Shepherd's Pie

This is a definite favorite when it comes to comfort food. I've made this for dinner tonight and it's pretty delicious. But then again, you can never really beat mash potatoes.
Pots used: 3.
Time start to finish: an hour.

Take:
One tablespoon of olive oil.
One carrot, diced.
One stick of celery, sliced.
One zucchini, sliced.
One leek, sliced.
Two cloves of garlic, smooshed.
A cup or so of mushrooms, sliced chunky style.
One chopped tomato.
Half a cup of yellow split peas.
Half a cup of brown lentils.
Four cups of veggie stock.
One bay leaf.
One small twig of Rosemary.
Pepper.
One dried shitake mushroom (optional).
One tablespoon of tomato paste.
Two teaspoons of gravy mix.
For the mash:
Four large potatoes, skinned and diced.
3/4 of a cup of your favorite milk (I used oat milk, today).
Half a tablespoon of olive oil.
Salt and pepper to taste.



In a large saucepan, heat the oil and add the veggies on a medium heat. Stir for about five minutes. Add the lentils and stir for a further 2 minutes. Add the stock and the herbs and bring to the boil. I find adding a dried shitake mushroom can add a depth to the stock, but of course, that's optional. Add the paste and the gravy mix. Mix in.
Bring to the boil and then simmer for forty minutes.

While this is going on, get your potatoes ready! Peel, chop and then put them in a saucepan. Bring them to the boil, and then simmer for ten to 15 minutes until smooshy. Drain the water and smoosh them all till they are nice and creamy. Add the milk and oil, salt and pepper and stir all together.
Once the gravy mix is ready, put it in an oven safe dish. Cover with mash potato and put in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius or until golden brown.
Sprinkle some spring onion on top.
Serves 6-8.