Gloomy, rainy, tropical days on our side of the world. Perfect weather to make a shepherd's pie. Though it's still nice and warm with temperatures around 28°C (82-83°F) everything below 27°C (80°F) feels chilly after living in the tropics for 4 years. It's kinda crazy how fast your body adapts to another environment.

But every weather has its advantages. Rainy season means a lot of lush natures and colors... and lots of indoor time to get busy in the kitchen.

Always look at the bright side of life, right? Though I must say I prefer the sun because of the many smiling faces, I love the rainy season too.

How are you guys doing? Enjoying the summer months and many cookouts that come with it? Or any plans to go on a holiday in the near future?

But enough about the weather and the holidays, let's talk comfort food.

VEGGIE SHEPHERD'S PIE WITH SWEET POTATO PARSLEY MASH

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INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

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

DIRECTIONS

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1. Rinse lentils under cold running water. Transfer to a saucepan. Add water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for about 15 to 20 minutes. Add water if needed to keep the beans barely covered. You can skip this pre-cooking step if you soak the beans overnight.
2. While the beans are cooking, boil the sweet potatoes in lightly salted water.
3. Meanwhile, in a pot or large skillet with a lid, sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat for a few minutes. When fragrant, add tomatoes, celery, and carrots. Stir well add the pre-cooked beans and vegetable stock. Cook until veggies and beans are tender.
4. Last 5-10 minutes of cooking, add spinach and season with thyme, salt, and pepper to taste.
5. Preheat the oven to 175ºC (or 350ºF).
6. Mash the sweet potatoes with a little salt, nutmeg, fresh parsley, and almond milk (or other nut/seed milk).
7. Add the filling to an oven-safe dish and top with sweet potato mash. You can make one big Sherperd's pie in a pie pan or use separate 1 serving dishes like I did.
8. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the mash becomes slightly crisp. You could add Panko to the top for an extra crunchy and browning effect. Up to you.

WISHING YOU ALL A HEALTHY AND HAPPY REST OF THE WEEK ღ ღ ღ

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ALL CONTENT IS MINE AND ORIGINAL!
PICTURE(s) TAKEN WITH NIKON D5600

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