Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Vegan Monday was not on Monday this week, hehe.

This is actually a great variation on Shepherd's Pie--comfort-food-favorite of many--and it also leaves much up to the cook as to what veggies/legumes to use to adjust it to tastes and health requirements.  The mushrooms give it a really meaty flavor and texture, while the lentils provide a creaminess and body.  It's super-duper healthy, "slow-carb", and very filling.

The topping could be made with any mixture of starchy vegetables--mine just happened to be mostly pureed cauliflower, with a couple of small white potatoes thrown in.

Add cheese if you want, but that would make it not vegan ;).  I actually didn't think it needed it.

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
300 g. baby bella/cremini mushrooms, chopped
200 g. lentils (I had red on hand), rinsed, cooked, and drained  (if using canned, I think one 15-oz. can would be enough)
3 T. tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine
2 T. worcestershire sauce
2 T. coconut milk
1 t. of dill
1 t. marjoram
1 t. oregano
1/2 t. sweet paprika
1/2 t. smoked paprika
2 bay leaves
Salt & pepper to taste

1 1/2 pounds (.6-.7 kg) starchy vegetable, steamed or blanched
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2-4 T. coconut milk
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F while you cook.  Prepare either a large casserole dish or multiple small baking dishes (for individual portions) by spraying the sides down with oil.  Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large, lidded skillet over medium heat.  Toss in onion, carrot, and celery and cook until tender (about 10 minutes).

Add in the mushrooms and garlic.  Cook for about 10 more minutes, until cooked through.

Add in the lentils, liquids, and spices.  Pop the lid on and allow everything to cook over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, to allow all the flavors to meld together.  Taste after cooking and correct any seasonings.

Allow excess liquid to cook off (you don't want it to be too "saucy").  Pour into the casserole dish(es).

In another skillet, saute the shallot over medium-high heat in a bit of oil until caramelized.

In a large bowl, using an immersion blender, blend up your starchy vegetables, the cooked shallot, and add the coconut milk gradually until it reaches the consistency you desire (like mashed potatoes).  Season with salt & pepper.  Pour over the filling in the casserole dish(es), spreading it out to evenly cover everything.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the edges are bubbly and the top is a light golden-brown.

It doesn't quite behave like normal Shepherd's Pie, but it sure tastes great!  My husband likes to top his with some ketchup, while I throw on the ubiquitous Sriracha.  It's even better leftover.

Vichyssoise (Leek & Starchy Vegetable/Root Soup)

Sometimes you just nee a nice, simple bowl of soup for your dining pleasure.

And sometimes you also bought too many leeks at the store because they were on sale!

Vichyssoise is very forgiving.  Don't have a lot of potatoes?  Use cauliflower, potatoes, celeriac--whatever you have on hand.  You can even toss in sweet potato chunks and be successful!  Don't have leeks?  Onions work as well!

Ingredients:

1 T. olive oil
3 leeks, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced.
6 cups of peeled and chopped starchy vegetables (I used potatoes, cauliflower, and celeriac)
6-8 cups chicken broth (enough to cover the veggies, and my chicken broth was very dense, so I did half broth, half water)
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Clean and slice your leeks.

Chop up yo' veggies/tubers.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add in leeks and stir.  Allow to cook until soft, about 10-15 minutes.

Add in broth and bring to a simmer.

Add veggies/tubers, bring to a simmer again, and cook for 20-30 minutes, until veggies are fork-tender.

Using an immersion blender or a processor/blender, puree the soup.  Season with salt and pepper.  Some people put cream in their vichyssoise.  I don't think it needs it.

Serve hot!

Potato and Celeriac Mash

What is celeriac, you ask?

What is this bundle of ugly that I see at my supermarket every week next to the bell peppers and eggplants?  It's celery root!  It has a nice, starchy texture like potatoes, with a hint of celery flavor (it's milder when cooked), but it's got half the carbs and calories and twice the fiber!

This was my first foray into cooking it, so I decided I'd combine it with potatoes to make sure I could take the flavor :D.

Ingredients:

1 pound celeriac (celery root), washed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound potatoes (I used Yukons), washed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup milk
3 T. butter
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Bring a pot of salted water to boil, big enough to boil the potatoes and celeriac.  Cook until a fork easily pierces the cubes, about 10 minutes.  Drain into a colander.

Place the potatoes and celeriac back into the pot and mash with a potato-masher or a fork.

 Once it's almost entirely mashed up, take an electric mixer and whip the mixture.  Add in the milk and butter and continue whipping until it reaches the desired texture.  Salt and pepper to taste and serve!