Shepherdess Pie

A no-meat version of the timeless classic, this is also dairy-free so suitable for vegans. If you can't get aduki beans, you can substitute canned lentils or any other kind of beans.

1 kg potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
45ml olive oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 carrots, coarsely grated
2 garlic cloves
45ml sunflower oil
115g mushrooms
2 400g cans aduki beans, drained
600ml vegetable stock
1 tsp vegetable yeast extract (Marmite)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
dried breadcrumbs or chopped nuts to sprinkle.

1. Boil potatoes until tender, then mash well with the olive oil and seasoning.
2. Gently fry the onion, pepper, carrots and garlic in the sunflower oil for about 5 minutes until soft.
3. Stir in the mushrooms and beans and cook for a further 2 minutes then add the stock, yeast extract, bay leaves and mixed herbs. Simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Preheat the grill. Remove the bay leaves then empty the vegetables into a shallow ovenproof dish. Spoon on the mashed potato in dollops and sprinkle over the crumbs or nuts. Grill until golden brown and heated through.