I did manage some cooking this week and I have put together a lentil and mushroom cottage pie, I’ll put the recipe below for you to try. Again this is a great meat free dish, and though takes a little time in preparation, can easily be made a day or two in advance and put in the fridge until you reheat in the oven. Some of the filling I saved and have added some cooked beef mince too, I can’t do meat free every day at home, they just get too angry!. However with an extra tin of kidney beans and some chilli powder it makes an incredible chilli con carne, perfect with rice or a sweet potato and a great way to batch cook, to make family dinner times less of a stress. As with most of my recipes they are easy to adapt to your taste: you could easily use leeks, rather than onions, or add a courgette, remove the red pepper, make sweet potato mash, so many variations!
LENTIL AND MUSHROOM COTTAGE PIE
INGREDIENTS serves 4/5
1.5kg of potatoes (red potatoes such as desiree to make mash are ideal)
1 400g tin of lentils (drained and rinsed) (you can use dried, cook till tender in simmered water around 30mins)
250g mushrooms sliced (i used a variety, button and wild)
1 red pepper (finely chopped)
2 large onions (peeled and quartered)
3 cloves of garlic (peeled)
2 medium carrots (peeled and roughly chopped)
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
Sprig of thyme
Splash or 2 or Worcester sauce
50g Cheddar cheese for grating.
METHOD
Peel and chop your potatoes into chunks and boil in salted water, till tender around 15mins, drain.
Whilst they’re cooking, In a food processor blitz the onions, garlic and carrot, (or finely chop)
In a large heavy pan, add a little olive oil and heat. Then add onion, carrot and garlic mix, sweat for 5-10 mins till softened, but without colour, stir regularly
Add the mushrooms and red pepper and cook for another 5 mins, stirring regularly.
Add the lentils and tinned tomatoes, splash of Worcester sauce, sprig of thyme and season well with salt and pepper.
Simmer for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to to 180 Celsius
Meanwhile mash your potatoes. (add a little butter and cream if desired, season to taste)
Assemble in an oven proof dish about 25cm square or 20 x 30cm. First add your lentil and mushroom mix, then top with your mash, and add grated cheese.
Bake in oven for 15 mins till cheese melted and brown. You can grill if you’re short on time, but somehow I think the extra time in the oven, just brings it altogether so nicely.
Take it out, if you leave for 10 minutes it will still be piping hot, but you’ll be able to serve it easier as its holds its shape.
Serve with some greens, long stemmed broccoli, whatever takes your fancy.
