Shepherd-less Pie

Shepherd's or cottage pie was a staple in my house growing up and it remains a running joke that my mum will make it whenever guests are arriving for a visit. She has a point- it can be made up in advance and then heated in the oven when needed. It was only a matter of time before I shared a recipe for "Shepherd-less" Pie (aka gardener's pie or vegan shepherd's pie), combining a lentil filling and sweet potato topping. This vegan friendly version has the same comforting credentials as the original and following in my mother's footsteps, I like to make it in advance so I simply need to pop it in the oven to heat through when I'm ready (with or without guests!), plus, as with most dishes like this it tastes better once the flavours have had a chance to infuse together. Kale and quinoa, etc.. are all well and good but sometimes, you simply want comfort food and that's where this dish comes into its own!

Three great health benefits: beneficial for digestive health, boosts immunity, good source of plant-based protein

Makes 1 large pie

Ingredients:
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped (mine weighed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 stick celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
150g mushrooms (I used Closed Cup), finely chopped
2 x 400g tins green lentils, drained
2 tbsp tomato puree
Leaves from 3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tbsp liquid aminos
Sea salt and black pepper

Method:
1) Place the sweet potatoes in a large saucepan filled with water and bring to the boil. Boil for 15- 20 minutes until soft. Drain.
2) Mash the sweet potatoes using a potato masher and season to taste with salt & pepper.
3) While the sweet potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. In a large pan over a medium heat on the hob, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and lightly fry for a few minutes, until softened.
4) Add the garlic, celery and carrot and fry for a further 1-2 minutes.
5) Next, add the mushrooms and lentils, followed by the tomato puree, thyme and liquid amigos. Stir to combine and cook for 5- 10 minutes. You may need to add a splash of water if the mixture looks too dry. Season with salt and pepper.
6) Place the lentil layer in an overproof dish (I used a lasagne dish) and top with the sweet potato mash, smoothing it out to an even layer. I like to make a rough pattern on the top using a fork.
7) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (do this at the start if you're not making the pie in advance). Bake the pie in the oven for 30 minutes, until the top starts to crisp slightly.

Let me know if you try out this recipe! Tag me on Twitter @HaloEats or Instagram @halo.eats
Photo credit: with thanks to www.tiffany-matthews.com