Cruelty Free Sheppard's Pie

What a treat this actually was. This turned out so tasty I couldn't stop eating it. Maybe it was the mashed potatoes, I just can't put a stop to eating those mashed potatoes! Sheppherds Pie, it's not just about dumping ingredients into a casserole dish and then topping them off with potatoes, it has to be tasty! This is my recipe for a warm and tasty pie!

CRUELTY FREE SHEPHERDS PIE

Filling:

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil or more

1 Large Onion, finely diced

3 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped or minced

*8 oz. package Veggie Crumbles

2 1/4 C. cooked lentils

3/4 tsp dried Rosemary, crushed

1 tsp. dried thyme

8 oz. pack crimini or baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped

2 1/2 Cups Vegetable Broth

1 1/2 T.Arrowroot Powder or cornstartch

1 cup or more frozen green peas

Salt & Pepper to taste

Topping:

About 4 Large (Russet) Potatoes & 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

Non-dairy milk and Earth Balance or olive oil for mashing.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

In a med-large pot boil potatoes, drain and mash as you do for mashed potatoes.

In a large cast iron pan or sauce/stockpot heat oil and add the chopped onion. Stir the onion frequently until it is soft add garlic and stir for a minute or so more. Next add the veggie crumbles, herbs and mushrooms, cook until mushrooms are soft and cooked. Stir in lentils and cook until combined. Next add vegetable stock mixed with arrowroot or cornstarch, heat to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and cook for another 15 minutes. Stir in frozen peas and finish off by adding salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble, use a deep medium sized casserole dish. Pour in the filling and top of with spoonfuls of mashed potatoes and smooth out with a spatula. Cover and heat in the oven for about 20 – 30 minutes at this time it should be bubbling around the edges. Take cover off and let the top brown a bit for 10-15 minutes.

*You can also eliminate veggie crumbles and use more lentils and mushrooms.

Mac n' cheeze with peas

Yesterday it was a long day, didn't feel like cooking much and it was getting quite chilly out, so I decided to make an old comfort food Easy macaroni and "cheeze" from Fatfree Vegan Kitchen. Again I changed a few ingredients and then added peas and served with a side of brocolli. Satisfies everyone in the house!

Stir fried brown rice and veggies

If you don't have a lot of time or just don't really feel like cooking but don't want to eat out. Or if your budget is tight, like us, this dish is easy & quick to make, tastes good and you can use whatever veggies that you like or have around.
I made a pot of brown rice. 7 oz. extra firm tofu cut into chunks, I tossed them in some soy, put them in my cast iron skillet and threw them under the broil for a few just to get a bit firmer and slightly brown. Next in a Medium cast iron pan(you can use whatever pan you like) I heated just a small amount of canola oil. I then added 1/2 a yellow onion cooked until soft. The following vegetable took less time to cook, it's nice to keep them somewhat crisp. Once the onion was done I added a large carrot, red bell pepper, 2 cloves fresh garlic and cooked for about 3 minutes. Then added zucchini and peas just until cooked. Next threw in some chopped scallions and turned off heat. The sauce was a mixture of soy sauce, hoison, fresh ginger, brown rice vinegar & a little sesame oil. You can add more hoison or a bit of agave to sweeten up more.
Once veggies are done I add the tofu to the pan, sauce and the rice. Stir to combine. To plate I put a couple of scoops in a bowl, add more scallion to top, a few sprinkles of seaweed gomasio, and a drizzle of sesame oil. Yummy!