Shepherd’s Pie + Mashed Parsnip

 

Ingredients

For the mashed parsnip

4 cups parsnip, peeled and roughly chopped

½ cup cream

2 tbsp butter

½ - 1 tsp sea salt (depending if your butter has salt in it)

 

For the rest

4 cups turnips, peeled and cut into pieces no bigger than 1 inch

3 cups rutabaga, peeled and cut into pieces no bigger than 1 inch

2 tbsp oil plus 1 tbsp oil, separated

1 medium onion, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ tbsp red wine vinegar

1 cup green puy lentils (black lentils will work to)

2 ½ cups water or stock

2 tbsp tamari

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tsp thyme leaves

2 cups carrots, washed and cut into pieces no bigger than 1 inch

1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water

¼ cup maple syrup

2 tsp sea salt

 

 

Preparation

For the mashed parsnip

Peel and chop the parsnip.

 

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the parsnip for about 5 minutes or until it slides off a fork when pierced.

 

Once cooked, allow to cool and place in a food processor and add cream, butter, and sea salt. Blend until smooth. If you don’t have a food processor, add cream, butter, and sea salt and mash with fork or potato masher.

 

Set aside.

 

For the rest

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

 

Peel and cut rutabaga and place in a pot of boiling water. Boil for about 10 minutes until rutabaga is soft. Drain and set aside.

 

Peel and cut turnips and place in a large bowl. Add cooked rutabaga and toss with 2 tbsp oil.

 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread turnip/rutabaga mix in a single layer. Cook for 45 minutes then remove from oven and set aside. Leave your oven on at 400 degrees F.

 

While turnips and rutabaga are cooking heat 1 ½ tbsp oil in a large pot on a low heat.

 

Sauté the chopped onions for about 15 minutes.

 

Add garlic and sauté for another 5 minutes.

 

Add 1 ½ tbsp red wine vinegar, increase to high heat, and stir.

 

Add dry puy lentils and 2 ½ cups water or stock, tamari, dijon mustard, and thyme leaves. Once boiling reduce to simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. Check lentils – they should be almost cooked but not quite.

 

After 20 minutes, add chopped carrots and cook for another 10 minutes. At this point the lentils should be done but not mushy and there will still be some liquid in the pot. Remove from heat.

 

Combine 1 tbsp cornstarch and 1 tbsp water and stir into lentil mixture.

 

Add ¼ cup maple syrup, 2 tsp sea salt, and the rutabaga/turnip mixture to the pot with the lentils and combine.

 

Grease an 8 or 9 inch oven safe dish with a little olive oil. Place mixture from pot inside pressing down all over. Then scoop out mashed parsnip on top and spread evenly.

 

Cook at 400 degrees F for an hour.

 

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

 

Enjoy!