Lentil, sundried tomato and mushroom shepherd’s pie with garlicky brussel sprouts

Preheat the oven to 185 degrees Celsius.

Peel and dice the potatoes. Place in a pot of cold salted water and bring to a boil. Cook until soft, about 15 minutes.

Before straining, remove a cup of the water for later.

Mince the garlic (reserve about a third for the sprouts).

Dice the onion and carrot.

Heat a drizzle of oil over medium heat, sweat the onion, carrot and garlic all together for 2 minutes, until lightly caramelized.

Slice the mushrooms (if they are large, cut them in half before slicing)

Strain the lentils.

Thinly slice the sundried tomato.

Add the thyme tomato paste to the pot with the onion, garlic and carrot, then fry for a minute, stirring regularly.

Add the mushrooms, a good pinch of salt and crack of black pepper to the pot and cook for another 2 minutes, then add the  peas, sundried tomatoes and strained lentils. Stir through and remove from the heat.

Add the zest and juice from the lemon. Add some of the reserved potato liquid (around half a cup for the couple plan, one cup for the family plan). Taste and add more salt or pepper, as needed.

Spoon the shepherd’s pie mix into an oven dish.

Strain the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, then add a tablespoon or so of plant butter (or margarine) and a splash of plant milk. Mash.

Spoon over the shepherd’s pie and spread into an even layer. Lightly run a fork over the top to maximise the surface area for crisping.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then change the setting to grill for the last 4 minutes, watching carefully until the top is golden brown.

While the pie is baking, cut the tail off the sprouts and cut into small pieces.

In a pan, fry the sprouts for 4 minutes in a little oil with a bit of  salt. Add the garlic and toss for 1 minute before adding a splash of soy sauce and a few splashes of water.

Cook for a further minute, until the water evaporates and the sprouts are just cooked.

Serve the golden brown shepherd’s pie with garlic sprouts on the side.