Tonight I wanted to celebrate National "PI" Day. PI not Pie... 3.14. I know math nerds everywhere rejoice.
The base for this recipe I got from Clean Eating Mag I found online when I googled clean eating shepherds pie. It looked good so I did my best with the ingredients I had on hand. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
I really wanted something like pie with a nice flaky crust and yummy center... so if your looking for that kind of pie... this isn't it, I mean the nice yummy center yes, but not the flaky crust. This does not have a crust. Instead of using potatoes, I am using cauliflower, leeks and turnips with a hint of almond milk sprinkled with salt and pepper, topped with parmesan cheese. Sound yummy... I think so too. :)
The middle is full of rich delicious nutritious vegetables. Full of good nutrients and appeasing my new lifestyle of eating cleaner healthier meals. This is one of the first meatless meals I will be serving and hopefully not the last. I did use a lot of organic vegetables but not all are fresh, some have been previously canned, such as the beans and the carrots and peas were previously frozen. My house smells delicious and I'm hoping it tastes as good or better then it smells. :)
Ingredients:
Cauliflower Topping
1 cauliflower, cut off stem pieced
1 medium leek quartered and diced
1 medium turnip, diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Add cauliflower, leek, turnips and garlic to a pot of water, boil until cauliflower is tender and turning translucent. Remove from heat, drain in strainer. Return to pot add almond milk. With a submersible blender, blend until creamy. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Use as topping for shepherds pie, or smooth out on a lightly greased cookie sheet and use for a pizza crust by cooking (drying out) in oven for 15 min.
Shepherds pie filling
2 tsp coconut oil
1 large leek, white and light green parts thinly sliced, rinsed well.
2 medium carrots diced or sliced (I used frozen carrots mixed with peas)
1 medium turnips, diced small about 1 1/2 cups
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/4 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
5 small garlic gloves (minced)
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
3 large swiss chard leaves, torn into medium pieces - I rough chopped mine and I used Rainbow chard
1 sprig rosemary - chopped
1 sprig sage - chopped
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 can cannelloni beans - rinsed
1/2 can black beans - rinsed
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions:
Preheat oven 400F.
Add oil to a large dutch oven or wide sauce pot on medium-highheat. Add leek and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often, until begins to soften. Add Carrots, turnips, peas, green beans, and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Until vegetables begin to soften and brown bits form on the bottom of the pan. Pour 1/2 a cup of broth, scraping brown bits from bottom of the pan as the broth evaporates.
Add chard and herbs (thyme, sage and rosemary) and sauté until chard wilts, about 2 minutes. add beans and remaining broth, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes, until liquid thickens and reduces slightly, and vegetables are tender.
Transfer stewed vegetables to a 10-in pie dish. Spread on top of stewed vegetables cauliflower mixture over vegetables, to the edges of the dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until browned (mine cooked for 26 minutes to lightly brown). Remove from oven let rest for 10 minutes. and enjoy warm!
***VERDICT!!!
SUPER DELICIOUS! I will be making this again, soon! I love how healthy this is and delicious. I am so, very pleased with how delicious this turned out. I love being able to add a meatless dish to my families dinner, which helps us stay healthy and helps our tight budget. Enjoy!!! Let me know what you think and how you adjust for your family.
