I'm Nuts for this Nut Paté

I am always on the lookout for unique recipes where the majority or the main ingredient is nuts. Doesn't matter to me what kind they are, I love them all.

I am sure you know by now that nuts are a great pick-me-up option for a snack.

Did you also know that eating about 2 ounces of nuts daily in place of carbohydrates may be beneficial to people with type 2 diabetes by lowering bad cholesterol levels and improving blood sugar control?

The best nuts consist of a mixture of unsalted, raw or dry-roasted almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts, cashews, and macadamias and have benefits for both blood glucose control and blood lipids and may be used to increase vegetable oil and protein intake in the diets of type 2 diabetic patients as part of a strategy to improve diabetes control without weight gain.

I eat 2 ounces of dry-roasted peanuts at three o'clock every afternoon. I find that at dinner I am full with less food, I eat slower and my constipation is gone (sorry about that but digestion is important for good health).

I am all for pesto's of any kind because they always include nuts, herbs and good fats.

This is not a pesto because it contains no oil or cheese. It is crumbly but spreadable and made an excellent "mayo" for a sandwich.
I used it as the spread on whole grain ciabatta bread, along with an addition of roasted peppers, cucumbers and pepper jack cheese. A great brown bag lunch that stays fresh from morning until noon.
Protein-rich, cholesterol free, high fiber and low carb, add a handful of grapes for dessert and you have the perfect lunch.
I did not have blanched whole almonds so the pate is brown because of the almond skins. I also added a squeeze (about 1 teaspoon) of agave nectar to offset the bitterness I thought the skins gave the pate.

I was hesitant to taste this but when I did, I was amazingly surprised. It was good, different, but really tasty.
I happily ate my sandwich sans meat but The Nudge asked for thinly sliced turkey breast on his.

I have enough left over to tuck under the skin of a split chicken breast or roll up in a flounder fillet, mix with couscous or add to a sauce for pasta. Oh, yes, I will have no trouble using this up.

Carrot-Almond Paté
makes 4 servings (1/2 sandwich)
* 1/3 cup whole almonds
* 2 large carrots (8oz), peeled and cut into 1/2" rounds
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1/8 teaspoon ground tumeric
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 clove garlic
* 1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro
* 2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 ciabatta rolls, halved, or 4 slices whole-grain bread
6 roasted red pepper halves, sliced
4 sliced Monterey Jack Cheese
1 cucumber (6-8oz), thinly sliced
Roasted turkey breast, thinly sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Scatter almonds on a baking sheet. Toast for 15 minutes, until fragrant. Cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, steam carrots 10-15 minutes, until very tender. Cool completely.
3. Put almonds, carrots, salt, cumin, coriander, tumeric, cinnamon, garlic and cilantro in a food processor. With motor running add lemon juice and agave. Contimue to prcess until mixture is spreadable, scraping down sides as needed. (Paté will be coarse, not completely smooth)
4. Spread paté on each bread piece. Top with peppers, cheese and cucumbers. Top with another bread piece, cut in half.