Meat Free Cottage Pie

A meat free twist on a British classic, this hearty cottage pie gets its meatiness from the fusion of brown lentils and shiitake mushrooms.

This recipe comes to us from our friends at Meat Free Monday.

See below for a video with step-by-step recipe instructions!

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Serves: 4 – 6

Ingredients:

For the filling:

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
• 250g/9 oz/1 1/4 cups uncooked brown lentils, rinsed and drained
• 900 ml/3 3/4 cups vegetable stock/bouillon
• 2 tsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp red wine (optional)
• 2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
• 200g /7 oz/2 cups shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and quartered (other mushrooms will be OK if you can’t get these, but shiitake mushrooms work particularly well)

For the topping:

• 1 kg/35 oz/5 3/4 cups potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 tsp plant-based margarine or olive oil
• 4-5 tbsp unsweetened plant-based milk
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onions and garlic until lightly browned – approx. 5 minutes.

Add the lentils, stock and thyme, then stir. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Continue cooking until lentils are tender (approx. 45 minutes).

In the last 20 minutes of cooking, add the chopped carrots, salt, pepper and wine (if using). Add extra water if needed, to ensure the lentils don’t stick to the pan. Stir and cover to allow the flavours to blend.

After you have started cooking the filling, get the potatoes going by placing them in a large pan and filling with water until they are just covered. Bring to a low boil on a high heat then reduce the heat to medium. Add salt, cover and cook for about 25 minutes or until they feel soft when prodded with a fork.

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain away the water then add them back to the pan ready to mash. Use a masher or large fork to mash until smooth. Add the margarine or oil and milk, and season with salt to taste. Set aside until needed.

While the lentils and potatoes are cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small frying pan and add the mushrooms. Lower the heat and cook for approx. 5 minutes. Set aside.

Once the lentil/carrot mixture is cooked, add the cooked mushrooms to this and then transfer the filling to a large lightly greased oven-proof dish.

Put the mashed potato on top of the filling, in the centre, and smooth across with a fork so it covers the filling completely. Use the fork to create a criss-cross pattern.

Cook the cottage pie in the oven at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 15-10 minutes, or until it gets brown on top.

Allow to cool briefly before serving. Serve with steamed broccoli, peas or a green salad.

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