Serve 43 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups milk*
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp each sea salt and white pepper
1-2 tbsp olive oil
½ cup leeks, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 large stick celery, diced
1 tbsp thyme leaves
1/3 cup white wine
1 ½ cups vegetable stock
1 dsp mustard
1 cup smoked firm tofu, diced
200g BPA free can of brown lentils
1 cup parsley, chopped
2 cups silver beet, chopped
Heat your oven to 180oC. Place your potatoes in a large pot with 2 cloves of garlic and cover with milk. Season and allow to cook until very tender. When they are ready turn of the heat and place the silverbeet in on top and put the lid on. Meanwhile, in and a cast iron pan (preferably one that you can transfer to the oven), heat your oil over a medium heat then add your leeks and sauté gently until translucent. Next add half the garlic, carrot, celery and thyme and saute for another minute before adding in the white wine, stock and mustard. Stir to break up the mustard then allow to simmer with the lid half on until the veggies are tender. Stir though the tofu, lentils and parsley and taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary. It should be a little wet still, not too dry. Either transfer this mixture to an over proof dish or keep in the cast iron pan. Drain any milk left in the pot with the potatoes and set aside. Using a blender or food processor blitz the spuds until smooth, using the reserved liquid to get the right consistency for mash. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper how you like it. Top the veggie lentil mixture with the mash making peaks out of it. Drizzle olive oil over the top and bake for about 15 minutes or until it starts to go golden brown and the veggie mixture is bubbling up.
Variations
– You can use frozen spinach instead of the silverbeet
– Swap the spuds for sweet potato or use both mashed together
– Add a handful of any fresh herbs you like – chopped basil, chives, mint, or 1 tsp each of dried
– If you don’t have a blender or processor, cut the spinach quite finely before adding to the potatoes, then mash them together
– Use another protein like meat, chicken of fish instead of the lentils and tofu. Add the first two in with the onions and fish can be placed in after the liquid from the stock and wine starts to simmer. It’ll only be half cooked and will finish in the oven
– Add 1 tbsp arame or any other seaweed in with the veggies when sauteeing
– Use plain firm tofu if you can’t find it smoked
– Add ½ tsp cayenne pepper fro a kick
– Ad 1 tsp dried turmeric or 1 tbsp fresh
– Mix in a cup of frozen peas in with the lentils
#shepherdspie #lentils
