Nut Pâté

I discovered this recipe awhile ago and have made it several times.  It can be a spread for crackers or used on sandwiches for protein.  It's easy to make with pantry items and very tasty!

Pâté

Pâté on bread

Nut Pâté
Source: Vegetarian Times
Yield: about 1 and 1/2 cups

Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw walnuts (or toasted, just skip the toasting that follows)
3/4 cup cannellini beans, cooked or canned, rinsed, and drained
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp olive oil

Directions:
1. To make Walnut Pâté: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread walnuts on baking sheet, and toast in oven 7 to 10 minutes, or until browned, shaking pan occasionally.
2. Transfer walnuts to bowl of food processor; add beans, lemon juice, garlic, oil, and 1/4 cup water. Purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Serving suggestion:
Spread pâté on good whole grain bread.  Top with slices of ripe pear, fresh greens, and balsamic vinegar.  Recently, we ate this with Polenta Lemon Arugula soup which you can find here.

Shown here paired with Polenta Lemon and Arugula Soup