For Sarah,
A lovely lady I met in my local Holland & Barratt store a while ago. Sarah is starting her own weight-loss and health journey like I did this time last year.
Sarah, you asked me last night for recipes, here is one I make often, and for all my other readers who want a comforting, yummy, high protein meal. We had this last night and it's gorgeous!
So, I make this this Vegan Sheppards pie alot. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare if you have the right tools, as you all know I love my Oxo Good Grips tools, and yesterday while shopping in Morrisons I spotted that the Oxo Y shaped (or 'speed peelers' as I call them), were on offer. My old Ikea one was false economy . I kept having to rebuy them, and then I remembered when I was 17 I bought a Oxo peeler, (feeling very grown up! ) but I think I lost it during a house move 4 years later.
Anyway- so yes! On to the recipe!
(This is to serve 3 adults and 2 children.... we were entertaining, and I have to make a smaller one too for Opeie as he's only 2 and can't handle lots of spice. )
You will need a large cooking dish if theres a few of you, otherwise either half the ingredients or freeze half in a freezer proof dish for a day you don't feel like cooking! I actually made extra a few weeks ago and froze 4 portions.
Ingredients : I shopped at Ocado for all of these, remember my weekly food shop post? As I find they have the biggest range of fresh fruit and vegetables, vegan produce, and affordable organics.
500g Organic potatoes. ( For the Mash)
750g Organic carrots ( for pie filling and to add to mash)
5 parsnips ( 2 for pie filling , 3 for the mash)
2 packets of Puy lentils ( You can use other lentils, it's just the puy ones keep their shape lots better, and taste better too!)
2 cups kale or cabbage
1 stalk celery
2 cups root veg, I use: 1 cup butternut squash, 1 cup swede ( 1/2 for the mash, 1/2 for filling)
10 table spoons Marigold Endegvita Nutritional yeast, to add a 'cheesy' flavour, and the important b12!
fresh rosemary springs( I actually too some out of the garden for this!)
a few drops Tabasco sauce
2 table spoons Oregano
Salt & Pepper to taste - i personally use LOADS of pepper!
2 tablespoons Smoked paprika
2 cups peas.
2 garlic cloves
2 onions
1 tin chopped tomatoes - I love the Mr Organic brand.
Chop the peeled Onion and Garlic very small, I used the Oxo chopper, you simply add the ingredients to the clear jar, add the white 'chopper' part at the top, and press it up and down. DONE!
Place the chopped onions and garlic in the bottom of your dish, add the kale or cabbage (- I personally don't precook these as they cook themselves ok in the dish, but if you like it softer, you might like to steam them for a few minutes first, ) then add the Puy lentils.
Quickly peel the veggies, and put them onto steam. Any fans of the Oxo 'speed peeler' ?!
Also, peel & cook the potatoes.
Then slice the root vegetables, to speed this up I use the Oxo Mandoline slicer Pauly bought me for Christmas. I hold the carrots, slide it up and down super fast ( being careful when its a inch or two long, then switch to the food holder to protect my fingers. I can slice around 8 carrots in a couple of minutes. Time saving :)
When the veggies are cooked Make mash by mashing all of the potatoes, adding some of the butternut squash, parsnip and carrots. (I like to add Koko milk to mine, and a tablespoon of pepper, and a sprinkle of salt and 4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast )
Add the chopped tomatoes to the lentils in the cooking dish, then add the remaining vegetables.
Season the vegetables with the tabasco (6 drops should be enough ) , sprinkle the paprika and add salt and pepper to taste, add the oregano and rosemary sprigs.
Add the vegetable mash to the top of the pie, sprinkle with paprika and pepper.
Bake in the oven for around 45mins on 220'c until the mash is firm and golden. Enjoy!!!!
What are your favorite meals that are easy and quick to prepare.
Disclaimer: I love Oxo Good Grips range, and like to promote products that help people. I have not been paid to write this, all options are my own. I was supplied the Chopper, and the other items were purchased by myself and family.