Tag Archives: Lentils

Vegan, Vegetarian

Vegetarian/Vegan Shepard’s Pie

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This week, I was back in my cooking groove. Me – and not the Teen – had a craving for vegetarian Shepard’s Pie. I started looking at recipes but nothing much appealed. I then decided to cook my usual recipe and swap the meat for lentils. And it worked – brilliantly! If I hadn’t slipped into a food coma, I could have happily kept eating it. Total comfort food and, dare I say it, nicer than the traditional meat version. I think the Teen gave it the thumbs up too as the leftovers vanished!

With this recipe, there is enough for four generous dinner portions. The mash can be either traditional, made with milk and butter, or vegan, made with soya milk and olive oil.

Ingredients
8 ounces, green lentils*
1½ pint, vegetable stock
2 tbsp, olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
2-3 stalks celery, chopped into small pieces
4 ounces, mushrooms chopped into small pieces
3 fluid ounces, red wine
2 tbsp, tomato puree
1 tbsp, dried parsley
1 tsp, dried mixed herbs
1 bay leaf
½ tsp, sugar
Sea salt and black pepper

2lbs, potatoes
3 fluid ounces, milk/soya milk
Generous knob butter/2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper

*These lentils keep their shape while other varieties could turn to mush in this recipe

Method
1. Place the lentils in a saucepan, cover with a pint of cold vegetable stock
2. Bring the lentils gently to the boil and let them cook slowly for about 15 minutes
3. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan
4. Add the chopped onions and cook gently until carmelised (about 8-10 minutes)
5. Add the carrots and cook for a further 5 minutes
6. Add the celery and mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes
7. Add the red wine and cook for a further 2-3 minutes
8. Add the tomato puree, remaining half pint of stock, sugar, mixed herbs, parsley, bay leaf and season with salt and pepper
9. Strain the lentils and add to the mix
10. Heat the oven to 180 C
11. Leave the lentil mix to cook for about 30 minutes to allow the flavour to develop.
12. Boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes or until cooked
13. Strain the potatoes and return to a low heat to let any remaining water dry off
14. Add the milk and butter/ soya milk and olive oil
15. When heated, remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and mash until the potatoes until smooth
16. Remove the bay leaf and place the lentil mix in an oven dish
17. Cover with the potato mix on top and even out to the edges with a fork
18. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

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Daal, Vegetarian

Falling back in love with cooking…

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I haven’t been ‘round these parts lately. I could say it was because I had a technical problem with my Blog (true but not the reason). I could say it was because I was swamped with work (true but not the reason). The real truth is – I fell a little out of love with cooking.

 

I love cooking – reading recipes, designing my own, building up my spice and herb collection in anticipation of a new dish. I am a cooking nerd. While I often listened empathetically to women who say they hate cooking or would happily live on a diet of dried food and vitamin pills, I simply couldn’t get it.

 

Now I do.

 

With all the work, planning meals became a burden. I began to resent cooking. It became a necessity rather than an activity. I like to make everything from scratch but those days, reaching for a menu for what we affectionately refer to as ‘The Man with the Van’ became all too tempting. You order, it’s delivered, you eat, you feel guilty – what a pattern! The freezer was stocked and the veg drawer was laden with goodies but the notion of cooking made me feel so ‘meh!’

 

In the midst of this culinary downturn, I invited the girlies to my home for a long overdue lunch. When I set about thinking of cooking for others, I fell back in love with food all over again. For me, that notion of sharing with others remains at the heart of all my cooking. After seeing cooking as a temporary burden, I am even more appreciative of what motivates me now.

 

As there was a mix of vegetarians and meat eaters, I opted for Indian food which they all love. I made my list of dishes but the Teen swapped them around! Instead of chicken, she replaced it with a beef curry dish she loves and she added her all time comfort food to the list – Daal. The other dishes were Saag Aloo and Aloo Ghobi. The girlies happily feasted on all the dishes, drank some wine and chatted. Happy days!

 

The Daal I make is a mix of a number of recipes I’ve tried over the years – keeping the nicest bits from each. The Teen has declared this to be the winner!

 

Daal

Ingredients
1 chilli, deseeded and chopped finely
Handful of ripe cherry tomatoes
1 cup finely chopped red onion
5 ounces split pea lentils, washed
5 ounces red lentils, washed
1 ounce unsalted butter (omit if vegan)
2 tablespoons sunflower oil (increase to 3 tablespoons if omitting the butter)
Piece of ginger (about the size of an adult thumb), peeled and chopped finely
3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped finely
1 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon turmeric
1½ teaspoon ground coriander
Salt and pepper
Cayenne pepper, optional
Fresh coriander, chopped
Natural yoghurt, optional

 

Method
1. Cover the lentils with water and simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on (may need to add water as they cook)
2. Melt the butter with the oil (or heat only oil) and fry the cumin seeds for about a minute
3. Add onion, chopped chilli and ginger cooking until onion is soft
4. Add the rest of the spices and cook for about a minute
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and garlic
6. Cook this mixture for about 10 minutes
7. Add to the cooked lentils
8. Add salt and pepper
9. If prefer a spicier taste, add a pinch of Cayenne Pepper
10. This can be served immediately with some freshly chopped coriander

We prefer to let it sit for a while so the spices settle in the lentils and then reheat before serving, adding water as necessary

This can be served as a side dish or in a bowl. Or it can be eaten with a dollop of natural yoghurt and a naan bread which is just how I like it!

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