Plant-based Shepherd’s Pie
2-3 cups chopped and packed spinach
1 cup dry black or french lentils or 1/2 cup of each for fun (mung beans work well too)
8-10 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil or vegan butter
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (and NO VANILLA FLAVOR) lol
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1-2 small fresh white onions, chopped
2 tablespoons minced, fresh sage thyme
1/2 package mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup red wine
1 tablespoon liquid amino
1-2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup vegetable stock or hot water
1/2 package griller crumbles by morningstar farms
1 package of frozen peas
4-5 long carrots chopped
Drop the lentils (if you don’t have lentils you could use mung beans) into the saucepan of boiling water or pressure cooker. Cook until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes in saucepan or 8 min in pressure cooker. Drain and set aside.
Grab a non-stick fry pan and carmelize your onions, garlic, mushrooms, carrots, fresh sage and thyme, beefless grounds in a touch of olive oil. When this is nice and golden add red wine and once reduced 1-2 min follow with tomato paste and hot water or stock. After add frozen peas and spinach taste for flavor and add salt and pepper as you remove from heat. This is the good stuff.
Boil and cook chopped potatoes and 2 garlic cloves for 18-20 min or if you have a pressure cooker 4 min.
In a mixer, combine the drained potatoes, 2 tablespoons of olive oil or vegan butter, the almond milk, and salt & pepper sometimes I’ll add a tablespoon of coconut milk or soy creamer or Vegenaise. Mix potatoes until smooth. Beware of over mixing. Feeling wild add horseradish or some extra cloves of garlic and/or fresh chives.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Fill your baking dish with the good stuff! Drop in spoonfuls the mashed potatoes on top and then spread evenly. Sprinkle with cracked pepper and bake for 25-30 min. I always broil the top for an added crisp and then serve.