Only the best vegetarian shepherd’s pie ever!

Valentine’s day proved to be a better day for burning calories than for consuming them. Our dinner consisted of slightly overcooked (and therefore chewy) halibut, runny polenta, and grainy creme brulee. Not my best. The day was saved  by Mark Bitten’s saffron sauce, and the fact that we were starving after a long, beautiful hike. However, this failure seemed small in comparison to my triumph earlier this week.

I have been long searching for a good vegetarian shepherd’s pie recipe. The concept of a shepherd’s pie is so appealing…creamy potatoes, matched with their perfect compliments–roasted veggies and hearty mushrooms. Warm deliciousness all wrapped up in a single, healthy dish. Alas, all the recipes I’ve tried have left me cold. They always taste like exactly what they are– mashed potatoes stacked on top of roasted veggies and sauteed mushrooms. For some reason this has always been a source of irrational disappointment to me. In light of this sad state of affairs, I am delighted to report that I unintentionally created a vegetarian shepherd’s pie that is different. It’s fantastic. Though in the interest of full disclosure, I must concede that it might not actually be a shepherd’s pie (it has a crust?). BUT, it’s something close, and something infinitely better.

This recipe was inspired by the roasted winter vegetable baklava recipe on epicurious.com, which I originally set out to make. My plans got derailed as I realized that I had purchased puff pastry, not phyllo dough, and that the latter is nothing like the former. Plus the baklava recipe started to make less and less sense to me…roasted veggies just piled on some phyllo dough…it sounded like a lot of work for something that might turn out rather dry (though the recipe is very highly rated on the website, and probably a lot prettier than the alternative I came up with). At any rate, the derailment proved a very happy one.

Vegetarian “Shepherd’s Pie”

olive oil

6 medium-small carrots, washed and sliced into strips (about 1/8″ -1/4″ thick)

5 small yellow potatoes, washed sliced into 1/4″ thick rounds

1 bulb fennel, fronds discarded, sliced into strips

1/2 c. walnuts

1/2 c. fresh bread crumbs

salt, pepper, sage and rosemary to taste

1 onion, sliced

1 shallot chopped

1 pint mushrooms, sliced

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

1. Heat over to 425. Roast potatoes, carrots, and fennel (thinly coated with some olive oil) until soft and golden– about 35-40 minutes.

2. In a food processor, process walnuts, bread crumbs, sage, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

3. In about 1 tbsp.  olive oil, sautee onions, shallots, and mushrooms on high heat until the onions are translusent.

4. Arrange puff pastry in a pie dish, sprinkle about 3/4 of the walnut and crumb mixture on the bottom.

5. Puree 3/4 of the roasted veggies in the processor. Spread this over the crumb mixture in the puff pastry.

6. Place the rest of the veggies, and mushroom mixture on top. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.

7. Bake at 400 until the puff pastry is golden (about 15-20 minutes).

Summer comfort food

This Caribbean sweet potato gratin is so good, so comforting, and not too filling for summer nights. It’s from Moosewood’s New Classics cookbook.

1 Clove garlic, pressed or minced

2 tbsp lime juice

11/2 tsp lime zest

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 cups coconut milk (20 oz, so you’ll need more than one can, or else you can add water to make up the difference, which is what I do)

1.5 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced paper thin (I like to use yams for the pretty color)

1 c. cooked rice (Quinoa works well too if you want to add some protein)

1 can black beans, drained

1 bunch spinach (any greens will work– I love this with collards)

3/4 c cornmeal

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1 small can diced tomatoes, drained (optional–my addition)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and lightly grease a 9X13 inch dish. In a measuring cup, mix together the garlic, lime juice, zest, cilantro, coconut milk, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour 1/3 of this mixture in the bottom of the pan. Layer 1/2 of the sweet potatoes, 1/2 of the spinach, 1/2 of the rice, and 1/2 of the beans on top of the milk. Cover these layers with another 1/3 of the coconut milk mixture. Repeat the layers (in whatever order you want, just don’t put the greens on top or they will burn). If you so desire, add a layer of diced tomatoes on top of this. In a small bowl, mix together the cornmeal, thyme, cumin and salt. Mix in the oil with a fork until it forms a crumble. Sprinkle this mixture over the casserole and pour the remaining 1/3 of the coconut milk over it.

Bake for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are nice and soft.

I think this would be delightful served with cornbread.