Recipe: Save the Sheep Shepherd's Pie (vg)

Adapted from original post by The Bethnal Greens, with permission.

http://thebethnalgreens.com/blog/2018/3/16/save-the-sheep-shepherds-pie?rq=pie

Instagram @the_bethnal_greens

We used brown lentils and mushrooms to replace the meat in the traditional version of this dish, and it works quite well, but for added texture walnuts would be a welcome addition. Red wine could also be used to add depth by replacing up to half of the veg broth. I use olive oil in the potato mash, but  a splash of a plant based “cream” or a spoon of a plant based “butter” could be added for a creamier and more authentic texture. Rosemary from our garden was used to enhance the flavour of the dish but thyme, or oregano, would also work well.

Ingredients: (bolded ingredients can be purchased from Get Loose)

• 1 cup lentils (red or puy)

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 1 medium onion

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 1 stick celery

• 1 medium carrot

• 200g mushrooms

• 1 cup frozen peas

• 800g potatoes

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 2 1/2 cups veg broth (water and stock paste)

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C (400F)

• Wash and chop the potatoes roughly to the size of golf balls and place in a large pot with cold water so that the potatoes are completely submerged. Bring to the boil add a tsp of salt and simmer for 20 min.

• Drain the potatoes and return to the pot and add 2 tsp olive oil and mash with a potato masher until smooth.

Meanwhile:

• Dice the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, rosemary and mushrooms and saute in a large lidded pot with 2 tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Saute the veg on a medium heat until they have softened and the mixture has cooked down, approx 10 min. 

• Once the veg is ready add the broth, lentils, peas and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat to a simmer for 30 min. Or until the lentils are cooked.

• Check the pot every 10 min to see if more liquid is needed, add liquid (stock, water or wine) 1/4 cup at a time. 

• Once cooked, taste and season with salt and pepper.

• Empty the lentil mixture into an ovenproof casserole dish (our is square 23cm x 23cm , 9” x 9”).

• Allowing the mixture to cool a little will let it set to make spreading the potato mash easier.

• Carefully spread the potato mash evenly over the top of the lentil mixture.

• Bake in pre-heated oven for 30 min, or until the mash turns a golden brown.

• Serve with seasonal vegetables if required.

Oven Roasted Chickpeas

Oven roasted chickpeas

Adapted from the original post by The Bethnal Greens, with permission. Follow them on Instagram @the_bethnal_greens

Roasted chickpeas are a popular snack all over the Middle East and beyond. If you are looking for a healthier, cheaper and zero waste snack for your, movie night, office desk or long walk this might be for you.

Using alternative spices such as cumin and chilli could be used along with garlic or onion powder to make for equally delicious alternatives. 

This is a great one to do when you are using the oven for something else as they don’t take up much space.

Ingredients:

• 200g dried chickpeas (or 2 tins drained) *

• 1 tbsp smoked paprika *

• 1 tbsp salt *

• 3 tbsp olive oil *

  *ingredients from Get Loose

Method:

• If using dried chickpeas, soak chickpeas overnight and boil for 45-60 mins.

• If using tinned chickpeas, simply drain and wash

• Preheat the oven to 200° C

• Spread the chickpeas onto reusable kitchen towel or napkin, pat dry

• Once dry, place the chickpeas into a mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix well

• Return the chickpeas onto a roasting tin lined with baking paper or silicone mat. They should be spread out enough so that they are on a single layer.

• Place in a preheated oven for 15 minutes, then give the pan a good shake to move the chickpeas around and roast for another 15 minutes, shake once more and bake for a final 10-15 min. Keep an eye on the chickpeas for the remaining 5-10 minutes to avoid any burning.

• Can be eaten hot or cold. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Why not tell us in the comments how you like to make your oven roasted chickpeas?

Cinnamon Sultana Oat Cookies

Cinnamon Sultana Oat Cookies

Adapted from the original post by The Bethnal Greens, with permission. Follow them on Instagram!

Ingredients: (approx. 20 cookies)

• 1 cup dates (roughly 10 dates) *

• 1 cup jumbo or rolled oats *

• 1 cup oat flour (1 1/4 cup of rolled oats ground into a flour - you can use your blender) *

• 1 cup sultanas *

• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon *

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp salt *

• 2 rounded tablespoons of peanut butter (or any nut or seed butter) *

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil (we used rapeseed oil) *

  * ingrediants from get Loose

Ingredients from Get Loose

Method:

• Soak the dates in warm water while preparing and measuring other ingredients (approx. 10 min)

• Blend 1 1/4 cups of rolled oats in a food processor, blender or mini chopper.

• Place the oat flour along with the rolled oats, sultanas, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl and mix well

• Discard the soaking water from the dates and place them in the food processor along with the vanilla, oil and nut butter and blend to a paste.

• Add the paste to the dry ingredients and mix well to incorporate

• Place the cookie dough into the fridge for about 10 minutes, this will allow the oats to absorb some of the moisture and a colder dough is easier to shape

• Preheat oven to 180C

• Roll golf sized balls of dough and place them on a lined baking tray and then press down on them using the palm of your hand into discs roughly 2 cm thick

• We baked ours for around 15 minutes and they came out nice and chewy with a little crunch, but ovens can vary so keep an eye on them after the first 12 min or so checking to see that the cookies are not burning at the edges

• The cookies will come out moist and may seem underdone, but they need to cool completely before they harden. If, like us, you find it hard to wait, go ahead and have a few, they are delicious when warm.

The recipe could also handle a variety of alternative ingredients and combinations, for example sour cherries, walnuts or chopped dried apricots. Let us know what you tried in the comments below!