STEEMIT CULINARY CHALLENGE #17: The Ultimate Vegan Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato Parsley Mash

Yes! I finally found some time to make an entry in the SCC. It's been a while I know. The accumulation of recent events has dramatically reduced my steemit time. But I'm slowly making my comeback.... and this Vegan Shepherd's Pie is the first step!

If you have been following my feed then you know I'm a real vegan and vegetarian food enthusiast. While I still eat meat on occasion, plant-based dishes are my favorite. Not only because they taste great, but they also tickle my sense of creativity. They make me experiment with new ingredients and many spices and herbs. Since meat is a huge flavor enhancer, a lot of effort goes into packing flavors into vegan dishes to avoid a bland taste.

If you are not a vegan or vegetarian, I'm sure you will enjoy this dish too. Te texture of the cooked adzuki beans actually remind me of minced beef. So believe me, you won't miss the meat in this recipe at all.

Ingredients (serves 2 to 3)

1/2 cup dried adzuki beans (small red beans)
1 cup carrot, cut into small pieces
2 medium-sized sweet potatoes (any color or variety), peeled and cut into pieces
1 cup celery, cut into small pieces
1.5 cup tomato, cubed
2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup onions, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 to 1 cup water or vegetable stock
Dried or fresh thyme to taste
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1-2 tbsps unsweetened almond milk or other nut or seed milk of your choice
1/2 to 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Rinse lentils and transfer to a saucepan. Add water and bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for about 15-20 minutes. Add water if needed to keep the lentils barely covered.
2. While the lentils are cooking, cut and boil the sweet potatoes to make the mash.
   
3. Cut all other ingredients.
4. In a pot or large skillet with lid, sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat for a few minutes.
5. When fragrant, add celery, tomatoes, and carrots and give it a good stir. Add uncooked beans and vegetable stock and cook until veggies and beans are softened.
   
6. Stir in spinach and season with thyme, salt, and pepper. Simmer for another 10 minutes to let the flavors mingle.
7. Preheat the oven to 350ºF or 175ºC.
8. When the sweet potatoes are cooked all the way through, mash with a little salt, nutmeg, fresh parsley, and almond milk.
9. Add the filling to an oven-save tray or bowl and top with sweet potato mash.
   
10. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the topping becomes slightly crisp. You could add Panko to the top for an extra crunchy and browning effect.

Bon appetite!

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