The first time you had a shepherd's pie - the "real" shepherd's pie, it was a memorable experience. The ground beef, the mashed potatoes - the softness and comfort and savoriness of it all.
Then by a lucky set of circumstances...you become a vegetarian.
And then one day not very long after...you see someone consuming a vegan shepherd's pie. A light goes off.
Lentils in lieu of the ground beef - that's one way (see images above).
Or mushrooms and soy-based veggie "ground round" in lieu of the ground beef - that's another way (see images below).
That's all it takes.
However.
We can't forget the all-too-important dark green veggies...so...you happily break the rules. Bok choy (see images above), and broccoli (see images below).
And when you find leftover wild rice in the fridge, you have the good sense to throw it on top (see images above)...which adds a nice and much-needed crunchiness to the dish.
And because you like pretty - and again - some texture, you slice up green onions very thinly and carefully, and use it to bedazzle the field of mashed potatoes (see images below).
If the meal of a shepherd is shepherd's pie, then the dream is to be a shepherd.
Vegan Shepherd's Pie I
Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes, cut in cubes
2 red potatoes, cut in cubes
1 cup of lentils, cooked in boiling water and strained
1 bunch of purple bok choy, steamed and chopped roughly
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 of a red onion, minced
1 fresh red chili pepper, minced
1 dried red chili pepper, crushed
1/2 cup of cooked wild rice
3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil (1 tb for cooking, 1 tb for greasing, 1 tb for drizzling)
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Sea salt to taste
Creative Steps:
Cook potatoes in boiling water for about 15 minutes, or until they become mushy. Drain the water away, mash the potatoes, mix in two pinches of salt, and then set aside. In a pan over medium heat, saute the onion, garlic and chili peppers in olive oil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they soften and become fragrant. Add lentils and cook for 1 minute. Then mix in the bok choy. Grease an oven dish with olive oil. Divide the mashed potatoes equally into two. Put the first batch in the oven dish and then season with black pepper. Layer in the lentil / bok choy mixture and then put the remaining mashed potato on top. Finally sprinkle the wild rice over the top. Add a few turns of black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake in the oven at 350 degree Celsius for 25 minutes. Let cool a bit and enjoy!
Vegan Shepherd's Pie II
Ingredients:
1 sweet potato, cut in cubes
2 yellow potatoes, cut in cubes
1/2 cup of coconut milk
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
3 spring onions, sliced thinly
1 medium-sized yellow onion, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pack (340 gram) soy-based veggie ground round
4 Cremini mushrooms, minced
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of mixed Italian herbs
1 can (411 grams) of cherry tomatoes (chemical/preservative-free)
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Sea salt to taste
Creative Steps:
Cook potatoes in boiling water for about 15 minutes, or until they become mushy. Drain the water away and then mash the potatoes. Add coconut milk and coconut oil, a few pinches of sea salt and a few turns of black pepper; combine well and put aside. In a large pan over medium heat, saute the onion for 2 minutes, or until just soft, and then add the garlic and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until they soften and become fragrant. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they brown and soften. Add the veggie ground round and cook for about 3 minutes. Mix in the cherry tomatoes and the Italian herbs and then bring to a boil. Then simmer under very low heat for about 5 minutes. In a large oven dish, first add the sauce and then cover with the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle in the spring onions and bake in the oven at 350 degree Celsius for 20 minutes. Let cool a bit and enjoy with a side of roasted broccoli!
