Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat Recipe: Mushroom Paté

One of our four holiday hors d’oeuvres recipes, this Mushroom Paté from Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat in Queensland, Australia, encourages you to go fancy without the fuss. This little appetizer is packed with taste but fairly simple to make—and is a great addition to your next holiday party menu.

And just a little statistic we’d like to share about the mushrooms found in this recipe: Studies have shown that button mushrooms, the most consumed mushrooms in the U.S., may have potential to prevent heart disease, while shitake mushrooms stimulate the immune system to fight against certain health conditions like cancer. All the more reason to try this recipe!

Gwinganna’s Mushroom Pate (Serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

⅔ lb button mushrooms
3-4 dried shitake mushrooms
1 medium onion
1 small sprig rosemary
5 sprigs parsley
2 sprigs thyme (or basil or oregano)
Sea salt & pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup cashew cheese

For Cashew Cheese:

2 cups raw cashew nuts
1 liter water
Sea salt
1 cup unsweetened rice milk
½ tsp caraway seeds
3 sprigs basil or parsley
Juice of ½ lemon

Plus, add crisp tortilla wedges to your grocery list.

Instructions:

For the paté

1. Soak the shitake mushrooms with some warm water.
2. Squeeze dry, cut off any hard stalks and chop together with the washed button mushrooms in a food processor.
3. Sauté the fine diced onions in the oil, then add the mushrooms and chopped herbs. Simmer on low heat, stirring regularly until most of the moisture has evaporated.
4. Add the cashew cheese and seasoning. Blend again in food processor to pesto-like consistency. Scrape mix into a container or bowl and allow to cool.
5. To serve, spoon a tablespoon full onto a crisp tortilla wedge and garnish with herbs or a thin slice of mushroom.

For the cashew cheese

1. Bring raw nuts to the boil with the water, then change water and reboil. Reduce to simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Drain and blend in a food processor with the milk and herbs, caraway seeds and salt to a cream cheese consistency.
3. Use for pestos, dressings or as condiment with a risotto or moussaka.