Lentil Shepherds Pie

This recipe is great for using up the end of the week's veggie box as really it doesn't matter what veggies you put in.  It was super popular with both the adults and the kids.

Lentil Shepherds Pie Ingredients

Topping
1 kg potatoes
1/2-1cup milk, salt, butter
Cheese, grated

 Filling
1 onion, diced
Veggies (I used carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, swede, turnip, kale, and pumpkin), diced
A can of lentils or 500g brown lentils (soaked)
400g Passata or a can of tomatoes
1 tbs Tomato paste
Fresh or dried herbs such as oregano, thyme, sage
Salt and pepper

Method
Chop potatoes and boil for 10-15 mins until soft
Drain excess water, add milk, salt and butter and mash.

While potatoes are boiling, fry the onion til soft, add the veggies (and lentils if not using canned). Cook for 5-10 mins. Add passata/canned tomatoes, herbs and tomato paste. Once veggies are cooked, season well. Add the canned lentils.

Put into baking dish and top with mashed potato and grated cheese.  Bake for approx 30 mins in moderate oven until top is golden brown.

YUM!

Celebrating Inbolc and the coming of Spring

Last week we celebrated Inbolc which marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox.  It marks the coming of Spring.  I have felt a very real shift in the energy and weather at this time.  It has been a long cold winter but finally the days are lengthening, I am waking with the brightening sky, and the sun is breaking through the clouds to warm us during the day.

We celebrated Inbolc by making a circle of flowers.  We each added a flower to the circle and made a wish for what we wanted to grow and blossom this Spring. Anna read the story of Persephone being stolen into the underworld (which explains why we have winter every year). 

We all noticed all the new buds beginning on our fruit trees.  It is a beautiful hopeful time of year.  My springtime buds are loving family communication and fulfilling my creative inspirations.

-Cat

Cauliflower,parsnip and potato soup

This delicious thick and creamy soup is adapted from a thermomix recipe.  See those instructions at the end.  The parsnip adds a beautiful nutty flavour. 

Ingredients:

oil

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic (optional)

3 potatoes

1 small or 1/2 large cauliflower (I used the beautiful romanesco pictured)

1 small parsnip or 1/2 large

approx 750ml water or stock

salt

20g butter

2 tbs flour (corn flour if gluten free)

Method: 

Dice onion and garlic and fry in oil in a large saucepan.  Chop potatoes, cauliflower and parsnip into bite size pieces. Add to the saucepan with water/stock and salt.  Cook for approximately 20 mins until vegetables soft.  Add butter and cook for a few more minutes.  Blend and serve with a spring onion garnish.

Thermomix instructions: Chop onion and garlic (3 sec speed 7) Add oil and fry (3 mins 100 deg speed 1). Add vegetables, water/stock and salt.  Cook (15 mins 100 deg speed 1).  Add butter and flour, cook (5 mins 100 deg speed 1) Blend (1 min going from speed 1-8).