After an incredibly fun night out of talking, eating, drinking, laughing and dancing, I’m taking it slow. We didn’t get back until 4:30 so by the time I showered off the bar smoke and got into bed it was 5am. I slept in today until 1:30, had a strawberry banana smoothie to reload, and have been relaxing all day.
I did, however, get up to one activity worthy of recognition- dinner!
(Sorry for the yucky photos, it actually is a very beautiful and colorful dish!)
Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
Vegan Shepherd’s Pie with a mashed peas and potatoes topping
I was inspired by Susan’s recipe from her blog. I had planned on following her recipe exactly as stated, only to discover I didn’t have many of the ingredients I thought I had. Here is Susan’s recipe, the changes I made are indicated in green.
2 pounds Yukon gold or red potatoes about 1 pound of very old potatoes along with ¼ cup frozen peas
1/2 cup soy milk
salt and pepper, to taste
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced, leaves minced and reserved ½ cup extra mushrooms and a handful of frozen peas
8 ounces mushrooms, diced
2 cups fat-free vegetable broth
16 ounces kidney beans, cooked ½ cup dry TVP reconstituted with water, a splash of soy sauce, and red pepper flakes
2 cups green beans, cut in 1″ pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced (or 1 tsp. dried)
1/4 teaspoon sage
2 cups baby spinach leaves, packed ¼ cup frozen spinach
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water (or veg. broth)
Scrub the potatoes and cut them into cubes. (I leave mine unpeeled, but if you want you can peel them before dicing.) Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender. (I added the peas just before the potatoes were cooked.) Reserve a cup of their cooking water, if possible, and drain. Place in a large bowl, add the soymilk, and mash until smooth, adding a little of the potato-cooking water if they seem too dry. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and set aside in a warm place.
While the potatoes are cooking, make the “pie” filling. Spray a large non-stick or cast iron skillet with canola oil. Heat it on a medium-high burner and add the onions. Sauté until onions are translucent. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, and mushrooms, and sauté for 3 more minutes.
Add the vegetable broth, kidney beans TVP, green beans, and herbs. Simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes and all vegetables are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste (I added a littlehickory smoke salt). There should still be some liquid in the pan, but if it has become too dry, add a little of the potato-cooking water. Add the spinach and peas and stir until it’s completely wilted. Mix the corn starch with the water until smooth, and add it to the pan. Cook, stirring, until mixture has thickened.
Spoon the potatoes evenly over the top of the filling and sprinkle with chopped rosemary. If potatoes have cooled, put the skillet under the broiler for a minute or two. Serve immediately while hot.
Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 272 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (3% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 56g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 46mg Sodium; 11g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core/ 5 Flex Points.
This recipe is so filling and comforting.
There is literally nothing but vegetables in this dish, awesome!
Remember how I said above that my potatoes were very old? This is what I meant…
I usually laugh in the face of expiration dates… this may have gone too far.
Alright darlings, it’s time to do a bit of school work then relax some more. I’m planning on watching Food Inc. tonight. I’ll let you know what I think tomorrow!
