two ways! Beef or plant based

This recipe is a great transition for anyone who is trying to cut down on the amount of animal protein they consume. Whether thats for moral, environmental, financial or any other reason, sometimes it’s fun to have options! I always encourage eating a variety of different foods and for me personally, I’m always trying to expand my repertoire of whole food, plant based proteins, though I still do eat meat. This recipe makes a WHOLE lot of food, so I either make it ahead of time for lunches (for myself and my husband=10 lunches) Or I portion it out into 3-4 containers and freeze it for a quick and easy dinner. My very favourite Shepherds pie recipe growing up was the one made with Heinz ketchup and mustard, so I tried to create something that was just as tangy, a little less processed, and a little more nutrient dense. I love adding pureed cauliflower to mashed potatoes to make them more fluffy, and it eliminates the need to add butter or milk. Parents - this is also a great way to sneak extra veggies onto your little ones plate. I add in fresh vegetables, but frozen would work as well, you could also switch it up and add different veggies.

Carrots are very well known for their Beta Carotene content which can be converted to Vitamin A in the liver. If the liver is overworked, or under-functioning, that could effect how Beta cartene is being converted, which could result in a vitamin A deficiency. Just another reason to eat liver supportive foods!

Green beans are a good source of protein, fibre and silicon. Silicon from green beans appears to be fairly absorbed (25-50%) and has been shown to play an important role in the health of our bone and connective tissue. They’re an excellent source of vitamin K, a fat soluble vitamin which can be made in the body by a healthy gut microbiome. Vitamin K is necessary for normal blood clotting and is required for synthesis of prothrombin and other proteins in blood coagulation.

Lentils provide a great source of protein, fibre, B vitamins, and minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese as well as iron.

Organic Grass-fed beef not only is lower in overall fat and in saturated fat, but it has the added advantage of providing more omega-3 fats. These crucial healthy fats are most plentiful in flaxseeds and fish, and are also found in walnuts, soybeans and in meat from animals that have grazed on omega-3 rich grass. When cattle are taken off grass, though, and shipped to a feedlot to be fattened on grain, they immediately begin losing the omega-3s they have stored in their tissues. A grass-fed steak typically has about twice as many omega-3s as a grain-fed steak. In addition to being higher in healthy omega-3s, meat from pastured cattle is also up to four times higher in vitamin E than meat from feedlot cattle and much higher in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a nutrient associated with lower cancer risk. It’s important to remember that organic is not the same as grass-fed. Natural food stores often sell organic beef and dairy products that are hormone- and antibiotic- free. These products come from animals who were fed organically grown grain, but who typically still spent most of their lives (or in the case of dairy cows perhaps their whole lives) in feedlots. The sad reality is that almost all the organic beef and organic dairy products sold in the U.S. today come from feedlots. Just as organic does not mean grass-fed, grass-fed does not mean organic. Pastured animals sometimes graze on land that has been treated with synthetic fertilizers and even doused with herbicides. Unless the meat label specifically says it is both grass-fed and organic, it isn’t.

This recipe freezes beautifully, and is great for meal prepped lunches for the week!

Shepherds Pie

Prep time: 60 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Yield: 10 servings

ingredients

8 cups chopped potato
1 large cauliflower steamed
5 cups tomato sauce *best if homemade click here for the recipe
1 1/3 cups dry green lentils
2 lbs grass fed and finished ground beef *omit if vegan, replace with extra 1.5 cups dry lentils
2.5 cup diced carrot - the smaller they’re cut, the faster they cook!
2.5 cup chopped green beans - about a cm wide
2.5 cup white onion diced (approx 2 medium onion)
3 tbsp fresh pressed garlic
1/4 cup organic raw or apple cider mustard
1/2 cup Worcester sauce- I use this organic vegan brand because it doesn't contain barley (food sensitivity)
salt and pepper to taste
thyme to garnish

method

Soak lentils overnight
Wash and peel potatoes, chop and place in a large pot with water to boil
Wash and chop cauliflower, place in a pot to steam until tender.
Rinse lentils well, add to pot with water, bring to a boil ad simmer 15-20 min, drain, set aside
Chop onion, carrot and green and sauté until carrots are soft
If adding beef, add it now and sauté until cooked
Add garlic and saute until fragrant - just a couple minutes
Add tomato sauce, mustard, Worcester, and stir to combine - turn heat to simmer and cover, stir periodically
When potatoes are done, drain and place in large bowl
Once cauliflower is steamed, add to blender and pure
Add cauliflower pure to boiled potatoes and mash, taste, add a good quality sea salt or pink salt
Taste the lentil vegetable mixture. Does it need a splash more Worcester, mustard, tomato sauce, salt, pepper?
Transfer vegetable mixture to an oven friendly dish, and top with mashed potato mixture.
Place in an oven at 350 degrees until edges are bubbling and top is browned.
Sprinkle with ground thyme, salt and pepper before serving.

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