Recipe - Sheepless Shepherds Pie

After a month off from blogging I thought I would give you all a treat and share with you one of my favorite recipes for this season. I find it goes down really well with both vegetarians and meat eaters and is a great warming, rustic, comfort dish.

Serves 4

225g lentils soaked over night (Green, Brown or Puy are best)

2tbsp Yeast extract (eg. Marmite although there are some organic ones available)

1tsp Dijon mustard

50g Butter

1 Onion

2 Carrots chopped into cubes

A handful of string beans sliced into 2cm lengths

1tsp Dried mixed herbs or 1tbsp fresh mixed herbs

450g Potatoes

1 Large parsnip

Extra butter and milk for mashing

Pre-heat the oven to 180c 350F or Gas Mark 4

Cut the potatoes and parsnip into small chunks and steam or boil for about 20 minutes until tender. Mash them together with some extra butter, salt and milk until smooth.

Add the yeast extract to one liter of boiling water. Stir in until dissolved

Cook the lentils in half of the yeast extract mixture for approximately 20 minutes or until they are tender. Drain the liquid.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan and fry the onions for a couple of minutes until soft. 

Add the chopped carrot and stir for another few minutes until they begin to soften. 

Now add the string beans and stir for another minute.

Stir in the flour until it has soaked up all the moisture from the pan. 

Slowly add the rest of the yeast extract mixture, continuously stirring until smooth. 

Mix in the Lentils, dijon mustard and herbs. Season to taste.

Pour the mixture into the bottom of an oven proof dish and top with the potato and parsnip mixture.

Make grooves through the mash with a fork and bake for 30 minutes.

If you would like to recieve a seasonal recipe every month to your inbox, join the Feelgood Organic Hampers recipe of the month.  This months recipe is spicy tomato and lentil soup.