2.25.2008

Vegetarian Shepards Pie

INGREDIENTS
2 medium/large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 medium/large white potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
green onions

Curried Lentil Filling
3 1/4 cup water
1 bay leaf
1 cup lentils
2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 cup sliced onions
2 cloves garlic
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup yellow or red bell pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 zucchini, cut in rounds
1 cup bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven 350 degrees
2. Boil sweet and white potatoes 45 minutes. Strain the potatoes, reserve 2 cups of water. Pour 1 cup back into pot and mash potatoes. Add olive oil and seasoning and completely drain.
3. Meanwhile cook the lentils: Bring 3 cups water to a boil, add the bay leaf, lentils, Cajun seasoning. Cook for 45 minutes. Remove from heat when completely cooked and let cool briefly. Drain out any liquid.
4. Saute onions, garlic, mushrooms, broccoli and bell peppers in olive oil in large sauce pan until onions are transparent and limp, about 4 minutes.
5. Add the reserved 1 cup of potato water, nutritional yeast, salt and curry powder and stir until everything is blended in. Add to cooked lentils.
6. Dissolve cornstarch in the remaining 1/4 cup of water and stir it into the lentil/vegetable mixture. Continue to cook for 3 minutes until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
7. Line the bottom of casserole dish with zucchini rounds. Sprinkle 1/2 bread crumbs on top of zucchini.
8. Spoon out 4 cups of the mashed potatoes and spread across the zucchini rounds. Spoon out 2 cups of the curried lentils and spread over potatoes. Spoon remainder of mashed potatoes and smooth it out on top. Sprinkle the rest of the bread crumbs and scallions or green onions on the top.
9. Bake for 50 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

(I know it might not be the prettiest picture, it was taken as an afterthought.)

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