Ginger-Spinach Pâté

Pâté lunch sandwich. Doesn't exactly sound like Dollar Store cuisine, does it?

Here's my second recipe from the $25 Vegan Dollar Store Challenge. Faced with a mountain of beans – and feeling slightly rebellious – I wanted to create a spread to rival the highbrow concoctions that Whole Foods sells at ridiculously inflated prices. I came up with this little number using some of my cooked pinto beans, the can of dollar store spinach [I was surprised that I really enjoyed the flavor] and the mushrooms and some of the ginger I bought with my $5 produce outlet bonus.

What this pâté lacks in looks, it makes up for in flavor....Hold it! .... Wait a minute! Now that I think about it, all pâté is ugly. So since mine is emerald green, it looks like a beauty queen by contrast. In any case, the heat from the ginger pairs nicely with the sweetness of the beans and spinach, lending it a surprising air of sophistication.

I enjoyed this pâté spread on sandwiches and also atop my dollar store brown rice crackers. You could also make it as an hors d'oeuvre's for a dinner party and serve it with crackers or crudités, It's surprisingly filling, relatively healthy and makes a whopping 4 cups of spread or 3 small "terrines" for less than two bucks. Enjoy!

Ginger-Spinach Pâté

• 1 T oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 small onion
• 8 oz chopped mushrooms
• 2 cups cooked beans
• 1 15-oz can spinach, drained
• 1 T fresh herbs of your choice, or 1 tsp dried [eg, Herbes de Provençe, basil, oregano]
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Makes about 4 cups or 3 small terrines

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 3 mini loaf pans [3.5 x 6 inches].

In a frying pan, heat oil over medium and sauté garlic, ginger and onion until soft. Add mushrooms and sauté until cooked stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes, adding some water, 1 T at a time, if mixture gets dry.

Mix everything in a food processor. Spread into loaf pans and bake for 46-50 minutes or until firm. Cool completely at room temperature, then run a knife around the edges to loosen pate, and flip onto plates. Store covered up to 5 days. [You can also freeze leftovers.]