle. Leave to soak for one hour and then drain and rinse.
• Add the soaked cashews (drained) to your blender jug along with lemon juice, coconut cream, distilled white vinegar, salt and onion powder. Blend until smooth. Set aside to use later.
• Add olive oil and chopped onion to a frying pan or skillet on medium heat. Sauté the onions until softened.
• Add crushed garlic, dried rosemary and red pepper flakes and sauté for a minute to toast the spices.
• Add sliced mushrooms and sauté until they have released water and the water cooks off.
• Pour in the sherry and add sea salt and black pepper and sauté until the sherry cooks off.
• Turn off the heat and pour in the cashew blend and stir in until well mixed.
• Transfer the mushroom mix to the food processor. Add fresh chopped parsley and process together until well mixed but still a little chunky.
• Serve topped with fresh chopped parsley and with crackers or fresh crusty bread on the side.

KILLER CHILIED MUSHROOM AND CASHEW PATE

Steps:

• In a medium skillet, over a high heat, melt the butter. Saute the mushrooms 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion, cook until translucent then add the garlic for a minute or so, then the spices. Cook until the mixture is fairly dry. Cool.
• In a food processor fitted with a metal blade or blender, chop the cashews finely and slowly; add the oil to make a paste. Add the mushroom mixture and continue mixing until smooth. Taste and add more chile powder or salt, if necessary. Place in a serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve at room temperature.

CASHEW MUSHROOM PATE

Steps:

• In a food processor, chop mushrooms by pulsing on and off until mushrooms are coarsely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl.
• Process onion and carrot in same manner. Transfer to a small bowl. Rinse out processor.
• In a large frying pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and carrots, and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
• Add ground mushrooms, lemon juice, garlic, tarragon and sherry. Cook, stirring occasionally until most of liquid in pan has evaporated, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl.
• In a dry medium frying pan, toast cashew pieces over high heat, shaking pan back and forth to prevent scorching, until nuts turn golden, 3-4 minutes.
• Transfer to a plate and let cool 5 minutes. In a processor, pulse nuts until finely ground.
• Add ground nuts to mushroom mixture. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

CREAMY VEGAN MUSHROOM PâTé

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a frying pan over a high heat, and fry the mushrooms for 15-20 mins until very soft, and any liquid that's been released has evaporated. Stir in the garlic, 1 tbsp thyme leaves, 1 tsp sea salt and a good grinding of black pepper, and cook for 3 mins more. Leave to cool slightly.
• Transfer the mushroom mixture to a food processor and blitz to a thick paste. Add 100ml soya cream, then blitz again until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as you go. You may need to add up to 50ml more cream. Season to taste, then spoon into a serving dish or bowl and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Drizzle over enough olive oil to coat the top of the pâté - it should be just enough to stop it drying out. Cover and chill for 2 hrs until firm. Will keep in the fridge for up to 24 hrs.
• To make the walnuts, put the sugar in a medium heavy-based frying pan with 1 tsp water, and stir to dissolve. Bring to a medium-high heat and bubble for 10 mins without stirring until the sugar has melted and turned into a golden caramel. Stir in the nuts, 2 tsp thyme leaves and a pinch of sea salt, then tip onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment and leave to cool. Once cool and set, bash or break into chunks.
• To serve, spread the pâté over the sourdough toast, then cut into bite-sized squares. Top with dollops of chutney and the candied walnuts.