C(R)ottage Pie

From CRSWiki

C(R)ottage Pie – serves 4

By Linda

British comfort food for a winter’s night!

Ingredients

350g Quorn beef style mince, 1 medium onion, chopped, 1 clove garlic, chopped, 1 green pepper, diced, 3 large mushrooms diced, 1 tsp olive oil, 200ml low—sodium defatted beef or vegetable stock, pepper and seasonings, gum thickener, 12oz sweet potatoes, 8oz carrots, handful of fresh parsley, little milk or stock

Method

Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil till soft, add green pepper, sauté a few minutes, add the mushrooms and the Quorn. Sauté a few minutes more, then add stock, ground black pepper, a teaspoon fresh or half a teaspoon dried thyme and a splash of Worcester sauce. Cook about 10 minutes, thickening sauce with a teaspoon of gum thickener stirred into a little cold water.

Meanwhile, cook sweet potato and carrots, make mash adding in a little soya or skim milk or stock or some of the vegetable cooking water. As you mash, add the chopped parsley to give colour and flavour. This is easier if you have a stick blender.

Put mince mix in pie dish, spread mash on top and bake in a hot oven about 20 minutes. Serve with green leafy vegetables.

This is about 1000 calories for the whole recipe which makes 4 portions. You could make individual pies and freeze them before baking. As there are two of us I make two smaller pies and freeze one.

Variations: - but be sure to adjust the calories!

Use low fat minced beef, or minced turkey instead of the Quorn. If you do this it will need to cook longer, about 30 minutes – not including oven time. Decrease the amount of mince (or omit completely) and add more vegetables such as sliced celery, extra mushrooms, peppers, courgettes, (zucchini) or your choice of pulses. Ring the changes with the mash. Use sweet potatoes on their own or teamed with celeriac, or cauliflower.