Shepherds Pie
This is the perfect hearty dish to warm you up from the inside out, especially perfect considering we have had some cool weather here. A slow cooked, flavourful dish that can be made days ahead or a crowd pleaser to take to your next potluck!
Serves around 6-8
Recipe Adapted from: The First Mess
Ingredients:
French Onion & Lentil Filling:
2 Tbsp Seedy Sister Organic Olive Oil
1kg Brown Onions – peeled, cut in half, and then thinly sliced.
Seedy Sister Pink Lake Salt & Black Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp Seedy Sister Organic Thyme
1 Seedy Sister Organic Bay Leaf
3 Cloves of Garlic – minced (or 1 Tbsp Seedy Sister Organic Garlic Powder)
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 ½ Cups Seedy Sister Organic French Lentils – rinsed and drained
1 ½ Tbsp Seedy Sister Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
1 ½ Tbsp Seedy Sister Organic Tamari
5 Cups Vegetable Stock
Cauliflower & Potato Mash:
2 Cups Water
2 Cloves of Garlic (or 1 Tbsp Seedy Sister Organic Garlic Powder)
650g Potatoes – peeled and chopped
4 Cups Cauliflower florets
4 Tbsp Dairy-Free Butter
½ Cup Dairy Free Milk – non sweetened
2 Tbsp Seedy Sister Nutritional Yeast Flakes
*Salt & Pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat a large pot over medium heat with olive oil.
Add all the sliced onions to the pot and sauté, stirring often until they are just starting to soften, then turn the heat to low.
Keep cooking and stirring the onions occasionally, until they are a light golden brown and jammy. This process can take anywhere between 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add small splashes of water if the onions begin to stick.
Increase heat back to medium, add thyme, bay leaf, and garlic to the pot and stir.
Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
Add the lentils to the pot and stir, then add the vinegar and tamari.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add the vegetable stock to the pot and stir once more.
Cover the pot and bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer.
Cook until the lentils are tender (around 25-30 minutes)
There should be just enough liquid for onions and lentils but add more stock if necessary.
Remove the bay leaf from the pot and allow the lentil mix to cool slightly before transferring to a baking dish.
Make the creamy cauliflower and potato mash. Pour the water into a large pot and bring to the boil. Place the garlic into the water, place the cauliflower into the boiling water or into a steamer on top.
Steam or boil potatoes and cauliflowers until they are fork tender – usually 20 minutes.
Drain the vegetables and return to the pot (including the garlic)
Add the dairy free butter, milk, nutritional yeast, and lots of salt and pepper. Using a hand masher, mash until smooth and creamy.
Preheat oven to 180c
Smooth the lentil mix out and then dollop the mash on top, carefully spread the mash out.
Drizzle the top with olive oil and bake for 25 minutes.