Spreads, Pâtés, Dips, Starters, Snacks And Things To Have For Lunch

 

Credit: Janette Watson

Most cruising people that I know, do not have a ‘hot knife and fork lunch’, but have something much more like a snack – and a variable feast at that. Because of the limitations of most yachts’ accommodation, a large number of us invite friends around for sundowners and serve substantial snacks rather than trying to give a proper cooked meal to more than four guests.  And when new people come alongside for a couple of minutes’ chat, it’s often nice to invite them aboard and offer hospitality.   If we get on well time passes and soon more than a cup of tea is called for.  It seems that all these occasions require much the same sort of food, which is why I’ve lumped them altogether in one 'page'.  Other quick and casual food can be found in the pages: ‘Pasties, Empanadas, Samosa and Calzone’, ‘Soups’, ‘Pastry Dishes’, or even Breakfast! And if you are looking for ideas for a picnic, this is a good place to start.

 

PÂTÉS AND SPREADS

 

Pâtés and spreads are wonderful snack foods.  With chunks of home-made bread, they can provide a substantial lunch and you can use crackers or Melba Toast for sundowners or a starter.  Once you’re used to making them, you can soon invent new ideas from the ingredients that you have to hand.  Below are some to get you on your way.

 

Many of the following recipes include mayonnaise, yoghurt or lemon juice and if more of this is added, the consistency can be altered to form (that ugly word) a ‘dip’, ideal with crudités if you have some suitable (and suitably fresh) vegetables aboard.

 

MELBA TOAST

 

Wafer thin slices of toast go well with many dips and pâtés.  In fact, this recipe isn’t pukka Melba toast, but works well. 

 

Melba toast 

 

AUBERGINE AND SESAME PÂTÉ (BABA GANOUSH)

 

This is a delicious Middle-eastern creation, which I love. The aubergine and sesame seeds seem to be made for each other. Interestingly, both these foods are among the first crops ever to have been cultivated.

 

Occasionally, you can find jars of aubergine in brine and if you drain it well, it can be used for this pâté if fresh ones are unobtainable.

 

Aubergine and sesame pâté 

 

MOCK CAVIAR

I may have mentioned that aubergines are one of my favourite vegetables and this recipe makes the most of their unique flavour. Russian in origin, it’s usually popular, although very conservative eaters find its taste and texture too unusual for comfort. The secret of success is to ensure that the aubergine skin is thoroughly charred – this is what gives it its distinctive, smokey taste.

Mock Caviar 

 

AVOCADO AND CHEESE PÂTÉ

I invented this on the spur of the moment one evening in Trinidad. We had invited some friends round for drinks and I wanted fairly substantial nibbles, so that no-one would need to cook more than a light meal after they left. I had a ripe avocado on board, but none of the other ingredients for Guacamole, which would have been my normal choice. However, this recipe worked so well that I reckoned it was worth adding to the repertoire!

Avocado and cheese pâté 

AVOCADO AND GARLIC PÂTÉ

This always seems to go down well because most people love both avocados and garlic. I use dried, minced garlic here, rather than chopping or crushing fresh cloves. It permeates the pâté better and even garlic addicts don’t always enjoy crunching on a piece of raw garlic.

 

Avocado and garlic pâté

GUACAMOLE

It seems that nearly everyone likes avocados and this is always a popular way of serving them. Generally, you see guacamole presented as a smooth, green paste, but I prefer to mash the avocado and dice the other ingredients. I rather like its appearance when it’s made this way.

 

Guacamole 

 

BUTTER BEAN SPREAD

This is a very useful recipe if you have a few cans of ready-cooked beans on board, and is capable of a large number of variations. Many people refer to these spreads as ‛hummus’, but hummus means chickpea, so to do so is quite incorrect! If you don’t have any canned beans, you will need to cook 1/2 cup of dried beans to make the equivalent amount. 

 

Butter bean spread

 

BUTTER/CANNELLINI BEAN AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO SPREAD

Sun-dried tomatoes, especially those sold in oil, have a rich flavour that is far beyond that of mere tomatoes. This is a great spread or pâté, depending on how posh you feel! It also makes an excellent sandwich filling or goes well with thick slices of fresh, crusty bread for lunch. Use cannellinni beans of butter beans are unobtainable.

Warning: blender alert! You could finely cut up the sun-dried tomatoes and mash the other ingredients; I’m sure the spread would still be quite wonderful.

 

 

Butter/cannellini bean and sun-dried tomato spread

 

CARROT CHUTNEY

 

This is another Indian chutney, that most of us would not recognise as such, and while it may sound unpromising, it’s very good. Like the peanut chutney, it also makes a very useful spread or dip, particularly with lentil flatbreads. The tempering adds a bit more spice and an interesting appearance. If you’re serving it with bread, or crackers, along with other ‛charcutérie’, you might prefer it without. It will still be both an unusual and pleasant addition.

Carrot chutney 

 

CHEESE PÂTÉ

 

This is another recipe capable of many variations. If you make it a little thinner, it becomes a lovely dip, excellent with raw vegetables. It can be made with any cheese that has a full flavour, but would be very bland made with something like mozzarella. You do need a fine grater for the cheese to blend properly.

 

Cheese pâté 

 

(CHICKPEA) HUMMUS

 

 

This is another very popular middle-eastern recipe that nowadays appears in almost every supermarket. 

I prefer to make it myself, because I don’t like hummus to be too smooth or light. Ideally, you make it with a very full-flavoured olive oil.

 

(Chickpea) hummus 

 

 

 

 

EGG SPREAD

 

This makes a lovely filling for sandwiches and as long as they’re in a plastic box, works well for picnics, because it doesn’t make the bread soggy. It can also be used as a dip (although then you do need to chop the eggs very finely, pass them through a sieve or put them in a blender) or spread on crackers. However, serve these immediately or the crackers will go soft.

Egg spread 

LENTIL AND HARISSA PÂTÉ

This is a really good pâté, that I invented one Christmas. The harissa gives it an unusual flavour, without making it too overpowering.

Lentil and harissa pâté

LENTIL AND MUSHROOM PÂTÉ

 

I’ve adapted this recipe from one of Rose Elliot’s creations. Most people are pleasantly surprised at the flavour and after a tentative spoonful, come back greedily for more. In fact, I like it so much that I usually make double the amount in the hope of having some left over the next day. All too often, I don’t!

Lentil and mushroom pâté 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LENTIL SPREAD

This is a simple, basic spread for when you want something for sandwiches or crackers and have nothing more special to hand. Like most basic recipes, it’s capable of many variations. This can also be used as a filling for a pasty.

 

Lentil spread 

MUSHROOM AND SUNFLOWER SEED PÂTÉ

 

This is truly delicious and certainly good enough for a special occasion.  It's also inexpensive, keeps several days in a covered bowl, without refrigeration and leftovors go well in a sandwich. They can also be thinned with a little water, milk or wine to make a great pasta sauce.

 

Mushroom and sunflower seed pâté

 

 

 

 

PEANUT CHUTNEY

This isn’t what most Westerners would think of as a chutney. To us it is more of a pâté or a spread. However, it tastes surprisingly good and goes very well with lentil flatbreads. However, it’s also very acceptable as part of a ‛charcutérie’ board with bread or crackers. The tempering adds an exotic touch, but isn’t essential, especially if there are other dips and pâtés on the board.

Peanut chutney

 

SPICY PEANUT DIP

 

Blender alert!!

 

I discovered something similar to this on the Minimalist Baker blog, when I was looking for a 'store-cupboard' ingredients, quick and easy recipe.  The blog suggested a 5-minute, vegan queso. Not having had a lot to do with Mexican food, I thought they were suggesting some sort of quick, vegan cheese; however, it turns out that ‛queso’ is short for ‛chilli con queso’ and is a runny, spicy, cheesy sauce, which is served warm, with tortilla chips. It sounded a bit like fondue! I didn’t want anything that liquid, or anything warm, but the seasonings looked interesting and I was short of time. So I took the recipe and adapted it to end up with a spicy, thick dip, ideal for spreading on crackers.  Indeed, it was quick to make and has proven popular; nor does it taste of peanuts!

 

Assuming conditions aren't too rough to use a blender, this is a great voyaging dip, because everything will be in your lockers.  At the other end of the scale, it's ideal for taking to another boat for sundowners.

Spicy peanut dip

 

RED KIDNEY BEAN SPREAD

With more than a few similarities to chilli sin carne, this makes a substantial lunch with crackers, rolls or bread. It can also be used to fill a pasty.

Red kidney bean spread  

 

TOMATO CHUTNEY

 

While this is a traditional Indian chutney, it is very adaptable to western ideas and you can use it as a base for a sauce, a dip or for stuffing vegetables. Or even as an extremely inauthentic pizza base! I think it goes very well with Lentil flatbreads for a light lunch or with sundowners. Unlike ‘chutney’ as most British people would think of it, this is not a preserve, although it will keep quite well for several days.

 

Tomato chutney

 

VEGAN GARLIC AND HERB SOFT “CHEESE”

While this tastes nothing at all like cheese, it is a very pleasant spread, with a similar consistency to soft cheese.  The lemon juice gives a hint of sourness, which might possibly remind the more  imaginative of goats' cheese.  If you can make it well in advance, so much the better: it will let the flavours combine all the more.  As you are unlikely to have fresh herbs, don't be mean with the flavouring .

Vegan garlic and herb soft "cheese" 

 

YOGHURT AND HERB DIP

While many of the above recipes, suitably thinned, will make fine dips, it’s more difficult to alter the consistency of a dip to make a pâté or spread. Sometimes, however, you may not have sufficient warning to prepare a more complicated dip in advance. If you have some thick yoghurt on board (and if you make your own, you probably will), the following recipe is an excellent spur-of-the-moment dip that couldn't be easier to make. I’ve added several variations to it, but I’m sure you could think of many more.

Yoghurt and herb dip

STARTERS

Any of the recipes above make excellent starters, of course, and some of the following make a good snack or lunch. They are however, more suited to being served as a starter than anything else.

EGG MAYONNAISE

This always-popular starter is simplicity itself. For a special occasion, use home-made mayonnaise. (See Recipe)

Egg mayonnaise

 

STUFFED EGGS

These make a delicious lunch, with some bread and a salad.  However, when arranged attractively on a plate, they also make an excellent snack with drinks, or a starter.

Stuffed eggs

 

TORTILLA (Spanish omelette)

In Spain, they sell slices of tortilla to take away and eat as a snack or for a quick lunch. It also makes a lovely and unusual starter, especially before a lighter main course. I should like to offer a vegan version of this, but so far am still struggling to find a decent recipe, and I don't want to use a processed product such as "Just Eggs", even assuming I could find it.  I am very unconvinced that a gram flour 'white sauce' is a substitute for beaten eggs.

 

Tortilla (Spanish omelette)

PAKORA

These little, crisp savoury fritters make a delicious starter to an Indian-style meal. They can also be served as a snack or with drinks.

 

Pakora 

FRIED PEPPERS

In much of southern Spain, you can buy long, thin peppers, which look like an overgrown chilli. In fact they are ‘sweet’ and the locals tend to cook them on a plancha, which is essentially a sheet of well-seasoned steel, that's placed at one end of the barbecue. Hot coals are swept under it and the metal gets extremely hot. When the peppers are cooked like this, the skins char and the core and seeds cook to a delectable softness and do in fact, taste positively sweet. They’re unbelievably good with lots of coarse salt ground over them. Occasionally, one of the peppers is spicy hot, which causes much amusement, when the greedy diner has bitten a huge chunk off the end. Lacking a large barbecue and plancha, I suggest cooking them in a more mundane frying pan.  They are sublime as a starter, because you just have the peppers alone and can really appreicate the flavours.  The long, thing ones (sometimes sold as Romano) are full of scalding hot juice - be careful! - which can be mopped up with bread.

Although they’re common in both Spain and South America, these slender peppers are not easy to find elsewhere. However, ordinary peppers make a good second best, although the seeds don’t cook the same way and aren't usually worth eating. You can also find miniature peppers which taste equally appetising when cooked this way - seeds and all.

Roast peppers have become very popular recently, and many people cook them over the barbecue. Nothing, however, quite matches the searing heat of a hot plancha or frying pan. 

 

Fried peppers 

 

STUFFED TOMATOES

If you can get the really big tomatoes sometimes (incomprehensibly) known as ‘beef’ tomatoes’, they make a gorgeous starter when stuffed with a savoury filling. There are, of course, countless ways of making these, but I will give one example and a couple of variations. Experiment as you wish.

I use bulgur wheat or couscous, rather than breadcrumbs, for making the stuffing, but any of them give excellent results.

Stuffed tomatoes 

SNACKS AND THINGS TO HAVE FOR LUNCH

Swiss chard with white beans

 

This recipe is quick to make and when eaten with bread as intended, would make a substantial starter for four, or a good lunch or light dinner for two. If you use canned beans, which speeds the whole process up substantially, it would also make a good snack with something like large crackers or Melba toast, to give to visitors who have lingered until sundowners.  The combination of bread, beans and Swiss chard make for a pretty well-rounded meal nutritionally.

 

I first this when I had no appetite and little enthusiasm for cooking, but had a large bunch of chard looking at me.  As it soon yellows, it had be to be eaten up!  I slightly altered the recipe to what is shown below, and ate it on the previous day's naan bread (= ½ cup flour), reheated on the toaster, rather than the recommended sourdough.  It was still was surprisingly good; indeed, I ate more of it than I'd anticipated.  Although the original called for cannelini beans, I can only buy them canned and as I prefer to cook my own legumes, I used haricot beans. However, using canned beans would make this meal almost ‘instant’.

 

Although the stems are a little more sturdy, the leaves of chard tend to disappear like spinach, when heated, so you will want at least six large leaves of chard and possibly more.

 

Swiss chard with white beans

 

Toasted sandwiches

 

One of the easiest and tastiest of quick snacks is a toasted sandwich. You don’t need to have a special sandwich toaster for this, or even a grill: toasted sandwiches can be made very satisfactorily, by making the sandwich and then popping it on your toaster turning it over when one side is done. It’s worth using tongs for this. Lacking a toaster, they’re delicious cooked in a dry frying pan, especially if you’ve been generous with the butter. This soaks through and makes the sandwich delectably crisp on the outside.

TOASTED CHEESE SANDWICH

I no longer eat butter and dislike margarine, so if I want to make a toasted sandwich these days, I tend to fry it in a minimum of olive oil.  However, so far I've been unable to find edible vegan cheese in New Zealand, so, sadly, toasted cheese sandwiches now exist only in my memory.  

I'm still looking for a successful vegan "Cheddar cheese" recipe.  All suggestions gratefully received.  There are a couple of other suggestions for toasted sandwiches, for those of us who can't find vegan cheese, in the following link.  I'm sure you'll be able to come up with heaps of other ideeas.

Toasted cheese sandwich

SAVOURY SCONE

 

Sometimes you want something more sustaining than a sandwich, but don’t want to eat out of bowls. A savoury scone can provide just what’s needed.

 

Savoury Scone 

WELSH RAREBIT

 

This is sometimes known as Welsh Rabbit, but I can assure you that it is definitely a vegetarian meal.  Equally, as far as I know, it has nothing to do with Wales.  There are two versions in this recipe: vegans can use the first variation substituting grated vegan cheese, or the second variation using nutritional yeast. 

I ought to mention that Worcestershire sauce, at least the original and peerless product made by Lea & Perrin's, contains a very small amount of anchovies.  Considering that you merely shake a few drops into the rarebit, the amount of anchovies must be about homeopathic, but there we are.  Since I've live alone, I've been strictly vegetarian and Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire sauce is one of the pleasures of life I have had to forego.  Sadly, all the other brands I've tried are a travesty and not worth their space on board.  You may be more fortunate.

Welsh rarebit is a favourite in England for lunch or a light dinner.  It also makes a good breakfast.  If you have any choice, try to use a sharp, yellow cheese, such as (real) Cheddar, Double Gloucester or Red Leicester for a fuller flavour and a more attractive appearance.  The advantage of using gram flour, in the vegan version, is that it makes the sauce a pale yellow colour.

Welsh Rarebit

Before we’re finished, a few more lunch ideas:

• Try any of the savoury breads from the Bread page, with cheese, tahini, peanut butter, Marmite, or Annie's Big Mix. 
• A very English snack that doesn’t appeal to everyone is baked beans on toast.  I love it!
• (Vegan) Scrambled eggs or poached eggs on toast are as good at lunchtime as they are for breakfast.

And finally, some suggestions for snacks with drinks:

SNACKS TO HAVE WITH DRINKS

CRISPY FRIED CHICKPEAS

These make a change from peanuts and can be as hot as you like!

 

Crispy fried chickpeas 

POPCORN

It may seem silly to include a recipe for this, but not everyone knows how to make popcorn.  This assumes that you are using a fairly large pan.  Do it in two stages in a smaller one – two tbsp, when popped, will completely fill a 1 litre (1 quart) pan.

Popcorn

More ideas

• Olives of any type
• Pepperdews stuffed with cheese or nuts
• Mixed nuts
• Peanuts
• Pistachios
• Crisps, nachos, etc
• Poppadums, cooked and broken into smaller pieces
• Hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters
• Sliced or cubed cheese
• Vegan chorizo (see below)
  
• Sardine pâté (see recipe) on toast.

GREEN OLIVES WITH FENNEL

 

Olives are a good addition to a lunch of bread, cheese and some salad, such as tomatoes, cucumber and lettuce.  They are ahandy standby to have with drinks, but sometimes you want something a little more special than simple supermarket olives.  This is a great way of turning cheap and cheerful green olives into something more like a treat!

 

Green olives with fennel 

SEITAN CHORIZO

This makes one sausage, about 170 x 30. I worked out that it costs no more than a dollar for the vital wheat gluten. Even if you add another dollar for the rest of the ingredients, this is a very cheap chorizo. It tastes just like the real thing and the texture is very similar. I use dried flaked garlic instead of fresh and reckon 1/2 tsp = 1 clove of garlic. This is very hit and miss, however, because the flakes are big and the spoon is small! I smash them up a little bit and the finished appearance is just fine.  Granules would do, but the chunks of flaked garlic look a little bit like the fat that you usually find in chorizo, so add to its verisimilitude.

I can’t recommend this recipe too much, if you like chorizo: it’s dirt cheap, it’s quick, it’s easy and it tastes amazing. It’s also great to have as a tapa when you have friends on board – vegetarian or otherwise.

Seitan chorizo