Eggplant Pâté

Holiday dinner hosting can get stressful which is why I usually cheat and put together a cheese or charcuterie platter. This time I’m adding a favorite that I’ve probably made a dozen times: eggplant pâté. I got this recipe years and years ago from Dr. Weil’s website, which has tons of great healthy recipes. I’m not going to say it tastes like duck pâté because it certainly does not, but it’s got incredible flavor and texture all the same. I made a little onion jam to serve along side the pâté and served it with crusty toast, whole grain mustard, olives and cornichons. Trust me, vegetarians and meat eaters alike will love this appetizer!

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Pierce the skin of the eggplant with a fork all over the surface and roast in the oven until it is soft and wrinkly, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Slash the eggplant open with a knife (be careful, the steam is very hot) and when it is cool enough to handle, scrap the eggplant flesh out with a spoon into a colander. Allow any excess water to drain off.

Process the walnuts in a food processor until very fine.

Add the eggplant, garlic, ginger and allspice and process until smooth.

Add the extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. Process and taste and if needed, add more salt.

Transfer to a jar or a small loaf dish and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for several hours until firm.

EGGPLANT PATE

Ingredients:

• 1 large globe eggplant
• 1 cup of raw walnuts
• 2 teaspoons of fresh ginger, grated
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon of ground allspice
• Sea or kosher salt to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Pierce the skin of the eggplant with a fork all over the surface and roast in the oven until it is soft and wrinkly, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Slash the eggplant open with a knife (be careful, the steam is very hot) and when it is cool enough to handle, scrap the eggplant flesh out with a spoon into a colander. Allow any excess water to drain off.
• Process the walnuts in a food processor until very fine.
• Add the eggplant, garlic, ginger and allspice and process until smooth.
• Add the extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. Process and taste and if needed add more salt.
• Transfer to a jar or a small loaf dish and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for several hours until firm.

(images by HonestlyYUM)