Carrot Almond Pate and Lemon Flax Crisps

Yesterday, inspired by the bowl of ground almonds sitting in the fridge left over from making almond milk, I made the following pate. I came across the recipe on loloville.com, and at first, the idea of carrots and almonds together made me stop, but I am no longer a skeptic. I made a few substitutions yet it is still so tasty that I had it on toast this morning for breakfast. Yesterday, I teamed it up with the flax crisps pictured that are made with brown rice flower. The recipe is below as well. I had not originally intended to serve the pate with these crisps because the original recipe, printed on my bag of organic brown flax seeds from Whole Foods calls for a large dose of maple syrup. I followed the recipe exactly and they are fantastic by themselves and do work with the pate, but if you’d rather have a more savory biscuit, I would reduce the maple syrup a little bit, adjust the amount of flour, and add a little bit of salt.

Carrot Almond Pate

4 carrots, shredded

2 c almonds, soaked overnight (or about 1-1.5 c ground almonds)

¼ c green onions or chives (something green and onion-y : )

3 T fresh lemon juice

2 – 3 T olive oil (or carrot juice if you have)

1 – 2 t ground kelp (optional, a little goes a long way)

Grind the almonds if starting with whole almonds, then add everything except the oil to a food processor or blender and process/blend. Add a little bit of oil at a time until a smooth, even consistency is achieved. Transfer the mixture to a wax or parchment paper-lined bread pan or other dish, depending on the shape you’d like to form. Refrigerate for at least two hours. To serve, place a serving plate face down over the bowl, flip it over, then carefully remove the paper. Serve with crackers, bread, or a spoon : ) I enjoyed this so much that I had it on toast this morning.

Lemon Flax Crisps

5 T butter, melted and cooled

½ c maple syrup

1 t vanilla extract

1 T lemon zest

1 T lemon juice

½ c brown flax seeds

1 c plus 2 T brown rice flour

Preheat the oven to 350°C. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Drop tablespoons full onto a parchment paper-line baking sheet. Using the back of a spoon, spread the batter into ¼” discs. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes, or until browned on the edges. Let cool completely before removing from the paper (they will be a little crumbly until cooled).