LENTIL SHEPHERD'S PIE | HACHIS PARMENTIER AUX LENTILLES NOIRES
Hello dear readers, I hope you're all doing great. I think a blog post is long overdue, so I thought I'd share a recipe this time.
I've made the Shepherd's pie into a hearty, vegetarian dish.
This recipe is high in fibre and will leave you super satisfied. It's super easy to make, and perfect when you're looking for some comfort food at lunch or dinner. So let's not wait and jump into it. Ingredients:
2 cup of lentils, pressure-cooked from raw or canned (400-450g)
1 cup of vegetables of your choice, raw or frozen (this was during the lockdown so I used frozen carrots and peas)
3 sticks of thyme
3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 can of 400g of tomatoes
4-5 medium potatoes, peeled
1/4-1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
2-3 tablespoons of parmesan, low-fat cheddar cheese or any vegan cheese of your choice
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
nutmeg powder (optional)
Method
1. If you are using already cooked lentils or canned lentils, skip this point. However, if you are using raw lentils, it would be best to soak the lentils for 2 hours or even overnight and rinse the water twice. Then place the lentils in a pressure-cooker and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes maximum. You want the lentils to hold their shape (you aren't looking for a creamy texture here). Drain lentil water.
2. Peel the potatoes and steam them until they become very soft (usually 20 minutes for me). Steaming potatoes makes them creamier than if you boil them.
3. While waiting for the potatoes, warm up some olive oil on low-heat in a pan. Add onion, garlic and thyme and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Yes you can cook with olive oil as long as you don't fry with it!
4. Increase heat slightly, then add 1 cup of chopped vegetables of your choice and sautée for 3-5 minutes.
5. Add the cooked lentils and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes. Make sure that the lentils hold their shape.
6. Add the canned tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste and let it cook for another 5 minutes covering up the pan.
7. In the meantime, purée the potatoes and add 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil, some salt and pepper. You have the option to add in some grated cheese. I like my potatoes plain, so I didn't add any. You can also add in some butter for extra creaminess. Usually if I have some nutmeg powder in the kitchen, I would usually add about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon but this is completely optional.
8. Pre-heat oven to 175 degrees celsius, preferably with the fan option on.
9. In a rectangular dish, spread the lentil tomato and vegetable mix evenly.
11. Top up with the mashed potatoes, trying to make a regular layer as much as you can. I tend to be very bad with having a regular layer, but I'm sure that you can do much better than me :)
12. Now top up with the breadcrumbs and some parmesan, low-fat cheddar cheese or vegan cheese.
In the photo, I did half with cheese, and half with only breadcrumbs and olive oil.
13. Add 2 tablespoons of olive and spread evenly over the dish.
14. Place dish in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Once the cheese has melted, remove from the oven, let it cool down for 5-10 minutes then plate up and enjoy. Of course, you can add some salad to the side to complete the meal.
Bon appétit!
Disclaimer: I'm still mastering the art of having good looking food photos, but just try my recipe, it tastes delicious!
If you try the recipe, let me know how it goes. And if you've made any improvements on it, don't forget to share with us on social media :)