Lentil Shepherd's Pie

I was sent a link by a friend to a shepherd's pie recipe with a potato and parsnip topping which, other than the meat, sounded delicious. She had made it vegetarian using lentils and soya mince so I thought I would give it a go too.

I made this before deciding to do this blog so I didn't record the measurements I used properly but with recipes like this common sense will get you there! I have estimated what I used to make Little Miss, Mister L and I 3 very decent portions, 2 of which I froze.

Ingredients
250g lentils
6 medium parsnips
6 medium potatoes
half a courgette (zucchini)
half an aubergine (eggplant)
1 large carrot/2 medium carrots
500g passata
About 40g textured vegetable protein (TVP)/dried soya mince

Method
The first thing to do is to cook your lentils. My instructions said to rinse them well, boil them for 10 minutes and then simmer for a further 35 minutes but others may be slightly different!

Along side this boil the parsnips and  potatoes cut into chunks (wash them but no need to peel as there is lots of goodness in vegetable skin). I find they are usually done in about 10 minutes (once they are nice and soft because they need mashing!). These can be mashed and put aside. I didn't this time but a knob of margarine or some soya (or other non-dairy yoghurt) can be delicious. Don't add salt at this time so your mini vegan doesn't get extra sodium!

Once the lentils are cooked, grate in the courgette, aubergine and carrot while still on the heat. Then add in the passata. Then finally stir in the TVP or soya mince.

The lentil, vegetable and mince mixture can then be put into an oven proof dish and topped with your mash. This is great for freezing into portions for other days or otherwise can be cooked in the oven straight away. For this put your oven at 180 degrees celcius for about 20 minutes when the topping starts to get a bit crispy.

The first time I made this it was a massive hit with Little Miss but tonight she got very distracted by her water cup although she still made a good go of it. Mr L and I really enjoyed it both times though so it makes a great dinner suitable for all the family and brilliant for making in bulk for later meals! For me, making things in advance is a necessity for a lot of meals and I usually cook or prep while Little Miss is in bed ready for the next day unless Mr L is home before dinner.

Lentilly goodness!

More interested in licking the bottom of her sippy cup

This is a very delicious recipe and the parsnip mash just makes it that little bit special. I have to admit I like to add a bit of salt to my portion and the original recipe had spices in the mash so a splash of chili sauce is also a great addition for the adults.

Bon appetit

Jules XOXO


***EDIT: the person that sent me the recipe noticed I hadn't added in the turmeric and coriander into the mash that was in the recipe! This was not intentional I was just doing my usual of reading a recipe beforehand rather than following it so I completely forgot. I bet these would make an amazing addition and I will definitely be adding them next time! She also mentioned adding in cumin which sounds delicious. Cumin, to me, is one of the best spices around!***