Shepherdess Pie

Over this Thanksgiving weekend, why not cozy up with your loved ones and share the ultimate comfort dish – shepherdess pie, vegan-style. This recipe is originally from Roz Denny’s “The Ultimate Vegetarian Cookbook”; this is an adaptation of the original recipe. Instead of using potatoes, Lionheads recommends using cauliflower. Cauliflower is not only rich in minerals and vitamins, but it also easily absorbs flavours. Your kids may not even know they are eating it.

Have a great long weekend!

Serves 6-8. Time: 1 hour

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free

Ingredients:
• 2 lbs potatoes OR 2 cauliflower heads
• ¼ cup rice milk
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large onions, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2 carrots, coarsely grated
• 2 garlic gloves, finely chopped
• 6 tbsp of Earth Balance soy-free “butter”
• 4 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced thinly
• 2 x 14oz cans aduki beans, drained
• ½ cup + 1 tsp nutritional yeast
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp of rosemary, chopped
• Gluten-free breadcrumbs to sprinkle

1. Potato option (if opting for cauliflower, skip to step 2): Scrub potatoes and boil them WITH THE SKINS (where most of the nutrients are) until the tender, then drain. Mash potatoes well, mixing 3 tbsp of the butter and rice milk. Add salt. Set aside.
   2. Cauliflower option (skip this step if using potatoes): Wash cauliflower and chop into 1.5-2 inch pieces. Steam in a large stainless steel pot until the cauliflower is tender. Cool for about 10 minutes. Puree in food processor. Pour back into the pot. On medium heat, mix the cauliflower with ½ cup of nutritional yeast and 3 tbsp of butter. Add salt. Set aside.
   3. On medium-high heat, gently fry the onion, pepper, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, and mushrooms. Put lid on. Add a tbsp of water if necessary to prevent sticking. Stir every few minutes. When veggies are tender, add 2.5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and add aduki beans and 1 tsp of nutritional yeast. Reduce temperature to medium-high. With lid on, cook for about 10 minutes. Check for sticking and stir. The consistency should be thick, like gravy.
   4. Preheat oven to 500F (to broil).
   5. Pour veggie and bean mixture into a shallow rectangular oven dish. Spread potato or cauliflower evenly on top of the mixture. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Broil until golden brown. Remove from heat and serve. Bon appetit:)

Notes:
• Aduki beans are high in protein and fiber. For nutritional facts, go to:http://nutritiondata.self.com/…/legumes-and-legume-p…/4273/2. If you don’t like beans, you can substitute with “ground” TVP, which is made from soy. Some people can’t even tell the difference between TVP and real beef!
• The original recipe calls for 1 tsp of your herb(s) of choice. I find that rosemary goes really well with this dish. The original recipe also called for 2.5 cups of stock, which I substituted with water. I find that by cooking the veggies following step 3, the veggies already provide enough flavour.
• As a vegan, nutritional yeast is a staple in the kitchen. Not only does it provide a rich, nutty, cheesy flavour, but it is also a source of B vitamins (thiamine, folate, B-6 and niacin), and some types are fortified with B12, which is found in animal products.
• When buying mushrooms, I always buy organic because they are porous and absorb a lot of pesticides and fungicides; their roots are also accumulators of heavy metals.