Turkey and Lentil Pate

Reader's Digest CanadaReader's Digest Canada

This coarse-textured pâté, deliciously flavoured with garlic and fresh cilantro, combines ground turkey and turkey livers with lentils for an appetizer that has considerably less fat than a traditional pâté. Serve with toasted slices of French baguette, plus some crisp vegetable sticks and crunchy radishes.

Number of servings : 6

Prep time: 1 hour

Cooking time: 2 hours chilling time

Type of meal : | Hors d’oeuvres | Hors d’oeuvres

Special diet :

Ingredients

2 ounces green lentils
2 teaspoons canola oil
4 shallots, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 pound ground turkey
pound turkey livers, chopped
3 tablespoons dry Marsala wine
fresh cilantro; salt and pepper.
Garnish: Sprigs of fresh cilantro

Directions

  1. Place the lentils in a saucepan, cover generously with water and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain well and set aside to cool.
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet and sauté the shallots and garlic over medium-high heat until they have softened, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the turkey and the livers. Cook, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes.
  3. Pour the Marsala, bring to a boil and allow the mixture to boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
  4. Transfer the mixture to a food processor. Add the cilantro and cooked lentils, and process for a few seconds to form a coarse paste consistency.
  5. Spoon into 6 ramekins, pressing down well with the back of the spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours before serving, garnished with fresh cilantro sprigs.

Some more ideas:

  • Chicken livers can substituted for turkey livers, or a mixture of the two.
  • Try replacing the Marsala with dry sherry.

Plus points

  • Turkey livers are a rich source of iron, zinc, vitamin A and many of the B vitamins, especially B12. The iron present in the livers is in a form that is easily absorbed by the human body.
  • Lentils can be used as a substitute for meat in many recipes, such as hamburgers and meatloaf. Simply replace about half of the meat with cooked lentils and proceed as usual with the recipe. This will cut the amount of fat and cholesterol in the recipe and increase the fibre content.

Nutritional information: