Appetizer Archives - Coconut and Berries

Easy Lentil-Hazelnut Pâté

So this one definitely isn’t going to win any beauty contests, but looks aside, it’s pretty wonderful! We can always do with a quick and easy spread/dip to add to our repertoires and the rich, savoury flavour of this lentil-hazelnut pâté should win anyone over, including those more used to the traditional, non-vegetarian kind.

I based the recipe on the filling from my Creamy Lentil Butternut Squash, using a sautéed vegetable base with earthy lentils and tamari. I also added nut butter to this spread, but opted for hazelnut this time for its distinct flavour. You could certainly use whole hazelnuts instead of butter here but the pâté probably won’t be quite as smooth or creamy. If you buy a jar or make up a batch of hazelnut butter then you can make my Hazelnut Butter- Chocolate Chip Muffins too! Always a hit!

Whiz everything up in the food processor until it’s thick and fairly smooth then spread liberally on toast or crackers, or thin it out a little more and serve as a dip. It also makes a rather elegant appetizer on crostini with a little strip of roasted red pepper for prettiness!

I’m not feeling too chatty today so I’ll leave you with the recipe and be back soon with more words, pictures and recipes of course!

Easy Lentil-Hazelnut Pâté

Ingredients

1 C Puy OR Green lentils
2 C Water
1 Tbsp oil
1 Bay leaf
1 Leek, chopped
1 Onion, chopped
2 Cloves of garlic, minced
3 Tbsp Hazelnut butter
3 Tbsp Tamari
Handful of Fresh parsley
Black pepper
1/4-1/3 C Water

Instructions

Add the lentils to a pot with the water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer,covered for approx 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed and lentils are tender.
Meanwhile, warm the oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the onion and leek and cook, stirring every now and again, for 6-8 minutes, until very soft and translucent. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes.
Transfer the cooked lentils (drain any remaining water) and the sautéed vegetabes (remove bay leaf) to a food processor. Add the hazelnut butter and tamari and process until fairly smooth. Add water, 1 Tbsp at a time, until the paté is your desired consistency.
Pulse in the parsley and season with black pepper to taste.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/10/15/easy-lentil-hazelnut-pate/

P. S. Seeing as it’s National Chocolate Week in the UK, you might want to take a look at some of my favourite chocolate recipes! Not that I need an excuse to eat chocolate. I may…or may not…have a special new chocolat-ey recipe coming up on the blog too!

If you’re new to Coconut and Berries, please sign up for email updates and join me elsewhere! I’m on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram (@coconutandberries), Google + and Twitter! You can also follow Coconut and Berries with Bloglovin or Feedly.

Chili Quinoa-Bean Bites (with Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes)

So, the countdown has begun until I leave Bath and head back to London! I mentioned I’ve been working on my dissertation, and handing that in marks the end of my master’s course which was the reason I moved here last September.

I’ve got mixed feelings about the move. I’m excited to be back in London where a lot of my friends and family are based, and to get into London life after several years away studying, but I’ve really really loved my time here in Bath and know moving day is going to be emotional!

Although it’s not far to move, my kitchen feels a little like it’s exploded lately and so I’m trying hard to only buy fresh ingredients at the moment and use up the (many!) pantry ingredients I’ve accumulated ( so as not to fill a whole car just with the contents of my kitchen). I’m thinking of it as a kind of challenge to come up with recipes using what I’ve got and and then it’s fun and doesn’t feel limiting.

The ingredients I tasked myself with using were:

- Quinoa: I seem to have 2 jars-plain and tricolore…

- Kidney beans: I still don’t use them often despite my attempts to diversify on the bean front.

- Chickpea flour: I’ve somehow ended up with 2 bags of this stuff too!

I actually already have a recipe on the blog which uses all 3 of these ingredients- my Kidney Bean, Sweet Potato & Quinoa Patties. But, you know me, I like to try new things, and so I came up with these Chili Quinoa-Bean Bites. They’re crisp on the outside and soft in the middle, with pops of sweet, juicy corn and a bit of a kick from the chilli (not too spicy though!).

I’ve finished my jar of kidney beans and made a dent on the quinoa at least. I’ve still got a way to go on the chickpea flour though…

The bites themselves are easy to make and a yummy little appetizer, salad topper, or serve them up taco style like I did. I used my recipe for chickpea flour “tortillas” since I was working on the chickpea flour and didn’t want to buy any corn ones especially. I love how versatile that recipe is.

Chili Quinoa-Bean Bites (with Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes)

Yield: Approx 30 Bites (Serves 4-6, depending on sides)

Chili Quinoa-Bean Bites (with Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes)

Ingredients

1 C Tricolore/Red/White quinoa
2 C Vegetable broth
1-1/2 C Cooked kidney beans (1 Can)
1/3 C Cooked corn (canned or frozen and defrosted are also fine)
1 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Tbsp Paprika
1 tsp Dried oregano
1/2 tsp Chili powder
1 tsp Salt

Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes

2 Medium Sweet Potatoes, peeled and diced into 1" cubes
1 Tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp Chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp Salt

Instructions

For the Quinoa-Bean Bites

Rinse the quinoa well then add to a pot with the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for approx 15 minutes, until all the water is absorbed. Leave covered for at least 10 minutes or longer then fluff with a fork.
Meanwhile, mash the beans with a strong fork or whizz in a food processor until fairly well mashed but with some texture.
Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
In a large bowl, mix the quinoa, beans and all the remaining ingredients together until well combined.
Using moistened hands, shape the mixture into walnut-sized balls and place on baking trays lined with parchment paper.
Bake the quinoa-bean bites for approx 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time, or until crispy on the outside.

For the Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Steam the sweet potatoes for approx 15-20 minutes, until very soft.
Add the olive oil, chipotle chili powder and salt and mash well with a fork.
Serve alongside the Chili-Quinoa Bites or spread on tortillas and top with the bites and your favourite taco fixings.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/08/11/chili-quinoa-bean-bites-chipotle-mashed-sweet-potatoes/

Please tell me I’m not alone with my out of control pantry!

Sesame Hummus Bites with Mango-Tahini Sauce

I ate a lot of hummus during my time away. I packed lunch every day to take to work, and while sometimes I was prepared enough to make grain/bean/veggie salads to-go, I often resorted to the lazy option and ate hummus/salad sandwiches for several days straight.

I’m sure I’ve already mentioned how much I dislike eating the same thing over and over again, but even worse was that I had no food processor in Geneva so had to rely on supermarket hummus most of the time. I don’t know how it’s possible to make hummus bad but this really was terrible! Fortunately, the good farmers’ market seedy spelt bread almost made up for it.

That said, it’s nice to return home to my kitchen ingredients and equipment (I especially missed my food processor, blender and decent knives!) and the first thing I made was hummus. Well, sort of.

I’m sure I’m not alone in eating hummus with a spoon sometimes…please tell me I’m not! But it’s not exactly something you can do at a table/in public. So these bites were devised as a more acceptable way of getting hummus to mouth efficiently, without crackers, bread or anything else getting in the way.

A simple, light version of our beloved chickpea dip, with green onions, herbs and carrot folded in for extra flavour and texture, shaped into bite-size balls and rolled in toasted sesame seeds. Perfect for popping into your mouth. No spoon necessary!

They’d be a fun alternative to your classic hummus & crudités platter appetizer. Kick them up a notch and serve them alongside my Mango-Tahini Sauce for dipping.
Tahini on tahini? Yes please!

My favourite way to serve them is over a giant rainbow salad. Great for clearing out all the odds and ends in your fridge and getting lots of colour and variety into your diet. I just fill a bowl with whatever veggies I have on hand, top with several of the Sesame Hummus Bites and drizzle generously with Mango-Tahini Sauce. Much more fun than a dollop of hummus.

Sesame Hummus Bites with Mango-Tahini Sauce

2014-05-05 07:47:41

Yields 20

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Prep Time

20 min

Prep Time

20 min

Sesame Hummus Bites

1-1/2 C Cooked chickpeas (1 can)
2 Tbsp Tahini
3 Tbsp Lemon juice
3 Tbsp Water
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Paprika
Pepper
1 Medium carrot, grated
2 Green onions, finely chopped
Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
1/2 C Sesame seeds (white, black or a mixture)

Mango-Tahini Sauce

1 Mango, cubed (approx 2 C)
1/4 C Lime juice
1/4 C Tahini
2 Green onions, chopped (white part only)
1/2 tsp Salt
A few pinches of cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

For the hummus bites, in a food processor blend the chickpeas, tahini, lemon, water, paprika, salt and pepper until you have a smooth, thick hummus-like consistency. Transfer to a large bowl, add the carrot, green onion and coriander and mix well to incorporate.
Roll mixture into small balls, using slightly moistened hands. The mixture shouldn't be particularly sticky.
Meanwhile, toast sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for approx 5 minutes, or until fragrant.
Pour the sesame seeds into a wide dish and gently roll the hummus bites in them to coat.

Mango-Tahini Sauce

Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth.

Notes

You will have extra sesame seeds but I find it's easier to coat the bites if you're rolling them in a larger amount.

Coconut and Berries http://www.coconutandberries.com/

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Polenta-Olive Tapenade Bites

I’m so enjoying these stretched out evenings. I took my book to the park after work today, plonked myself on a bench and soaked up some rays while indulging in a little “me-time”.

I was thinking how nice it would be to have a garden and be able to invite a few pals around for evening drinks and nibbles outside. These Polenta-Olive Tapenade bites would hold up well to travelling so I suppose you could even take them to the park for a light picnic!

If you caught my recipe for Middle-Eastern Lentils with Roasted Caulifower, Sweet Potatoes & Dukkah, you might have spotted the “Tapenade Marocaine” amongst the goodies I received from Olives et al. Tapenade is a bold paté usually made from olives, capers, anchovies and olive oil. Apparently the French word comes fromthe Provençal name for caper buds, tapeno.

Anyway, before you wonder what’s going on with me using fishy ingredients, note that Olives et al replace the typical anchovies with preserved lemons. A brilliant idea in my opinion.

If , like me, you’re into gutsy flavours like olives and capers, I’ve got a few other recipes you might want to try:

Lightened-up Caponata

Tofu Agrodolce

Mediterranean Israeli Couscous Pilaf

Celeriac, Pear & Rocket Salad (with capers)

Tapenade usually ends up on crostini or oatcakes in my household, but for a change I went with these little polenta squares. They’re easy peasy to make, creamy in the middle and crisp on the top and the perfect foil to the punchy paté.

When I cook with polenta I almost always make my Pesto Polenta Triangles as they seem to go with everything. I store them in the freezer and just defrost a couple when I fancy them.

Polenta-Olive Tapenade Bites

2014-04-23 14:24:22

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Ingredients

1-1/2 C Quick-cooking polenta
4-1/2 C Vegetable broth
3/4 tsp Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Vegan olive tapenade
Cherry tomatoes (slow-cooked or raw)
Fresh parsley

Instructions

Lightly grease a square brownie pan with olive oil.
Bring the vegetable broth to the boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and add the polenta. Whisk vigorously as it will thicken immediately. Keep whisking to remove any lumps.
Once very thick pour into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Set aside to cool and then refrigerate for at least an hour until firm.
Slice the polenta into small squares, brush with a little olive oil and place under the grill (broiler) for a few minutes until crisp.
Top each square with a heaped teaspoon of tapenade and half a cherry tomato (I slow-roasted mine for extra flavour)
Sprinkle with parsley and black pepper to serve.

Coconut and Berries http://www.coconutandberries.com/

This is really more of an idea than a recipe. You could top your polenta squares with your favourite dip. Try hummus or perhaps my Roasted Red Pepper, Walnut & Parsley Pesto?

How are you making the most of the light evenings?

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Lightened-up Caponata

I’m over on All About Vegan Food again today with a new recipe for you- my Lightened-up Caponata. Caponata is a traditional Italian aubergine/eggplant dish which is delicious but usually very rich.

I’ve taken my friend Giovanni’s family recipe and given it my own spin, making it a little lighter without compromising the flavour. I know aubergine isn’t really in season here yet but I’m crazy about olives and capers at the moment and haven’t had aubergine for so long so I couldn’t resist making caponata.

Head on over to All About Vegan Food for the recipe!

I’m sharing this recipe over at Wellness Weekends (the finale!) too.