Red bean and Pepper Pate

Sorry for being MIA for the past week.  I did not have my camera so I could not take good enough pictures so I had to take a small break from blogging.

Now that I have my camera back, I decided to make a recipe that I found on NY Times.  It is a red bean and red pepper pate that can serve as a great dip for a large gathering.  It is easy to make and an inexpensive dish that would feed many people. 

I am more and more realizing that I do not love peppers, there is something about their taste that only allows me to eat a little bit at a time.  In this dish, the red pepper taste is much less obvious, I find that the texture of the red beans is most dominate.  Again, I would not eat too much of this dip at a time but it is a good option to serve to those 'normal' people who are not picky selective eaters like I am. 

Ingredients
makes 10 portions

1 can red kidney beans, rinsed, or 1 2/3 cups cooked red beans
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely diced red pepper
1 serrano chili, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound grated tomatoes or 1/2 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes with juice
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 eggs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter or oil a 5-cup baking dish.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the onion, red pepper and serrano chili. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes.

3. Add the garlic cloves. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about one minute.

4. Stir in the tomatoes, paprika and cayenne, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and the mixture is thick, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

5. Using a food processor, add the beans and eggs and process. 

6. Add the lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Process until smooth. Add the tomato-onion-pepper mixture, and pulse to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Scrape into the prepared baking dish, and cover tightly.

7. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the pate is set and the top is just beginning to color.

8. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Enjoy!

~R