What is it about the winter months? The cold, rainy weather, and early nights make me want to make one pot meals, and then wrap up in a wool blanket on the sofa watching rubbish on tv…and that’s pretty much all we do every night at the moment. Don’t get me wrong, I love the winter months, it means Christmas is coming, sales, and my birthday is on the way.
But it means my cooking becomes very oven based- my oval pyrex dish gets a fair amount of use. From Lasagnes to Shepherd’s pie. If it can be served piping hot from the oven, into a bowl (save on the washing up) I’ll be making it…My shepherd’s pie isn’t exactly traditional, it’s tomato based, with soya mince. I love soya mince. I could eat it every day, and I’d be happy. I use the dry soya mince that you can get in the supermarket, normally in the whole foods section. You rehydrate this, and use it just like the frozen mince. I use the dried mince, because it keeps for much longer, however you could use the frozen mince if you prefer.
Ingredients
For the soya mince
- 1 can chopped tomatoes, blended if you prefer a smooth sauce
- 250g soya mince (dried, rehydrated with warm water and drained, or frozen)
- 2 chopped carrots
- 100g frozen peas
- 1tsp salt
- 2 tsp chilli powder (optional, but I put some chilli in nearly everything…)
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 200ml water
- 1tbsp ketchup
For the mashed potato top
- 750g peeled potatoes (or 500g peeled potatoes and 250g parsnips)
- 2tbsp butter
- 50ml milk
- 1tsp grain mustard (optional)
- 1tsp salt
- 1tsp black pepper
- 100g cheddar cheese (optional)
Method
- Cook the potatoes (and parsnips if you are using them) in boiling water for around 20 minutes, until they are soft. Drain and let them sit in the colander for a bit so the water all drains off.
- Make the soya mince base, by adding the tomatoes, salt, chilli powder, black pepper, ketchup, peas, carrots, soya mince and water in a heavy bottomed pan.
- Cook for 20 mins, until the sauce has thickened and the carrots are cooked. Taste for seasoning.
- Mash the potatoes (and parsnips if you are using them) with the butter and milk. Add the salt, pepper and mustard and cheese if you are using them.
- Put the mince mixture in a baking dish, and cover with the mashed potato. Drag a fork across the top of the potatoes, so they are slightly fluffed up, the fluffed up bits will go super crispy in the over. Bake at 200c/400F/Gas 6 for around 30 mins, until the potato topping is brown and crispy.
- Leave for a minute or two when you take it out of the oven, to allow the shepherd’s pie to set slightly. Serve on it’s own, or with a leafy green salad if you want to try and be a bit healthy!