Vegan Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Here's the recipe for the lunch we served on February 1st.

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:
6-8 large potatoes, 2 red/yellow bell peppers, 1/2 large zucchini, 1 onion, 1-2 heads of garlic (depending how garlicy you like things!), a hand full of field mushrooms, 2 large carrots, dried herbs (such as basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano), dry coriander, 1c (dry) green lentils

Method:
- Prepare the garlic to roast: Without removing any of the skin or separating the cloves, slice the very top of the head off of the garlic. Drizzle olive oil over the head and into the cracks that have opened up between the individual cloves. Roast at 350f, covered with a "tent" of tinfoil, about 20 minutes or until the cloves are very soft and beginning to caramelize. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cooled, pop the cloves out of the skin (this should be really easy if it's been roasted long enough!). Mince the roasted cloves and set aside.

- Prepare the veggies: dice the onion, peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms into small pieces. Spread onto a baking sheet and sprinkle generously with herbs (4Tbsp or more), coriander (2Tbsp or more), and salt. Add some dry chili flakes (1tsp) if you want it a bit spicy. Sprinkle with olive oil. Roast at 350f, about 30 minutes or until veggies are tender but not mushy.
Prepare the carrots in the same way, but roast them on a separate pan as will take longer to cook. They are nice if you leave them longer becuase they get especially caramelized and sweet.

- Cook the lentils: bring them to boil in 3c water (add 1tsp salt), then turn down the heat and simmer until they are tender (about 45 minutes). Drain thoroughly.

- Prepare the potatoes: cube and boil the potatoes (no need to peel unless you have a real aversion to the skins) until tender. Drain. Mash, adding salt to taste. You may need to add some water if they are too dry, or add some olive oil to make them more creamy. Stir in the minced roasted garlic, to taste. (If you have leftover roasted garlic, it is a wonderful addition to salad dressing, pasta sauce, or most anything really). If you have some fresh parsley, mince it up and stir that in too.

- Assemble the pie: start with a layer of 1/2 the mashed potatoes, smooth evenly in the pan (no need to grease the pan). Sprinkle the lentils over the potatoes, then layer the roasted mixed vegetables and roasted carrots over them. Finish with a final layer of the remaining potatoes. Smooth the top, and cover with tinfoil.
At this point you can throw it in the fridge if you want to cook it later on or the next day, or bake it right away to eat now!

- Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. Check to make sure it is hot through. Remove the tinfoil and bake for a further 15 minutes, or until the top is beginning to brown and become crispy. Eat and enjoy!