Sunflower Seed Pate - Gluten Free, Vegan Recipe

Sunflower Seed Pate

With a front and back yard full of lettuce (thanks to Rachel's seeds from the previous year!), we have been eating A LOT of salads. I mean at least twice a day, every day for the past couple months. So, to make these salads a filling meal, I have been experimenting with nut and seed pates. This is a great way to make a bowl full of lettuce actually a fulling meal.

Sunflower seeds have been my go-to because they are so nutritious. Sunflower seeds are packed with health benefits, serving as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cholesterol lowering, detoxifying, anti-anxiety, mood enhancing magical friend. It makes sense that something that comes from such a cheery flower would be beneficial to our health and mood. I just stock up on these lil buddies regularly so they are always on hand for a quick snack or recipes like this one.  

Rachel's happiness producing sunflowers from last summer

There is really not much of a recipe involved as you can make a seed pate almost anyway you want. The base recipe is:

Sunflower Seed Pate - Dairy free, Gluten Free, Vegan Recipe

Sunflower seed pate with a garden salad

Ingredients:
1 cup raw hulled sunflower seeds*
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 tsp salt
water

Basically, you just want to blend sunflower seeds with enough liquid so that your blender won't hate you (not as much of an issue for you lucky vita-mix owners). Your ratio of lemon juice to water can be adjusted according to your love of lemons, but you just want enough liquid that it covers at least 1/2 to 3/4 of the sunflower seeds. If you like your pate thicker and have a sturdy blender, then you can use less liquid. Or if you want more of a dressing, then use more liquid. Olive oil could be used as well, but I don't see any need to add more fat since the seeds have plenty of good fat.

*It's best if you soak the sunflower seeds for about 4-6 hours in water, then rinse and try to remove as much of the outer grey peels that come off as you can.

Now, plain old blended salty sunflower seeds would be uber boring. So flavor this pate up however you like. Here are some ideas that you can mix or match in the recipe and just blend up with the base:

Sunflower seed pate mixed in as a satisfy salad dressing

• jalapeno or other spicy pepper
• garlic
• ginger
• honey
• cilantro
• parsley
• green onion
• mustard
• avocado (adds a velvety touch)
• horseradish
• dulce flakes
• whatever you want!

Lately, my favorite has been the base recipe with about 1/4 cup of cilantro, 1-2 green onions, 1-2 cloves garlic, and a spicy pepper. This one goes great with a mixed garden salad with carrots, tomatoes, celery, and radishes. It has a bit of a fresh Mexican flair, which, as you know, I love.

the nightly hunt for salad supplies

the resulting garden bounty ready to be buddied with a seed  pate

We've mostly been eating the pates mixed in our salads, which adds a great texture and satisfying value to the salads. You can also use them as a veggie dip or spread on a wrap or sandwich. Do you have any fun ingredients to mix in?

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