This is a recipe that can be made vegan or full fat with meat.  I’m going to write up the vegan version for you because it’s delicious, healthy, and will save you a few calories….all in keeping with the spirit of this blog.  By the way, this is a little more labor intensive than other recipes here.  I make a BIG batch and then divide up the leftovers and freeze in individual portions.  This recipe is adapted from Vegan Cooking for Carnivores by Roberto Martin.

What you’ll need:

1 cup of dried French green lentils

2 lbs russet potatoes

4 tablespoons (which is a 1/2 stick or a 1/4 cup) of vegan butter, melted – here is one place you could sub in non vegan ingredients.  There are plenty of places along the way you can do this but I recommend leaving it vegan.  It’s super yummy and you can say, “I’m cool, I eat vegan sometimes!”

1/2 cup warm soy or almond milk

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives (optional)

salt and fresh ground pepper

2 tablespoons of a high heat oil, i.e. safflower or grapeseed oil

1 white/yellow onion diced small

3 garlic cloves minced

1 large carrot, diced small

2 celery stalks, diced small

1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme

3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (I use ‘Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base’)

1/2 cup frozen peas

 

What you’ll do:

Preheat oven to 420 F

Cook the lentils in a medium pot.  Cover with 1 inch of cold water.  Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes.  It might be a little underdone…not to worry.  They will cook more in the oven.  Drain the lentils and set them aside.

Make the mashed potatoes while the lentils cook.  Peel the potatoes and put them in a large pot.  Fill the pot with water 3 inches above the potatoes.  Once it boils, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft (poke with a fork to test).  When they are done, drain them and then put them in the ovenproof baking dish that you will cook the shepherd’s pie in.  Bake them in the oven for 5 min to remove excess moisture.  Keep the oven on.

Using a potato masher and your muscles, mash up the potatoes in the pan you brought them out of the oven in.  Add in the melted butter, warm milk, chopped chives and stir well.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place the mashed potatoes in a bowl, wipe out the baking dish to get it ready for the pie.  (Trying to save you from pulling out every pot and pan you own for this recipe!!).

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the oil, and wait until it shimmers.  Add the diced onions and saute for 5 minutes or so – until they are translucent.  Add the garlic, celery, carrot, and thyme and sauté for 5 more minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir in.

Pour the broth into the pan and stir until it’s well incorporated.

Stir in the lentils and simmer all together for about 5 minutes.

Add the peas to lentil mixture and season with salt and pepper.  Spread the mixture evenly into an 11×7 inch overproof baking dish (the one you used to get the moisture out of the potatoes).

Top with the mashed potatoes….push potatoes all the way to the edges to create a seal which prevents the mixture from bubbling up.  Smooth it out with a spatula.

Bake the pie for 25 min or until the potatoes begin to brown.  Allow it to cool for 10 min before serving.