Zesty Italian Walnut Pâté
This pâté is good served with the Greek Salad. Almond butter is a good substitute for the tahini.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, ground fresh, or raw tahini
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cups walnuts, soaked
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- ½ cup red bell pepper, chopped
- ¼ cup raw olives, pit removed
- 4 tablespoons cilantro
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic
Soak the walnuts for 6 to 10 hours. Soak the sun-dried tomatoes for 4 hours, reserving the soak water.
To make the tahini, grind the sesame seeds in a coffee grinder. Transfer the ground seeds to a food processor and blend with olive oil.
In a food processor, process walnuts and tahini with the S blade until smooth.
Add all remaining ingredients to the food processor and process until smooth.
Pour in a ¼ cup of the soak water from the sun-dried tomatoes for a more intense tomato flavor.
PER SERVING:
Calories: 432 | Fat: 41 g | Protein: 10 g | Sodium: 294 mg | Fiber: 6 g
Sun-Dried Tomatoes
In Italy before modern canning and food production, tomatoes were sun dried for use during the winter. It takes 20 pounds of fresh tomatoes to produce just 1 pound of sun-dried tomatoes, which explains the concentrated flavor they impart to foods ranging from salads to pasta sauces. If you have a dehydrator, during tomato season you can cost-effectively prepare your own sun-dried condiments.
