Lentil Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie

A hearty, flavorful dish. About 20 minutes to prep, then into the oven for 15. Canned lentils mean a quick assembly.

shepherd's pie
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Print Recipe

Lentil Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie

With potatoes, cabbage, and mushrooms, this is a great recipe for St. Patrick's Day.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cabbage’, lentils, mushrooms, potatoes, St Patrick’s Day
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

  • 4 large potatoes or 5 medium
  • 1/2 cup plant milk unsweetened
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 5 ounces cremini mushrooms
  • 1/4 whole cabbage, sliced thin
  • 1 15-oz can lentils do not drain
  • 2 tbsp red wine optional
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 cup vegetable broth or water

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Peel and dice the potatoes. Place in a large pot of salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer until soft, about 15 minutes.
  • Drain. Transfer to a bowl, add the plant milk, and mash with a fork, a mixer or a food processor — your choice. Set aside.
  • While the potatoes are cooking, sauté the onion for a few minutes until soft. Add the garlic, cabbage, and mushrooms, continue to sauté.
  • Add the lentils and their liquid, the wine, soy sauce, tomato paste, thyme, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Dissolve the cornstarch in the cup of broth or water. Add to the lentils. Stir; it will thicken. Add water or broth if it gets too thick.
  • Lightly oil a 9 x 9 casserole dish. Pour in the lentil mixture, then cover the top with mashed potatoes.
  • Bake for 15 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

This is a great make-ahead recipe. Refrigerate or freeze before the baking step. 
Make it in little ramekins or pie plates for an elegant touch.

Plant-Based Green Bean Casserole

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Print Recipe

Plant-ified Green Bean Casserole

Crunchy onions atop creamed green beans makes a great addition to any table.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Vegan
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 pound green beans rinsed, trimmed and cut in half
  • 1 medium shallot minced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup finely chopped mushrooms button or cremini
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • ¾ cup vegetable broth
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 ½ cups crispy fried onions read the ingredients label; French’s is OK
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt well. Add green beans and cook for 5 minutes, then drain and place in an ice water bath to stop cooking. Drain again and set aside.
  • Start preparing sauce. In a large skillet, sauté shallot and garlic with a tablespoon of water, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes more or until lightly browned.
  • Sprinkle in flour and whisk to stir and coat the veggies. Cook for 1 minute, then slowly add in veggie stock, whisking to incorporate.
  • Add almond milk next and whisk to stir again. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low to thicken. Cook for 5 minutes more, or until thick and bubbly.
  • Remove from heat and add 1/3 of the fried onions (half a cup) and all of the cooked green beans. Toss to coat well, and transfer to a baking dish. Top with remaining fried onions. At this point, you can set it aside if you have other dishes to prepare.
  • Bake in a preheated at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until warmed through and bubbly and slightly browned on top. Serve immediately.

Notes

Leftovers store well in the fridge for up to a few days.

Plant-Based for the Holidays

Plant-Based for the Holidays

The holiday season can present challenges for those of us who eat plant-based. Those challenges come from two directions.

First, there’s the food. Traditional foods—turkey, eggnog, cheese trays, cookies, giblet gravy, dairy-based pumpkin pie—are off our menus. That’s actually the easier of the two challenges to solve, and below I’ll share my ideas for a plant-based holiday meal. Read more