-
-
Shepherd’s Pie Packed with Veg
1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan. Add the lamb and cook over a high heat for c 5 minutes, stirring well with a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Add the onion, reduce the heat and cook for c 10 minutes whilst stirring, until the onion is browned and softened.
2. Add the carrots, celery, leeks, dried mint and bay leaves. Stir well.
3. Add the tomato purée, mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, stock and lentils and season with salt and pepper to taste. Increase the heat and bring to the boil, still stirring frequently. Partially cover with a lid and leave to simmer for c 20 minute, stirring occasionally.
4. Whilst the meat and mixture is cooking, preheat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade and prepare the potato topping. Place the sweet potato and potato chunks in a saucepan of water, bring to the boil then reduce heat and cook for 15-20 minutes until the potato is very soft.
5. Drain the potatoes, return them to the pan and add the milk and knob of butter. Mash until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Remove the meat and mixture from the heat, add the chopped parsley, season again if required and transfer to an oven proof dish. Top with the mashed potato and bake for c 20 minutes until bubbling and the potato topping is partly browned.
Serve with your favourite green vegetables.
Note: This dish is a great way of hiding vegetables in a meal for reluctant children by chopping them very small. You can experiment with your favourites, eg swap the leeks for frozen peas or add a couple of handful of spinach.
TOP TIP
Make extra quantities and freeze the mixture for quick ready meals. I prefer to freeze without the potato and add that fresh as required. You can also grate cheddar cheese on top of the mash for added flavour.
Roast Pumpkin and Sage Soup with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
For the soup:
Cut the pumpkin into quarters and scrape out the seeds.
Chop the pumpkin into chunks (leaving the skin on for now) then place the quartered pumpkin onto a roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil.
Roast at 180 degrees centigrade for c 30 minutes then remove from the oven and leave to cool. (Note: you can toast the seeds at the same time – see below).
Whilst the pumpkin is cooking, slice the onion and then peel and crush two cloves of garlic.
Scrape the roasted pumpkin flesh from its skin and add to a large pan, together with the stock, onion, garlic and a small handful of fresh sage leaves.
Bring the ingredients to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the pumpkin flesh is soft.
Place the contents of the pan into a blender and blend until smooth. Return the soup to a pan, season with salt and pepper to taste, and heat through. Serve and dress with a fresh sage leaf and toasted pumpkin seeds.
For the toasted seeds:Rinse the seeds and remove any remaining strands of pumpkin flesh.
Boil a small pan of water (c 2 cups of water) and add the seeds and a pinch of salt. Bring the water to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain the seeds in a colander.
Tip the seeds onto a baking tray, spray with olive oil and add some rock salt. Toss them around to help coat the seeds. Bake at c 180 degrees for between 5 and 20 minutes; checking until they are brown but not burnt.
When cooked, remove from the heat and leave to cool.
The seeds can be sprinkled on the soup, or eaten as a separate snack.
-
