Veggie shepherd's pie
4
700g potatoes (you can use a mix of white and sweet potato)
½ large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 carrot
2 sticks of celery
250g quorn mince or soya mince (reconstituted)
2 sprigs rosemary
1 heaped tablespoon plain flour
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 heaped teaspoon marmite
1 heaped teaspoon stock powder
½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon white pepper
1 heaped tablespoon margarine
About 2 tablespoons milk (plant or dairy)
salt & pepper, to taste
Peel your potatoes and cut into halves or quarters. Place into a large saucepan and cover the potatoes with cold water.
Place the potatoes over a high heat. Cover with a lid. When they come to the boil, reduce to a simmer.
Finely chop your onion. Chop the carrot, and celery into small pieces.
Crush your garlic. Strip the rosemary leaves from the stem and finely chop.
Pour about 1 tablespoon vegetable oil into a large saucepan and place over a medium to high heat. Add the onion and stir over the hear for a couple of minutes to soften.
Add the carrot, celery, garlic, and rosemary. Stir over the heat for about 4 minutes.
Stir in the quorn mince. Once the mince is hot, stir in the flour. Ensure it is all mixed in.
Add the tomato puree, marmite, stock powder, and balsamic vinegar and stir in.
Just cover with water. Place on a lid and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
If there is too much liquid, take off the lid, turn up the heat and let it boil until the liquid reduces, or you can thicken the sauce with cornflour.
After 5 minutes, check the seasoning and adjust. Pour into your ovenproof dish.
When the potatoes have been simmering for 15 – 20 minutes, check they are cooked by sticking a knife into the centre of a potato. If the potato slides off the knife, it is cooked.
Drain the water from the potatoes. Add a large spoonful of margarine or butter and about 2 tablespoons milk.
Sprinkle the potato with salt and pepper and mash together. Taste for seasoning and add salt, pepper or extra margarine if necessary.
Spoon the potato carefully on top of the mince, covering in an even layer. Run over the top with a fork to create ridges in the potato.
Your dish can be left at this point to eat later. Leave to cool, cover, and place in the fridge or freezer until ready to eat.
To reheat, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan oven), gas mark 4. Bake your shepherd’s pie (from cold) for 20 – 30 minutes. Check it is hot in the middle before serving. It will take longer to heat from frozen – check after 30 – 40 minutes from frozen.