We love make ahead meals around here. Well, I do, anyway. I’m in charge of all the cooking, but don’t want to rush making dinner while my children are losing it after a long day of hard playing. What I often end up doing, then, is cook meals during a nap or a free moment, and reheat them just before serving. Soups fit the bill pretty well for this purpose, but sometimes, we want something different… Like this addictive, veggie loaded shepherd’s pie. I often make it for our Christmas dinner, and all the chopping counts as a bonus meditation!
Addictive Veggie Loaded Shepherd’s Pie {JoannaSteven.com}
December 1, 2016
Category
Main Meals
Recipes
Uncategorized
Persons
2
Ingredients
Ingredients:
For the potatoes:
- 4 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
- Water, to cover the potatoes
- Salt, scant 1/2 teaspoon
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
For the vegetables:
- 2 tablespoons oil of choice (I like olive oil for this dish)
- 1 onion, diced small
- 1 red pepper, diced small
- 1 large celery stick, diced small
- 1 carrot, diced small
- 1 zucchini, diced small
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (organic ketchup can also be used)
- 1 14-oz can of organic black beans (other beans will work, as would lentils)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Bragg’s Sprinkle seasoning, or Herbes de Provence
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with water, and add salt. Bring to a boil, then cook for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and ready to be mashed.
- In the meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onions, red peppers, celery, carrots, and zucchini.
- Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables start to turn golden. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and paprika. Cook for a minute, then add the beans, and herb seasoning. Add a layer of water, and simmer the vegetables until hot and fully cooked. Keep adding water if it evaporates.
- In the end, you want to retain some of the water, about halfway up the vegetables. Add a pinch of salt, taste, adjust seasoning if needed, and turn off the heat.
- Mash the potatoes with a little cooking water until creamy. Adjust seasoning. Add butter or oil, if using.
- In a square oven proof pan, pour all the vegetables and water. Top with the mashed potatoes.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes. Enjoy!
- You can make this dish in advance and bake just before serving. Simply bake for longer, until hot.
- You can add other vegetables, like peas, chopped kale, root vegetables, etc.
