Autumn is here and winter just around the corner, we tend to go for heavier meals. This is a beautifully nourishing and comforting meal with a few nutritional boosting twists.

Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Mash
Serves 4

150g (2/3cup) green lentils
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 spring onion chopped
10g (1/3 cup) chopped parsley
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
500g minced lamb (veg replace 1 cup cannellini beans)
2 carrots thinly sliced
250ml Passata (pureed tomatoes)
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp Tamari
1 tbsp brown rice miso
250 ml (1cup) hotish water
45g brown rice flour
4 bay leaves
1 large kale leaf or a handful of spinach

Rinse lentils, soak if time allows overnight or for a few hours
Place in a saucepan with lightly salted water. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15mins or until tender, drain and set aside

Preheat oven to 180c

Heat the olive oil in a fry pan or oven proof pan
Add the onion, spring onion, parsley, basil and oregano stir for a few mins and then add garlic
Increase heat add lamb, breaking up chunks with wooden spoon, cook until evenly browned
Add carrot, passata, paprika and tamari stir to combine
In a small bowl dissolve miso into hottish water and add to pan
Add rice flour, bay leaves and lentils
Reduce heat and cook for 20mins stirring often
Stir in kale or spinach and remove from heat

Cauli and Pea Topping

500g Cauliflower, chopped into florets, don’t worry to much its going to be wizzed
280g (2 cups peas) fresh or frozen
Handful fresh mint leaves
130g (1/2 cup) Greek style/thick yoghurt (omit for dairy free use coconut yoghurt or double olive oil)
2 tbsp olive oil
50g (1/2cup) Parmesan optional

Steam Cauliflower florets over boiling water till they are not soft, remove steamer basket and add peas to boiling water and cook for a few mins. Transfer to a blender or food processor, add mint leaves, yoghurt, olive oil. Blend to a consistency of your liking maybe chunky or smooth.

Pop topping on your lamb and lentil mixture, after transferring to a casserole dish if necessary.
Scraping a fork over top for a fancy pants look or leave rustic.
Bake 30mins
Sprinkle with parmesan if using and freshly ground black pepper
Cook for up to another 15mins until top if goldenish and bubbling

Serve with baby spinach or a simple green salad for added veg.

This is a delish dish from Lee Holme’s fabulous book of healthy recipes, Supercharged Food – Eat Yourself Beautiful.

We have spent a lot of time in Ubud Bali and this was one of favourite dishes, I was so please to stuble on this nutrition boosted version. Such a versatile salad, serve as a starter, main or even tumble into a lunchbox for work. It can be served warm or chilled. This recipe can be adapted using any vegetables you like. Some people serve it with tempeh (pretty much always) or tofu and also topped with crushed peanuts or crunchy garlic. Just have fun with it. There are no strict rules with Gado Gado. I’ve cooked this numerous times for yogis and my family, I often deconstuct it serving each thing separately, which allows people to create there own meal. Double the dressing its fabulous over any stem veg.

Ingredients

1/2 head of Chinese cabbage (wong bok), shredded

1 bunch bok choy (pak choy), roughly chopped

250 g (9 oz) green or snake beans, cut into 4 cm (11/2 inch) lengths

115 g (4 oz/1 cup) bean sprouts 4 organic boiled eggs, peeled and halved crisp-fried garlic, to serve (optional)

1 handful of chopped nuts, such as almonds, peanuts or raw cashew nuts, to serve (optional)

Gado Gado Dressing

1 small garlic clove, minced

2–3 cm (3/4-11/4 inch) piece of ginger, peeled and grated

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons additive-free coconut milk

3 tablespoons almond or peanut butter

2 tablespoons wheat-free tamari

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

5 drops stevia liquid

Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Steam the vegetables over a saucepan of simmering water for 6 minutes or until they are tender.

Meanwhile, to make the dressing, place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Transfer the vegetables to a serving bowl and coat with the dressing, tossing well to combine. Top with the sprouts and eggs, sprinkle over the crispy garlic and chopped nuts,  if using, and serve.