Veggie Cottage Pie

This is a vegetarian version of the classic shepherd’s pie.

INGREDIENTS

• • potatoes or sweet potatoes, cut into chunks and cooked until soft
  • 2 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 2 large onions, roughly chopped
  • 3 celery sticks, roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 100ml red wine
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 200g baby mushrooms
  • 200g frozen peas
  • 1 cup of dried puy lentils (approximately 800g cooked), soaked and cooked until tender
  • 1 tsp English mustard
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 100g cheddar
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1/2 – 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • large knob of butter

METHOD

1. 1. Heat some olive oil in a large, deep pan.
   2. Meanwhile, pulse the onion, carrots and celery in a Magimix or food processor until finely chopped.
   3. Add the vegetables to the pan and fry gently until soft before adding the garlic.
   4. Add the oregano and thyme, tomato puree and red wine and stir well.
   5. Add the tinned tomatoes,vegetable stock and stir in the cooked lentils, seasoning with salt and pepper.
   6. Next add the tinned tomatoes and stock cube.
   7. Bring to the boil and then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer.
   8. Cook for 15-20 minutes.
   9. Sprinkle over the flour and pour in the water.
   10. Heat through to thicken, adding more water if necessary. The idea is to get a fairly loose consistency.
   11. Transfer the mixture to an oven-proof casserole dish.
   12. Mash the potato along with the butter, both mustards and a splash of milk.
   13. Spoon the mashed potato onto the cottage mixture.
   14. Use a spatula to spread and smooth out the potato and then a fork to make some swirling patterns.
   15. Sprinkle over the grated cheese, the smoked paprika and drizzle over some olive oil.
   16. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180ºC for 45 minutes.