It’s been cold and rainy for the last few days and a friend brought over the biggest cauliflower you have ever seen…so I decided to make Shepherd’s Pie – my way! Cauliflower mash/puree is one of my staples, especially in the cooler months. It’s a fantastic substitute of mash. It has the same richness and creaminess but it is lighter and does not leave you feeling quite as heavy after eating.
I freestyled this recipe as I have not made this since I was a teenager so I recommend tinkering with the measurements and using your intuition – if you have made Shepherd’s Pie the traditional way – by all means follow that recipe substituting the potato with cauliflower, you could even try sweet potato.
Sarah’s Shepherd’s Pie
500g organic beef mince
1/2 Cauliflower
1 Onion
1 clove of garlic (crushed)
1 tin crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 tspoon chilli paste or some chilli flakes (optional)
Splash of organic balsamic vinegar
Good quality butter
Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper
Preheat oven to 180 degree. Sautee onion and garlic in butter until soft. Add chilli and tomato paste. Brown mince and add to onions and garlic sauce. Add tinned tomatoes and balsamic vinegar and simmer for approximately 10 mins. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile steam cauliflower florets until soft and puree with a stick blender, adding butter, salt and pepper to taste until it forms a creamy mash like consistency. You could add cream or milk (pastured organic, preferably raw of course) for added richness here.
Pour mince into a baking dish and flatten with the back of a spoon. Top with cauliflower mash. Grate a quality parmesan or sharp aged cheese lightly over the top. Bake at 180 degrees for 30 – 40 mins or until cheese is nicely browned on top.
Enjoy! x
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