I’m on a vegetarian kick lately. Call it my food-fad of the week 🙂 But I gotta say the recipes I’m finding are fab!! This is like a Shepard’s Pie, but with no meat, no potatoes, and no cheese…so actually nothing like a Shepard’s Pie at all, hehehe 🙂  But it holds it own as far as taste and nutrition go! I topped mine with mashed parsnips, but you could mash up a few spuds if you’d prefer. I found the receipe in Anna Richardson’s Book “Five Rules to a Brand New You” http://www.annarichardsonbodyblitz.co.uk/more.php.
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, peeled and sliced
2 fresh garlic cloves, minced
2 large carrots, diced
2 celery stalk, diced
2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 (14 oz) can lentils, un-drained
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes with herbs, un-drained
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tablespoon cornflour whisked with 1 Tablespoon cold water
3 large parsnips
2 Tablespoons butter
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add onion, carrots, and celery.
- Cook 5 minutes or until beginning to soften, stirring regularly.
- Add garlic and mushrooms and cook additional 5 minutes.
- Stir in un-drained lentils and canned tomatoes, tomato paste, oragano, Italian herbs, and onion powder.
- Cook 5 minutes until bubbling.
- Stir in cornfour/water mix and cook 2 minutes until sauce thickens.
- Meanwhile, dice parsnips and place in a microwave safe bowl with water.
- Cover with plastic wrap, venting an edge, and cook on high for 8-10 minutes until tender.
- Drain parsnips and mash with butter.
- Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and scrape lentil mixture into dish.
- Top with parsnip mash, working around the edge first before scraping into center.
- Place dish on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes until top is golden brown and sides are bubbling.
- Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.
