Spiced Shepherdess Pie

Serves 4 

Prep time 15 minutes 

Cook time 23 minutes 

Ingredients 

1 tbsp vegetable oil 

1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced 

1 medium onion, finely diced 

2 sticks celery, finely diced 

200g chestnut mushrooms, washed and quartered 

1 clove garlic, crushed 

½ tsp chilli powder 

2 tsp ground cumin 

2 tbsps tomato purée  

400g can finely chopped tomatoes 

300g vegetable stock, made with one stock cube 

Salt and black pepper 

400g can green lentils, rinsed and drained 

1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tbsps cold water 

Topping 

1kg sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 2cm chunks 

30g vegan spread 

To Serve 

4 portions of red cabbage, or any seasonal vegetables 

Method 

1. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof casserole pan (if you don't have one, then you can just transfer the shepherdess pie filling to an ovenproof dish later) then add the carrot, onion and celery. Gently fry the vegetables for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and fry for a further 2-3 minutes, until the vegetables have softened. 
2. Stir in the garlic and spices and mix well to coat everything in the spices. Cook for a further minute. 
3. Add the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock. Season with salt and black pepper then bring the mixture to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. 
4. Meanwhile, boil the sweet potatoes for 10-12 minutes until tender, then drain in a colander.  Add the vegan spread and mash until smooth, then season to taste. 
5. Next, add the lentils and cornflour mixture to the vegetables and simmer for 3 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
6. When the filling and sweet potato mash are ready, preheat the grill to high. Meanwhile, spread the mashed sweet potato evenly over the lentil mixture and rough up with a fork. Place the dish under the grill for 6-7 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the potatoes are golden. 
7. Serve the shepherdess pie on warm plates with red cabbage or seasonal vegetables of your choice on the side. 

Tip 

For a change, top the pie with mashed potatoes and green cabbage. 

Savings 

37 minutes  

35p