I don’t know if I’m allowed to pick favorites, but this pâté is definitely in the top 10 of all the recipes I have made. The crumbly beige topping doesn’t look like much, but the flavors are just too powerful for words – especially when used as a topping for freshly-made tortilla chips. I want to eat it forever.
This recipe couldn’t be easier, either. All you need is a few simple healthy ingredients, a food processor, and 5 minutes of time. It’s also so versatile that you can use it in dozens of ways; layer it in quesadillas, wrap it in romaine leaves, use it as a filling for sushi, and so much more. But I think the most unbeatable paring is with corn tortilla chips, almost like nachos. That’s what we’re doing here… We’ll make the pâté, then some homemade tortilla chips, and finally throw it all together into one plate of deliciousness.
Makes ~2 cups of pâté
Ingredients:
- 1 cup soaked almonds
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 large carrot
- 2 green onions
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Tamari or Braggs Aminos
- 3 tablespoons dulse (optional)
- Homemade tortilla chips (below)
1. Making the Pâté
- Soak the almonds for at least 2 hours.
- Drain the almonds and rinse, then add to a food processor along with loosely-chopped celery, carrot, and green onion. I love using dulse (seaweed) and I’ve used it in the past. If you can find the ingredient, definitely use it. If not, omitting it won’t ruin anything.
- With all the ingredients in the processor, pulse 10+ times until the mixture has been broken down, but stop before it becomes completely pureed like almond butter.
- Finally, add just a little sesame oil (it’s powerful) and a tablespoon or more of Tamari or Braggs Liquid Aminos (a healthier soy sauce substitute) and pulse to combine. Done! How easy was that?
2. Baking the Tortilla Chips
I love making homemade tortilla chips. Not only do they taste much fresher, you have full control over the fat & salt content. To make, all you need is several corn tortillas, a smidgen of olive oil, and a pinch of salt:
- Preheat the oven to 380º.
- Cut each tortilla into 6 triangles with a knife or pizza cutter.
- Brush a very light layer of oil onto both sides of each chip (1 tablespoon can cover dozens of chips) and add a light sprinkling of salt.
- Place the tortillas on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, then flip and bake for approximately 5 more minutes until just crispy.
3. Making the Nachos
As mentioned, this pâté can be used in a myriad of ways, but a nacho-like dish has the best flavors in my opinion. To make, add a layer of the fresh tortilla chips to your plate, crumble a generous portion of the pâté over top, and throw on any other exciting fillings you can imagine: shredded lettuce, pinto beans, and guacamole would all be perfect additions.
Oh that pate looks delicious!
This looks incredibly delicious. I wonder if it works with other nuts.
That’s a good question, Amanda! I’m wondering what other nuts might work… I could imagine it working really well with walnuts as well?