Vegan Shepherd's Pie: Two Ways

The first time you had a shepherd's pie - the "real" shepherd's pie, it was a memorable experience. The ground beef, the mashed potatoes - the softness and comfort and savoriness of it all. 

Then by a lucky set of circumstances...you become a vegetarian. 

And then one day not very long after...you see someone consuming a vegan shepherd's pie. A light goes off. 

Lentils in lieu of the ground beef - that's one way (see images above). 

Or mushrooms and soy-based veggie "ground round" in lieu of the ground beef - that's another way (see images below). 

That's all it takes. 

However. 

We can't forget the all-too-important dark green veggies...so...you happily break the rules. Bok choy (see images above), and broccoli (see images below). 

And when you find leftover wild rice in the fridge, you have the good sense to throw it on top (see images above)...which adds a nice and much-needed crunchiness to the dish. 

And because you like pretty - and again - some texture, you slice up green onions very thinly and carefully, and use it to bedazzle the field of mashed potatoes (see images below). 

If the meal of a shepherd is shepherd's pie, then the dream is to be a shepherd. 

Vegan Shepherd's Pie I 

Ingredients: 

2 sweet potatoes, cut in cubes 

2 red potatoes, cut in cubes

1 cup of lentils, cooked in boiling water and strained 

1 bunch of purple bok choy, steamed and chopped roughly 

6 cloves of garlic, minced 

1/2 of a red onion, minced  

1 fresh red chili pepper, minced 

1 dried red chili pepper, crushed 

1/2 cup of cooked wild rice 

3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil (1 tb for cooking, 1 tb for greasing, 1 tb for drizzling)

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Sea salt to taste 

Creative Steps: 

Cook potatoes in boiling water for about 15 minutes, or until they become mushy. Drain the water away, mash the potatoes, mix in two pinches of salt, and then set aside. In a pan over medium heat, saute the onion, garlic and chili peppers in olive oil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they soften and become fragrant. Add lentils and cook for 1 minute. Then mix in the bok choy. Grease an oven dish with olive oil. Divide the mashed potatoes equally into two. Put the first batch in the oven dish and then season with black pepper. Layer in the lentil / bok choy mixture and then put the remaining mashed potato on top. Finally sprinkle the wild rice over the top. Add a few turns of black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake in the oven at 350 degree Celsius for 25 minutes. Let cool a bit and enjoy! 

Vegan Shepherd's Pie II

Ingredients: 

1 sweet potato, cut in cubes 

2 yellow potatoes, cut in cubes 

1/2 cup of coconut milk 

1 tablespoon of coconut oil 

3 spring onions, sliced thinly 

1 medium-sized yellow onion, minced 

6 cloves garlic, minced 

1 pack (340 gram) soy-based veggie ground round 

4 Cremini mushrooms, minced 

2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil 

1 teaspoon of mixed Italian herbs 

1 can (411 grams) of cherry tomatoes (chemical/preservative-free)

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste 

Sea salt to taste 

Creative Steps: 

Cook potatoes in boiling water for about 15 minutes, or until they become mushy. Drain the water away and then mash the potatoes. Add coconut milk and coconut oil, a few pinches of sea salt and a few turns of black pepper; combine well and put aside. In a large pan over medium heat, saute the onion for 2 minutes, or until just soft, and then add the garlic and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until they soften and become fragrant. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they brown and soften. Add the veggie ground round and cook for about 3 minutes. Mix in the cherry tomatoes and the Italian herbs and then bring to a boil. Then simmer under very low heat for about 5 minutes. In a large oven dish, first add the sauce and then cover with the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle in the spring onions and bake in the oven at 350 degree Celsius for 20 minutes. Let cool a bit and enjoy with a side of roasted broccoli! 

Kale- & Allium-Stuffed Jumbo Shells (first try at vegan cheese)

You love ravioli...but...what if you don't love to make it from scratch every time. What if...you don't love to make it from scratch at all.

And store-bought ravioli is simply...out of the question.

Store-bought, hand-made, gourmet ravioli? Where did you find these? And were they good?

Regardless...

There is a way to have ravioli...without the ravioli.

Introducing, welcoming  - drum roll - the Jumbo Shells.

They are giant. They are dry. And they come clean and easy...in a box.

You boil them, stuff them with the goodies of your choice (today's choice: kale, alliums, vegan cheese), and then slowly whisper "let there be ravioli."

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Feeds four

Ingredients:

15 jumbo shells, cooked according to package instructions

1 large bunch kale, leaves torn from the stalks by hand 

1 small-sized yellow onion, thinly sliced

8 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil

1 canned whole or diced tomatoes

4 "grates" of whole nutmeg

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 handfuls of vegan cheese (2 handfuls cheddar style, 2 handfuls mozzarella style) (I used Daiya)

Creative steps:

Bring water to a boil and cook the jumbo shells according to package instructions, usually about 8 to 10 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the filling.

In a pan over medium heat, sauté the yellow onion with olive oil for one minute and then add the garlic and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until translucent and fragrant. Take care not to burn the garlic. Add the kale and nutmeg and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the kale wilts slightly; try to find the middle state between too chewy and completely wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste, remove pan from the heat, and then mix in 1/2 of the vegan cheese (1 handful cheddar style, 1 handful mozzarella style).

When the jumbo shells are done cooking, drain them in a colander, rinse them with cold water briefly, and let the excess water seep through the colander. Stuff the kale into the shells immediately, before the shells start to dry out.

In a large baking pan, dump the can of tomatoes. If using whole tomatoes, use a spatula to break apart each whole tomato. Add 2-3 pinches of salt, a few turns of black pepper, and 2-3 pinches of dried mixed herbs. Tuck each stuffed jumbo shell in the tomato mixture, three shells per row, for a total of five rows. Sprinkle in the remaining vegan cheese. Bake in the oven at 400 degree F for 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes start bubbling and the vegan cheese melts.

Eat mindfully and ENJOY.

P.S. A little, but much deserved, praise for the vegan cheese: it was good - tasty to the taste buds and light to the tummy. It is essential, however, that the "cheese" melts, and so leftovers need to be reheated before consumption. 

Cornbread Snack

Sometimes, just sometimes. When the hunger gets tough...and the tough get going, the cure is a quick little snack. 

And if you have made cornbread beforehand, it will help. And if not, any good quality bread, i.e., sourdough bread, whole-grain bread, whole- and multi-grain bread, seeded bread...any of these will do. 

Then a teaspoon of all-natural peanut butter. 

Then slices of banana. 

Then a generous sprinkle of hemp hearts. 

A glass of water, not to be forgotten. 

You're set. 

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Serves one 

Ingredients: 

Home-made cornbread (recipe here), warmed, or sourdough/whole-grain/multi-grain bread 

1 tsp of all-natural peanut butter 

1/2 a banana, sliced 

A generous sprinkle of hemp hearts 

Creative steps: 

Arrange all ingredients on a plate. Dig in with the hands and enjoy! 

P.S. On a semi-related note...this. 

Chocolate Cake: Vegan (and Rich)

Savory or sweet, savory or sweet, what are you into, savory or sweet?

The question of the ages.

These typing hands say, "lots and lots of savory and a little bit of sweet."

A little bit of sweet. A little some of sweet, please.

What of sweet?

Pure cocoa powder. Dark chocolate chunks. Fresh fruits. Fancy molasses. And...maple syrup, fresh from the trees.

Bitter sweet. Bittersweet. Dark. Rich. And bittersweet.

Slrrrup.

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Makes 16 small squares

Adapted from Ben Kim's Chocolate Raspberry Cake*

*Firstly, thank you, Ben Kim!

*Secondly, the replacement of sugar (called for in the original recipe) with fancy molasses and maple syrup (used in this recipe) results in an increased moistness as well as sharpness in taste. The addition of pistachios complements the dark chocolate and gives a nice crunchiness. Strawberries also trump raspberries in this recipe, personally speaking.

Ingredients: 

1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup pure cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
A pinch of sea salt
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup fancy molasses
5 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks
1/4 cup crushed pistachios
Fresh fruit to garnish (strawberries, grapes, blueberries work best)

Creative steps:

In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt). Stir with a fork or whisk to combine evenly and then keep side. In another bowl, first mash the bananas and then add the liquid ingredients (almond milk, vinegar, maple syrup, fancy molasses, and coconut oil); mix well. NOTE: melt and add the coconut oil to the liquid ingredients just before combining the dry and liquid ingredients in order to prevent the coconut oil from condensing. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined. Add the dark chocolate chunks, half of the strawberries, and half of the pistachios; gently fold in and distribute evenly. NOTE: take care not to overwork the batter. Transfer batter to a wide oven-proof dish. Add the remaining strawberries and pistachios on top and press them in gently to level the surface. NOTE: you can play around with the look or design of the cake by how you arrange the strawberries and pistachios. Bake in the oven at 375 degree F for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Once done, remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Then transfer onto a wire rack and let cool for another 10 minutes. Enjoy right away! Or keep in the fridge and consume within a week. Or keep in the freezer for longer. Best eaten from the freezer after thawing for 10-15 minutes, whilst it's still a bit ice cold. In all cases, serve with fresh fruit (strawberries, grapes, or blueberries) to lend moisture to the cake; this is key. 

Stinging Nettle with Yoghurt and Wholegrain Bread

It's not everyday that you go out foraging in the wild and use foraged ingredients in your cooking, so when you do these things, it's a...celebration. 

Not that you have to go to the wild to forage for food; you can do it in the vicinity of your house in the city. Perhaps the closest park or parkette. Your lawn. Or even right *in* your house, just look for dandelions busting out of the concrete. 

What's foraged in the wild is weeded in the city. 

But more and more these days, we're being told to eat our “weeds”…

So, let us review a list of the so-called weeds: 

- Dandelions

- Plantain

- Nettles

- Garlic mustard

- Chickory

To mention some. 

Today's ingredient of the wild, today's *magical* weed is the stinging nettle. Sauteed with red onion and then dumped on a pool of yoghurt, you get this beautiful contrast of hot and cold together with the umami-ness of the onion and the bitter'y depth of the green that nettle is. And the stinging, it dies with the heat. 

Serves one 

Ingredients: 

3 handfuls of stinging nettle, chopped 

1 teaspoon of minced red onion 

1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil 

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 

2 heaped tablespoons of organic plain yoghurt 

2 slices of toasted wholegrain bread (pictured is sunflower seed / multi-wholegrain bread)

¼ of a medium-sized pear, chopped (optional)  

Creative steps: 

On a pan over medium heat, stir-fry the red onion with olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the onion starts to soften and become translucent. Add the nettle to the pan, season with salt to taste, and continue to stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the nettle slightly wilts and takes on a vibrant deep green colour. Add a few turns of freshly ground pepper, stir well to combine, and then turn off the heat. Start plating by first making a pool of yoghurt, then add the chopped pear followed by the nettle. Serve with toasted wholegrain bread on the side. Eat mindfully and enjoy! 

THE OATMEAL

Perhaps the greatest thing about the go-to breakfast, besides being the fastest meal to make, is that no one go-to breakfast is the same as another. Whilst the oat is the common denominator, the toppings – some fresh fruits + some dried fruits + some seeds – allow for *many* combination possibilities, and we all know that novelty can be a powerful thing. 

The other thing about the go-to breakfast, which some of us like to do, is not to mix in the toppings when cooking or serving. 

Because if you do mix in the toppings, it can be too easy, in a lousy way – chug it right in whilst thinking about your deliverables for the day. 

But if you don’t mix in the toppings, it allows for “engaged” eating – constructing, and therefore paying attention to, your bite. 

Now, the Japanese art (and science) of perfecting the bite – aka sushi – is to be highly commended. But if you have sushi, just remember to be ultra mindful. 

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Serves one 

Ingredients: 

½ cup 3-min steel-cut oats

1½ cups water  

½ cup unsweetened almond milk 

1 tbsp maple syrup 

1 tsp (a generous heaping) peanut or almond butter (preferably 100% or all-natural brands) 

¼ banana, sliced  

½ cup fresh fruit, chopped (berries, pears, peaches, or mangoes work well) 

1 dried fig or prune, sliced 
1 tbsp of sunflower seeds or lightly toasted flaxseeds 

A pinch or two of unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting (optional) 

Creative Steps: 

Put the oats and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the water is almost absorbed, about 2-3 minutes. Add almond milk and cook under low heat for another 2-3 minutes, or until getting a consistency that is thick but still flows. Immediately transfer the oat mixture to a serving bowl and top with the seeds and the fresh and dried fruits (including the banana). Swirl in the peanut or almond butter, and drizzle in the maple syrup. Add a pinch or two or more of cocoa powder, if desired. And then...enjoy!