Lentil Cottage Pie

✓ Gluten-Free
✓ Nut-Free

This is the recipe my husband found when he was looking for a new family meal.  It is now a bit of a Sunday standard.  We have a big serve of the Lentil Cottage Pie with a plate of salad and some steamed veg. For any of my patients who have heard me rave about The Magic Dressing – the answer is YES – I do put Magic Dressing on the pie, the salad and the steamed veg!

One of my favourite cooked vegetables to add to our plate with this pie is steamed cabbage. I had my lovely Irish friend Tony over one day and was musing aloud as to what I should do with two enormous white cabbages. He said he was raised eating copious quantities of cabbage and that I should steam it, and then once cooked, mix it with with butter and lots of black pepper. It is now a firm family favourite – you should definitely try it – it is delicious!

Ingredients

1kg of a combination of potato and sweet potato (the amounts depend on whether you want the more traditional mash potato topping or feel like trying a combo)
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 medium brown onions finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
700g tomato passata
3 cups vegetable stock
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/3 cup dry red wine
1 heaped cup red (orange coloured) lentils
3 medium carrots, chopped finely
2 tbsp tamari (gluten free soy sauce)
Chopped chives to top
A generous amount of parmesan to top

Method
  1. Warm olive oil in deep saucepan, cook onions and garlic; stir until onions soften.
  2. Add passata, stock, tomato paste, lentils, carrot, tamari and red wine. Bring to the boil.
  3. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for approximately 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop it sticking.
  4. Whilst the lentil mixture is cooking, wash and cut potatoes and sweet potato (if using) and steam until tender. Drain water and then mash with butter and black pepper.
  5. Once cooked spoon lentil mix into a baking dish and top with mashed potatoes.
  6. Turn oven on to heat, 220° Celsius.
  7. Sprinkle the top with chives and then top with the parmesan cheese.
  8. Bake for 20 minutes.
  9. Stand pie for 10 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!!