Sheperd's Pie

Trying to get a flattering photo for this meal was a total fiasco; everything was just falling all over the place!  So please, don’t hold the picture against the pie! This is vegalicious comfort food to the max. As a testament to it’s greatness, I served this for Thanksgiving with four decidely non-vegan guests to absolute rave reviews, followed by second servings.

The base consists of tempeh and carrots lovingly smothered in a shiitake mushroom gravy. I know shiitakes aint cheap, but it was Thanksgiving so I pulled out all the stops. Normally  I use cremini for mushroom gravy but if you want to impress, splurge for shiitakes.

Working in restaurants for many years has taught me a few things when it comes to making fabulous mashed potatoes. First, steam  rather than boil the spuds. This is quite simple with a steamer basket placed in a large pot with a couple inches of water and a lid. The reasoning is basic: more potato flavor! Second, it is never milk but cream that is used and it’s always warmed. Adding cool liquids makes the potato starch firmer yielding a gummier texture – as in, not desired. As for cream, here again cashew cream saves the vegan’s day. It lacks the aftertaste of other non-dairy milks and has fat. If you are in the fat-phobe category, relax. If you are eating a healthy vegan diet (think whole foods, not all that processed crap in the freezer section) a little non-animal fat here and there should not cause you stress. Besides, it makes things taste good!

A note to the curious, hiding behind that pile of mashed potatoes are Brussels sprouts sauteed with shallots, dried cranberries, and walnuts. I’ll post that recipe soon, it is a real winner even with sprout haters, myself included.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ chunks
• 1/2 c. Earth Balance butter substitute, at room temp. (1 stick)
• 1/2 c. raw, unsalted cashews
• 1/8 tsp. white pepper
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper or to taste
• 8 oz. pkg. tempeh (I like the wild rice variety here)
• 3-4 carrots, depending on size, peeled and diced
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2′ dice
• 2 1/2 c. sliced cremini or shiitake mushrooms (shiitake stems must be removed)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. sage
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/3 c. red wine
• 1/3 c. low-sodium tamari, divided
• 2 c. vegetable broth
• 1/4 c. flour (substitute rice flour for gluten-free)
• app. 1 1/2 c. corn, if frozen no need to thaw
• 1 -2 Tbsp. EV olive oil for sauteeing

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Crumble tempeh in large saute pan and cover with water, around 2 c. mixed with 1/4 c. of the tamari. Add the carrots if you want to simplify matters, I prefer to saute them later in the process. Cover tempeh and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer until most of liquid is gone, 5 minutes.
3. While tempeh is working, steam or boil the potatoes until tender, like 15-20 minutes. While potatoes are going, make cashew cream. Process the cashews with 3/4 c. water in a food processor until creamy, 4-5 minutes, scraping bowl every now and again. Add another 1/4 c. water and process until combined. Warm  (not going for a boil here) the cashew cream in the microwave for a minute (depending on your wattage) and cover to keep warm.  When potatoes are done, use a potato masher  and mash them up with 1 c. cashew cream, butter and the peppers. I like to add white pepper but it’s definitely not preferred by everyone. I suggest starting with and 1/8 tsp. and going from there.  Cover and keep warm.
4. Drain tempeh and set aside. Combine vegetable broth, flour, and 2 Tbsp. of the tamari in large Pyrex type measuring cup and set aside. Heat same pan (no need to clean it)  with a little EV olive oil and saute the onion over medium heat until tender, 5 minutes. Be sure to stir onions periodically so they don’t burn. Once onions are tender, add shrooms and saute until they release their juice. Next, add the garlic, thyme, and sage. Saute until mushroom juice is gone, degalze pan with the red wine scraping up any browned bits. Simmer 30 seconds and stir in the broth mixture. Stir over medium-low heat until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the black pepper. If sauteeing carrots (recommended), transfer gravy back to large measuring cup broth was in and cover. Add a little more of the oil to same pan and saute carrots until tender, somewhere in the 5-7 minute range. Again, you don’t need to clean the pan, just use a spatula to get all the gravy out. What little bit is left is fine. If you cooked them with the tempeh, this step does not apply.
5. Combine tempeh, carrots and the gravy, transfer to a 2.5 qt. sprayed or lightly buttered casserole dish. Top with the corn, followed by the potatoes. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Serves 6
Tempeh