Are you trying to convince someone to eat better but the tradition of meat and 3 veg won’t go away?
Instead of meat 'n 3 veg being the norm, we need more like low meat and 30 veg to be the norm – both for our planet and our health. See if you can’t get towards that solution with this traditional dish of Shepard's Pie, but with less or no meat (your choice) and LOTS of plants (23) … including seaweed!
Don't be fooled though that this dish is only eaten in western cuisine - Every good solution can be found in many corners of the world. Shepards Pie (Scotland / England) a.k.a. hachis Parmentier, (France), Empadao (Portugal), Escondidinho (Brazil), Pastel de carne (Uruguay), Pastel de papas (Argentina), Pastel tutup (Indonesia), Pâté chinois (Canada), Pióg an aoire (Ireland), Shepherdess pie (vegetarian) – truly cosmopolitan wouldn’t you know, and I am sure that the list doesn’t end there
So why not add seaweed to an already super versatile dish and get flavour and more plants in any language.
Here is the count of plants in this meal…
- 2 potatoes
- 1 capsicum
- 1 carrot
- 2 cloves garlic
- Bunch of kale
- 1 tin lentils (or minced meat if you prefer)
- 2tblsp tomato paste
- 100ml Coconut milk
- Tsp/cube vegetable stock powder
- 1 tblsp Caribbean jerk seasoning (7 additional plants, see recipe below if you don’t have any)
- Handful of fresh coriander
- 1 tblsp Phukka (6 plants including seaweed)
- Olive oil
- 2tbls Milk or cream of your choice
How to cook:
- Boil potatoes until soft
- Cut capsicum into bite size chunks
- Grate carrot
- Saute the carrot and capsicum in olive oil until soft and add chopped or pressed garlic and Caribbean jerk seasoning at about 3 minutes.
- Drain and add the lentils, chopped kale, vegetable stock and coconut milk and simmer for a few minutes. Season with salt and peppar.
- Mash potatoes with some olive oil or a teaspoon of butter, and a dash of milk or cream of your choice.
- Transfer lentil mix into a baking dish, and spread out the mashed potato on top. Drizzle with olive oil and scrape a tablespoon of Phukka into the top of the mashed potato with a fork.
- Grill the pie in the oven for 8-10 minutes, watching for the top to turn toasty.
- Serve with coriander leaves on top.
Enjoy in whichever language you like.
Buen provecho
How to make Jamaican Jerk seasoning if you can't find it...
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 to 3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
