Sherperd’s Pie – Food Porn!

by Sherri Koehler on November 20, 2009

My Mom really didn’t make shepherd’s pie as a dish growing up. She had a few other casserole things she did, but not too many. My Dad hated casseroles.

It was at college in Wisconsin that I was introduced to the shepherd’s pie. It was any number of rich, hearty, perhaps not entirely-good-for-me fare I came to love in the Midwest. Despite this deep appreciation, for some reason I’ve never actually made it myself.

Until tonight.

I made a shepherd’s pie in a cast iron pan filled will onions, garlic, tempeh, carrots, celery and roasted Brussels sprouts. In is mixed a golden gravy made with caramelized shallots & garlic, red & white miso, nutritional yeast, Earth Balance, fresh parsley and pepper (whole wheat flour & water too). The mixed up veggies and gravy are topped with mashed Yukon Gold potatoes.

I cannot believe I haven’t tried this before!

This diner was so good. Hearty, rich, and topped with mashed potatoes! The gravy, a real experiment, turned out so nicely and it only has a little bit of added fat to it (and I sense I’m onto some kind of vegan Swedish meatballs with this gravy). Although we discussed what else could be used instead of the tempeh, it wasn’t because it wasn’t incredibly tasty and totally satisfying.

There is no recipe. I was in a kind of Zen work-practice mode with cooking tonight, so I am mindful of everything I did. But I just cooked food. I will be making this again and there will be a recipe soon, my friend Vicki has requested it to add to her Meatless Monday dishes.

Used from Organics to You: carrots, celery, onions, garlic, shallots, potatoes, parsley

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

ilversetto November 21, 2009 at 2:34 am

Sounds delicious!!

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Vicki November 21, 2009 at 7:03 pm

I have made the meat version for years and years…So I will play with your list and send it back your way probably in a few weeks. Good cold weather food!

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Sherri - PDX Yogini November 21, 2009 at 10:28 pm

Thanks, @ilversetto :)Vicki — I'd just make your recipe and you could subbing the crumbled tempeh (which you can brown with the mirepoix, rather similarly to meat, the tempeh doesn't release fat/grease in the same way).We had also discussed that it would be great to try this with either brown lentils or aduki beans instead of the tempeh.

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Vicki November 23, 2009 at 8:32 am

We discussed it an our kid's finicky pallets and have decided to go with a Graham Kerr recipe using TVP instead of Beef and Bulgar Wheat. Also Although I often like the sounds of your recipe we have a bit of an anti cruciferous household only a little Chinese cabbage and Broccoli gets past my families lips.

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