Vegetarian Lentil Shepard's Pie

This recipe is the ultimate take on a Shepard's Pie. Hearty and loaded with veggies this recipe is great comfort food for the cold winter nights. Using lentils, your choice vegetables cooked in a delicious red sauce topped off with a sweet and white potato mash.

Ingredients

• 1 large brown onion diced

• 4 cloves of garlic diced

• 2 celery stalks diced

• 1 1/2-2 cups of mushrooms diced (3 large flat head mushrooms)

• 1 medium zuchinni

• 1 large carrot diced (you can also used 1 1/2 cup of frozen mixed veg: carrots, peas and corn)

• 1 cup of frozen peas

• 1/2 cup of corn

• 1/4 cup of olive oil

• 1 can of lentils (do not used dried lentils)

• 1 cup of pasta sauce

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 cup of vegetable stock

• 2 tbsp of semi-sundried tomato pesto

• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme

• 2-3 bay leaves

• 1 tsp chilli flakes

• salt and pepper to taste

Mashed potato

• 600 grams sweet potatoes peeled and chopped

• 200 grams white potatoes peeled and chopped

• 3 tbsp of unsalted butter

• 1 egg yolk

• 1/4 cup of milk

• 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and additional for grating on top

• salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.

2. In a large pot bring water to boil and cook potatoes until tender.

3. In a large pot heat olive oil and cook onion and garlic for 4 minutes until soft.

4. Add in carrots and celery and cook for an additional 8 minutes.

5. Add in mushrooms and zucchini cooking for an additional 5 minutes.

6. Add in tomato paste, passata, vegetable stock, semi-sundried tomato pesto, bay leave, thyme, chilli flakes. Cook for additional 15 minutes.

7. Add in corn and peas and cook for another 5 minutes.

8. Add salt and pepper to taste before transferring mixture to a baking tray.

9. Strain potatoes and add into a large bowl, add butter, milk and egg yolk and mash until smooth.

10. Add in salt and pepper to taste and stir through parmesan cheese.

11. Spread mashed potato over lentil mixture. Finely grate some Parmesan on top.

12. Cook in oven for 15 minutes until potato mash is slightly golden and starts to bubble on the sides.