Winter Warmer: Gluten & Dairy Free Shepherd’s Pie

One of my favourite Winter Warmer dishes to make is a Shepherd’s Pie! Even though it’s such a hearty meal, it can be made in a healthy way. I would normally make this with sweet potato however I have pictured it above with white potato as I was craving this during my pregnancy! This is a really simple dish to make and one that the whole family will love. It is perfect for a busy, cold Winter’s night when you only have a few things in the cupboard but you need to feed a hungry family!

What you need:

Mince

• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
• 3 cloves of garlic (crushed)
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 500 grams beef mince
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric
• Himalayan sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 cup of frozen peas

Mash:

• 500 grams of potato (sweet or white)
• 125mls of coconut milk
• Himalayan sea salt and black pepper to taste

What you need to do:

Make the mash on the stove

1. Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks.
2. Cook in a large saucepan of boiling water for 20 minutes or until tender.
3. Drain the water out of the saucepan and then add the coconut milk, salt and pepper to the potatoes.
4. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes and set aside.

Or make the mash in a Thermomix:

1. Cut potatoes into large chunks (I personally don’t worry about peeling when I make mash in the Thermomix).
2. Add potato and coconut milk to the bowl and cook for 25 mins on 90 degrees, speed 1.
3. Attach butterfly, add salt and pepper and mix for 30 seconds on speed 4.

(If you still have a long time to go before you finish the mince by the time the potatoes are cooked, you can pop into the oven on a low heat to keep warm.)

Make the Mince Mix

1. While the potato is cooking, heat coconut oil in a large pot.
2. Add the onion and garlic and then sauté on a low heat until onion softens.
3. Add mince and cook until meat has browned, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up mince.
4. Add cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper, tomato paste and stir to mix well.
5. Add peas and simmer until the water from the frozen peas evaporates, stirring to make sure that the mince does not burn.

Make the Pies

1. Choose the appropriate size serving dish for if you would like to make individual pies (as pictured above) or 1 large pie.
2. Add mince mix and top with mashed potato.
3. Serve and enjoy.

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