This meal is for your meatless night. It is filling and healthy.
I always have beans and lentils soaked and cooked in the freezer.
Nutrition in Brown Lentils - Omega 3 and 6, Protein, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Selenium, Folate, Vitamin B6, K, C
Lentils -
Great dietary fibre,
Fantastic for heart health,
Helps balance your blood sugar,
Lentils are a low burning complex carbohydrate, they increase your energy and replenishes your iron stores. Great for women who are low in Iron.
Preparation - Cover lentils with cold water and soak overnight. Next day strain of water and place into a pot, cover with water and simmer until cooked. Drain.
Shepherds Pie with Lentils and Brown Rice Recipe
Serves 6 - 8
coconut oil for frying
1 onion - chopped finely
4 large garlic cloves
4 carrots - cut into small cubes
1 parsnip - cut into small cubes
800 grms tin chopped tomatoes
4 tbsp worcester sauce
1 1/2 - 2 cups beef stock
Hand full spinach leaves
1 head broccoli - cut into small florets
4 cups brown lentils - soaked over-night and then simmered until cooked in fresh water. Drain.
1 cup brown rice - washed and raw
3 - 4 sweet potatoes (orange kumara) - peeled, chopped and boiled then mashed add butter and season.
Sea salt / pepper
Method
Prepare your sweet potatoes, ready to top your pie.
1 - Saute onion until soft then add the garlic, cook with the lid on low, for a few minutes.
2 - Add carrots and parsnip - cook for 5 minutes with the lid on.
3 - Add tomatoes, rice, lentils, Worcester sauce and stock. Simmer for about 40 - 60 minutes or until the brown rice is cooked with the lid on. Stir every 5 minutes just to make sure it is not sticking and pushing the rice down in the liquid. You may need to add more water, the rice taste a while to cook.
4 - Add broccoli and spinach cook for a few minutes.
5 - Taste and season.
6 - Pour into a casserole dish or leave in your pot if it can go into the oven.
7 - Top with the mashed sweet potatoes.
Heat through in the oven at 180 c for 30 minutes or until hot, before serving.
Cook your sweet potatoes first, drain and mash.
On a low temperature cook your onion then garlic and then add your carrot and parsnip.
Add the brown rice, tomatoes, sauce and stock. Cook on low until the rice is cooked, stirring regularly making sure it does not stick and the rice is being cooked evenly. Then taste and season.
Add brocilli and spinach. The baby kale and spinach is from my green house.
Spread sweet potatoes over top.
If you want to freeze this just leave out the mashed sweet potatoes. Once thawed add it and bake in the oven.
