Tag: lentils

This recipe is coming to you from one of my favorite cookbook authors, Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Her newest cookbook is called, “I Can Cook Vegan,” and it’s a winner!

Let me tell you, Lentil and Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie is definitely a keeper and one of our new favorites. And for those meat eaters in your family—they won’t even know that it’s Vegan :).

I prefer to leave the oil out of recipes, so I subbed veg. broth to saute the ingredients. I actually didn’t even oil the pan before putting the ingredients in and it was great. You can choose for yourself what you would like to do.

Lentil and Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie

Serves 8

• 2 cups cold vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 yellow onion, chopped into medium dice
• 3 medium carrots, thinly sliced into half moons
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, chopped into pea-size pieces
• 3 tablespoons fresh thyme
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups cooked lentils, cooked in vegetable broth (do not add salt)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 recipe Classic Mashed Potatoes (at the bottom of the post)
• Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish (optional)

1. In a measuring cup, mix together the broth and cornstarch until the starch is mostly dissolved. Mix in the tomato paste and set aside.

2. Preheat a large pan over medium heat. Saute the onion and carrots in a bit of veg. broth with a pinch of salt until the onions are lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds or so, just until fragrant. Add the celery, mushrooms, and thyme with a bunch of fresh black pepper and salt. Let cook for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms have released a lot of moisture.

3. Add the lentils and use your spatula to mush them in the pan to create a “ground beef” effect. Add the corstarch-broth mixture and mix well. Let cook until the filling is thick and gravy-like, about 7 minutes. Fold in the peas. Taste for salt and seasoning.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 11 x 13 inch casserole dish. Transfer the filling to the casserole in an even layer. Dollop the mashed potatoes over the top, starting at the edges and working your way in, and then use a rubber spatula to spread them relatively smoothly.

5. Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet to collect any juices that bubble over. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the potatoes are browned. Let cool a bit before sprinkling with parsley, if desired, and serving.

Classic Mashed Potatoes

• 2 1/2 lbs. new potatoes, peelings on (cooked in instant pot for 13 min. with natural pressure release or you can boil them)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup whole unroasted cashews (if you own a high speed blender, you don’t have to boil these beforehand. If you don’t own one, then boil for 20 minutes to soften.)
• 2/3 cup vegetable broth, at room temperature
• Freshly ground pepper

1. Cook potatoes.

2. While potatoes are cooking, place cashews and vegetable broth in a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth, scrapping the sides occasionally with a spatula to get everything.

3. When the potatoes are done cooking, drain and return to pot. Mash them with a potato masher to break them up a bit. Add half of the cashew mixture and the salt and pepper. Mash with potato masher until relatively smooth and no big chunks are left.

4. Add the remaining cashew mixture, mix it in and mash some more until it is mixed well. And there you have it! Enjoy!

P.S. All of the recipes I make from other bloggers/cookbook authors/instagramers (you get it 🙂 have a Peg twist to them, so if you look up the recipes on line they will be slightly different :).