Everyone should have at least one good pâté recipe in their entertaining repertoire. Whether you serve it at lunch with a simple green salad; or with afternoon tea; or as an appetizer during a cocktail hour, a wine tasting, or with an apéritif before dinner, a tasty and exotic pâté can often liven up a culinary spread on any table. Until recently, I had two vegetarian pâtés (Exotic Mushroom Pâté and Walnut and Mushroom Pâté) that have served as my go-tos, and now I’ve added another interesting and flavorful winner.

Red lentils are one of my favorites, and when paired with coconut and curry, the warm and exotic flavors meld together beautifully. I normally serve pâté with fruit, vegetables, gougères, or store-bought crackers. This time I wanted to try something a little different, creative and more intentional in terms of flavor pairings. I served the terrine with homemade gluten-free cumin and turmeric flavored crackers. The crispy texture and warm flavors paired perfectly with this smooth lentil terrine.

The idea of making crackers might seem like it’s not worth the trouble, but trust me, these are SUPER easy to make and definitely worth the small investment of your time. They’re simple and rustic, yet also sophisticated.  I call them seeduction crackers because, similar to my Almond Seeduction Bars, they are mostly made with a lot of heart healthy seeds. The recipe is gluten free and the binding agent used is psyllium husk powder. Psyllium is one of the most popular fibers utilized for its fiber content. A good intestinal cleanser and stool softener, it thickens quickly when mixed with liquid. Not only does it help keep your stools regular, but psyllium also helps to reduce cholesterol levels; aid digestion and weight loss; and helps to alleviate diarrhea and constipation.

You can find psyllium in health food stores and some pharmacies. It comes in two forms, the raw husks and powdered. I use the powdered form as it dissolves easier in water, but either type works fine.

Over the past months I’ve made several flavor and seed variations of seeduction crackers, bars, breads and muffins. All are vegan, gluten free and use psyllium as the binding agent. Stay tuned, a sweet, Mediterranean-flavored inspired seeduction muffin coming soon! Until then, try this easy and delicious duo of lentil terrine and crackers. And, feel free to try different flavor variations for the crackers and let me know if you come up with any tasty ones!

Coconut Red Lentil Terrine
Adapted from Dame Bio

1 cup/200 grams red lentils
2 teaspoons curry powder (I used Madras curry)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
½ onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 teaspoon ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon herb salt or sea salt
2 tablespoons arrowroot
1 cup coconut milk
1 heaping teaspoon (4 grams) agar agar
cilantro, for garnish
flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, for garnish

Grease a small terrine (the size I used was 7¾” x 3¾” x 3¼”) with coconut oil.

Rinse lentils in cold water until water is no longer murky. In a large pot over medium heat, place lentils and cover with plenty of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until lentils are soft and lose their shape, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the curry powder until it is fragrant, a few minutes, and set aside. In a small saucepan sauté onions, garlic and ginger in coconut oil until onions are translucent. Add salt and tomato paste and sauté for another minute or so. Add the toasted curry powder.

Drain lentils and transfer to a bowl. Mash lentils using a fork. Add the tomato paste mixture and combine. Then add the arrowroot and mix until thickened. Using the same pot used to cook the lentils, heat the coconut milk and agar agar. Bring to a boil for two minutes. Add milk mixture to the lentils. Combine well. Taste, adjust any seasoning and add to terrine mold. Allow to cool and gel/solidy in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving.

Cumin and Turmeric Seeduction Crackers
Adapted from My New Roots

1 cup rolled oats (use gluten free if preferred)
½ cup buckwheat (you could also use more rolled oats instead)
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup flax seeds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sesame seeds
2 tablespoons millet (optional)
3 tablespoons psyllium husk powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
1½ cups water
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon maple syrup

In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients and stir well. Whisk together water, coconut oil and maple syrup in small bowl or measuring cup. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix until everything is completely soaked and batter becomes very thick.

Divide the dough roughly in half, and set aside one half. Gather into a ball and place it between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, firmly roll out into a thin sheet. Remove top layer of baking paper and using the tip of a knife, score the dough into shapes (rectangles, squares, circles, etc.). Repeat with remaining half of dough. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, or all day or overnight.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Using the baking paper, slide the dough onto a cookie sheet and bake for 25-35 minutes. Remove cookie sheet from oven, flip the whole cracker over (or you can flip in pieces or sections) and peel the baking paper off of the back. Return to oven to bake until fully dry, crisp, and golden around the edges, about 10-20 more minutes.

Allow to cool completely, then break crackers along their scored lines and store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. Enjoy!