Vegetarian Shepherd`s Pie

Ingredients:

Potato Layer

• 6 medium potatoes (2lbs/1kg)
• ¾ cup (175 ml) milk or soy milk, warmed
• 2 Tbsp. (30 ml) butter or margarine
• ¾ cup (3 oz / 100 g) grated cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Lentil Layer

• 1 cup dry green lentils
• 2 Tbsp. (30 ml) vegetable oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 cups (1, 19 oz - 540 ml can) diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 tsp soy sauce or vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (use an anchovy-free brand)
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ¼ tsp hot sauce (like Tabasco)
• ¾ cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1 cup frozen peas
• paprika

Directions:

1. Cook lentils according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, cook potatoes in boiling, salted water for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain well.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
4. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet. Cook onions and garlic until tender.
5. Stir in cooked lentils.
6. Add tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce/soy sauce, thyme, hot sauce and peas.
7. Stir in breadcrumbs and season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Mash the drained potatoes with milk/soy milk, butter/margarine, cheese, salt and pepper. Set aside.
9. Transfer mixture to a large casserole dish (3.5 L or 3.5 quart) casserole dish.
10. Using a spatula, smooth the mashed potatoes over top. Sprinkle with paprika.
11. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
12. Serve alone with garlic bread or mushroom gravy.

Shepherd's Pie Variations

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

• Omit the cheddar cheese in the potato layer and use soy milk and vegan butter.

Fancy Shepherd's Pie

• Add finely chopped colorful vegetables to the lentil layer. Try carrots, corn or peppers.
• Serve with rich mushroom gravy.
• Bake in a large glass casserole dish to showcase the layered lentils and potatoes.
• Shred some hard parmesan or asiago cheese in addition to the cheddar cheese.
• Use old (aged) cheddar cheese instead of medium cheddar cheese.

Fun Family-Friendly Shepherd's Pie

• Omit the cheddar cheese in the potato layer and substitute sweet potatoes for some or all of the white potatoes.
• Add more spice using hot sauce or hot peppers in the lentil layer.
• Top with even more shredded cheddar cheese, or try different kinds of cheese mixed together.
• Subsittute or mix in re-hydrated vegetarian soy crumbles (TSP) with the lentils.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Sweet & Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
1 egg white
1/4 cup natural cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grained sea salt
1 cup fresh pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the egg white, sugar, cayenne and salt. Add the pumpkin seeds and toss well. Drain off any excess egg white (using a strainer) and place seeds in a single layer across a baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes or until seeds are golden. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar and cayenne pepper when they come out of the oven. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

Makes one cup.

Curried Pumpkin Seeds
1 egg white
2 teaspoon curry powder
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grained sea salt
1 cup fresh pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the egg white, curry powder and salt. Add the pumpkin seeds and toss well. Drain off any excess egg white (using a strainer) and place seeds in a single layer across a baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes or until seeds are golden. Sprinkle with a bit more curry powder when they come out of the oven. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

Makes one cup.

Black Tea & Butter Pumpkin Seeds
You can use many different types of tea here. I opted for a smoky black one, but you can go for one infused with other flavors, or even tisanes (I have a dried lime tea that I be would be interesting in this recipe). Choose a tea that is fragrant and has a pronounced flavor for best results.

1 teaspoon (black) tea
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grained sea salt
1 cup fresh pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 375.

Using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, grind the tea into a fine powder. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the butter and salt. Add the pumpkin seeds and toss well. Place seeds in a single layer across a baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes or until seeds are golden. Sprinkle with the ground tea. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

Makes one cup.

Dulce De Leche Bat Cookies

Makes 18
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dulce de leche

Directions

Whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder. Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg, yolk, chocolate, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out 36 rounds with a 2-inch cutter, and space 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Using an aspic cutter set, cut a triangle, point side up, in the center of half the cookies, and then use the half-moon cutter to make one "wing" on each side of the triangle. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375. Bake until set, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool. Top each uncut cookie with 1 teaspoon dulce de leche and a cutout cookie.

Dulce de Leche or Confiture de Lait

Preheat the oven to 425° F (220° C).

Pour one can (400 gr/14 ounces) of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk) into a glass pie plate or shallow baking dish. Stir in a few flecks of sea salt.

Set the pie plate within a larger pan, such as a roasting pan, and add hot water until it reaches halfway up the side of the pie plate.

Cover the pie plate snugly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 to 1¼ hours. (Check a few times during baking and add more water to the roasting pan as necessary).

Once the Dulce de Leche is nicely browned and caramelized, remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool, whisk until smooth.

Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Warm gently in a warm water bath or microwave oven before using.

Parsnip Cakes

450g (1lb) Parsnips
1 large Egg
8 tbsp Breadcrumbs
2 tbsp Flour
2 tbsp Melted Butter
1 pinch Mace
Oil for frying
Salt and Black Pepper

Peel and slice the parsnips, then boil in salted water until tender.
Drain and mash well.
Add flour, mace, melted butter, salt and pepper.
Form into small flat, round cakes.
Dip into the beaten egg, then into the breadcrumbs.
Fry in hot oil until brown on both sides.

Ethiopian Green Beans and Potato

Ethiopian Green Beans and Potatoes

Adapted from The Global Vegetarian

2 large white potatoes, diced (and peeled if desired)
1/2 lb. green beans, cut into 1-inch sections
1 small yellow onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small jalapeño or serrano pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 15-oz. can stewed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Bring enough water to cover the potatoes to a boil in medium saucepan, and place the potatoes in. Cook for 12 minutes over high heat. Add the green beans and cook for 3 to 5 minutes more. Drain the potatoes and green beans in a colander.

Heat large non-stick skillet. Sauté the onion, garlic, and jalapeño for about 4 minutes, adding a little water, if necessary to prevent sticking. Stir in the seasonings and sauté for 1 minute more. Add the potatoes and green beans, stewed tomatoes, and lime juice and cook for 7 to 10 minutes more over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Fingerling Potatoes and Fennel

Fingerling Potatoes and Fennel

1 lb fingerling potatoes, scrubbed (I bought a bag with 3 different types of fingerlings; any type will do)
2 medium fennel bulbs (sometimes called anise) with fronds
1 large onion, halved lengthwise, then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
generous grating of fresh black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable broth

In a medium-sized pot, cover the fingerlings with water and bring to a boil. Cook, covered, until the potatoes are just tender--a fork can pierce the potato with gentle effort--about 15 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, chop enough of the fennel fronds (leaves) to measure 2 tablespoons; set aside. Then cut the stalks off the bulbs, take a thin slice off the bottom, and quarter them. Remove the hard core from the quarters and then cut the quarters lengthwise into 1/4 slices.

Lightly brush or spray a large, non-stick skillet with olive oil. Cook the fennel and onion over medium-high heat until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes (add a tablespoon of water if necessary to prevent the onions from drying out). Drain the potatoes and add them to the skillet along with the pepper, salt, and vegetable broth. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in reserved fennel fronds before serving.

Lemony Quinoa with Butternut Squash

Lemony Quinoa with Butternut Squash

The pine nuts really complement the lemon flavor, but if you decide to leave them out, you can deduct about 30 calories and 3 grams of fat per serving.

10 ounces butternut squash (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup quinoa
1/4 cup chopped shallots
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons (about 7/10 ounce) lightly toasted pine nuts (optional)
1 teaspoon minced fresh chives (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F. Cut the squash in half and scrape out the seeds and strings (using a grapefruit spoon makes this easier). Peel and cut into 1/2-inch cubes and toss with the 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Place them on a non-stick baking sheet (or silicone mat), sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and bake for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse it well and allow to drain. Heat a deep, non-stick pot. Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, until shallots soften slightly. Add the quinoa and toast it until it has dried out and begins to exude a toasty aroma. Add the squash along with the thyme and vegetable broth. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook, stirring once or twice, until all broth is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in the lemon peel and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add more lemon juice if needed.

Serve with toasted pine nuts and chives sprinkled on top.

Servings: 4 large side-dish servings