enchanted green: my herb garden

Irish Cooking
Recipes for St. Patrick's Day

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

An old Irish saying goes that "Only two things in this world are too serious to be jested on, potatoes and matrimony." This recipe is a perfect main course for a small dinner with family or friends and is also a low maintenance choice to use as a buffet dish you can prepare & assemble earlier in the day to reheat and serve at an evening St. Patrick's Day party. (Just be sure it's back at room temp before you put it in the oven!) Non-vegetarians can feel free to substitute ground lamb or ground beef for the lentils, but there really is no need. You won't miss the meat, or the fat, in this hearty & satisfying low-fat dish.

Potato topping:

Put potatoes in large saucepan, filled with enough cold water to just cover the potatoes. You can peel or leave skin on, but it will look prettier if you peel the potatoes, be more nutritious if you don't so it's your call. cut into chunks to make cooking happen more evenly. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender (about 15 minutes) Drain well.

In large bowl, mash potatoes with 1 c. broth and mustard. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring small saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add carrots, and cook 2 minutes to blanch. Drain and set aside.

Coat large skillet with cooking spray, and set over low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, and cook 15 seconds.

Stir in lentils, blanched carrots, vegetable broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Cook, stirring often, until flavors bland (about 10 minutes). Season with freshly ground pepper to taste.

Lightly coat 3 qt. gratin dish or shallow casserole with cooking spray. Spoon filling into prepared dish. Top with dollops of mashed potatoes and cheese (if desired). For an elegant look, pipe topping though a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.

Bake until heated through, 30-45 minutes. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.