Sheep-less Shepherd's Pie

On the second day of Spring, Mother Nature sends us SNOW?!  Is she serious? Needless to say, I wanted some good old fashioned "comfort food" today to warm me up!  I also wanted something healthy for my family that was well balanced.  So, Shepherd's Pie is what I decided on!  Per my usual cooking, I don't have an exact "recipe" for you to follow, but I wanted to share with you how I made it.  My husband and I gobbled up 2 huge plates of it and K is bringing leftovers for lunch tomorrow.  Both my boys ate it up too (which is a huge bonus)!  Here's what I did:

Erin's Shepherd's Pie
1.  I made a big batch of garlic mashed potatoes.  I boiled about 6 (peeled & chunked) Organic Russet Potatoes until tender.  Then I drained them and mashed them up with Earth Balance Butter, Soy Milk (unsweetened), 2 cloves of pressed garlic, sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
2.  Next, I cooked up some lentils.  I like mine to be soft so I boil them with about a 2.5 to 1 ratio of water to lentils.  Today I made about 1 cup of dry lentils with 2.5 cups of water.  Brought those to a boil and then simmered for a while until most of the liquid was absorbed and the lentils were soft.
3.  I found every vegetable I could in my house.  I chopped up zucchini, red pepper, onion, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots small (but not fine) using my Food Chopper.  I also threw in some frozen peas.  I sauteed them until they were getting tender, but still al dente.
4.  Lastly, I made a "sauce" to pour over my lentil and veggie layers.  I totally went by the seat of my pants here, but I whisked together a tablespoon of corn starch with about 1/4 cup water and added in some squirts of Bragg's Liquid Aminos, a dash of tamari, and a couple squirts of dijon mustard.  I whisked all that together until it was smooth and the color of gravy.  I wanted to make a mushroom gravy but I was out of mushrooms so I improvised.
5.  Now it was time to assemble the layers.  I got out my Deep Covered Baker and spread the vegetable layer evenly on the bottom.  Then I dumped the lentils on top and spread those evenly on top. Next, I poured/drizzled the "sauce" mixture evenly all around over the lentils so it would seep through to the veggie layer.  Finally, I dumped the big batch of garlic mashed potatoes on top and used the Small Spreader to even it out.  I drizzled a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil on top and put the cover on the Baker.  I baked the pie in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Then I removed the cover and baked it on 425 for another 10-15 to give the top a nice golden color (or longer for crispy texture).

This meal was so full of nutrition and yummy goodness on a day like today!  Give it a try when you need some hearty, stick-to-your-ribs food that is packed with health!

Happy Cooking!