I was born and raised, like a good Wisconsin girl, on meat and potatoes every single night. (With a glass of milk and a piece of white bread, too.) As an adult, it astonishes me that we never had shepard's pie growning up. Mashed potatoes. Meaty stew great for sopping with bread. Why did mom never make this?
It's very hard to find a good vegetarian recipe. The few that exist require either a tomato paste or a bechamel sauce (flour and butter with milk or cream). Neither seems quite right to me. Jeremy looked at five or six different recipes before we gave up and winged it ourselves.
(Also great to use up veggies on the verge of wilting or rotting.)
Boil a big pot of water (salted, if you like). Add however many potatoes you have...we used 2 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled. Cook until tender and drain. Let the steam float off them for a few minutes, dreaming of a quiet island paradise somewhere with umbrella drinks. Add 2 T butter. (You don't want them as loose and fluffy as normal mashed potatoes, Jeremy is telling me right now.) You can throw in two cloves minced garlic. We added a couple of sliced scallions as well
Meanwhile, in a pan over medium heat, add 1-2 T olive oil and heat a few minutes. Add one chopped or diced onion and cook until nearly clear. Add 2 to 10 cloves of diced garlic, depending on your garlic needs. Add sliced mushrooms, and brown for a couple minutes, then add about 1/2 cup combined wine, veggie stock, balsamic vinegar and/or soy sauce (we used about 1/2 c wine and a tiny bit of soy sauce). Simmer for a minute, then remove from the pan. Repeat (minus the liquid) with any veggies you like. We used carrots, cauliflower, green beans, swiss chard, leek, fresh corn off the cob, spinach (you want 2-4 cups vegetables total, depending on how big your pan is) and one can of gluten (though this proved to be the weakest element in the dish). Remember to cook the veggies slightly less than you would otherwise, since they will be baking for a while. In the same pan, mix 2 T flour with 2 T butter to make a rue. Mix this with the veggies. (This will help to thicken the wine sauce.)
Meanwhile, in a pan over medium heat, add 1-2 T olive oil and heat a few minutes. Add one chopped or diced onion and cook until nearly clear. Add 2 to 10 cloves of diced garlic, depending on your garlic needs. Add sliced mushrooms, and brown for a couple minutes, then add about 1/2 cup combined wine, veggie stock, balsamic vinegar and/or soy sauce (we used about 1/2 c wine and a tiny bit of soy sauce). Simmer for a minute, then remove from the pan. Repeat (minus the liquid) with any veggies you like. We used carrots, cauliflower, green beans, swiss chard, leek, fresh corn off the cob, spinach (you want 2-4 cups vegetables total, depending on how big your pan is) and one can of gluten (though this proved to be the weakest element in the dish). Remember to cook the veggies slightly less than you would otherwise, since they will be baking for a while. In the same pan, mix 2 T flour with 2 T butter to make a rue. Mix this with the veggies. (This will help to thicken the wine sauce.)
Dump the whole works in a 9 x 13 pan. Scoop the potatoes over the veggies, pressing down slightly to cover. Shred parmesian and dot with tiny bits of butter. Tent with tin foil and heat in a preheated 375 degree oven for 50 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until brown--about 10-15 minutes.Let cook slightly. The potatoes will be a little crispy and shell-like.
Isn't that gorgeous??!!Jesus, that's so beautiful. Jeremy said it was the best shepard's pie he ever had.
Serve with salad and wine.
YUM!!!!
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