Cooking: Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Shalom Shalom!

I've been meaning to post this for a while, and the last time I made this, I had "technical difficulties".  I announced on Facebook today that I was making Vegan Shepherd's Pie for dinner, and I was asked by the one and only Em Ahuva of Set Apart Living for the ingredients to my recipe.  I promised her that I would put the recipe on the blog today, and I am woman of my word.  This is a favorite in our house.  My Ish absolutely loves it!  I know, you may be thinking, if a vegan Shepherd's Pie will taste just as good as one made with meat.  I can definitely assure you that it is indeed delicious, and when I experimented and formulated this recipe, I did my best to give the best "meaty" taste as possible.  Well, for one, lentils are an excellent vegan protein source and meat substitute.  If you look back at my "Taco Tuesday" entry, you will see that I made taco filling with lentils.  It was just as good as, if not better, than that made with meat.  The same goes for this Shepherd's Pie.  And as a meat eater, I can definitely attest to the texture and flavor is similar to lamb (which is what a true Shepherd's Pie is made of) or beef (for cottage pie)!

Here's what you'll need...

*3 medium sized carrots

*4 stalks celery

*1/2 large onion (or 1 small or medium onion)

*5 cloves garlic

*3/4 cup corn (frozen is fine)

3/4 cup green beans (frozen is fine)

*1 cup dry lentils

*2 tablespoons tomato paste

*1/2 cup Liquid Aminos

*3 cups of liquid (vegetable stock, water, or a combination of both.  I used both because the vegetable stock was still somewhat frozen)

*Potatoes (for topping.  I used 9 medium sized russet potatoes for this recipe.  Use as little as much as you like--depending on how much you like mashed potatoes)

Finely chop the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic.

Peel and quarter potatoes...

...and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and cook until soft.

While the potatoes are cooking, on medium heat, add oil.  I use refined Coconut Oil.  Now, before you get in a tizzy on whether it's healthy or not, the particular brand of refined coconut oil is steam refined--as opposed to the use of chemicals.  I use Nutiva Refined Coconut Oil, and usually buy it by the gallon for about $20 on Amazon.  The oil has a smoking point on 425 degrees, so it is not easy for it to go rancid quickly.

Once the oil is heated, add the chopped carrots, celery, onion, and garlic.  I also add a sprinkle of salt (I use Himalayan Pink Salt) to draw out the moisture in the vegetables and to help them cook quicker (the sprinkling of the salt can be omitted--as the Liquid Aminos is quite salty).  Cook until softened and onions translucent--approximately 3 minutes.

Next, add the corn and green beans, and cook for about another 3 minutes.

Add the lentils, tomato paste, and Liquid Aminos.  The tomato paste and the Liquid Aminos is what gives this Vegan Shepherd's Pie a "meaty, beefy" taste.

Mix thoroughly...

...and add liquid.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Once at a boil, turn the heat down on low, and allow to simmer for approximately 20-30 minutes.  You may need to check the level of liquid every so often--as lentils absorb liquid quickly.  Add more liquid if need be.  We want a nice sauce with the lentils.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

The potatoes are ready.  After boiling, strain, and keep on low heat.  This will help excess water to dissipate--as the excess water will result in watery mashed potatoes. Mash the potatoes (I used a potato masher), and prepare them as you like.  What I do, after the mashing is to add Earth Balance and cashew milk for creaminess, and add salt and pepper to taste.  I prefer cashew milk over other non-dairy milks for mashed potatoes because it has the consistency of half and half--which I would use if I were making a non-vegan version

Filling is ready also.

In the pan it goes.  I used a half hotel pan (you can get these in restaurant supply stores.  My stepfather is a chef, and had these in abundance).  I would suggest that the depth be no less than 2 inches.

Now for the mashed potato topping.  Spread the potatoes evenly on top of the filling.  You can leave it flat, or you can fluff it up--as I did in the pic.  Simply take a fork and fluff up the top.  This was mainly done for aesthetics.  The look of the topping is completely up to you.

Put the Shepherd's Pie in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.  This will further cook the lentils and give the topping a light browning.

Vegan Shepherd's Pie...

...Done!

This recipe should yield 6-8 servings--depending on your portion sizes.  Being that this is just my Ish and I, we will have leftovers for the next few days.  It's all good, because it tastes better the days after it's made!

I sincerely hope that you make this for your family, and please let me know how it turned out for you!  Thanks for stopping by, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.  Shalom Shalom!

Bathshua