Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

This blog is all about trial and error. Often the first time I try a recipe, it just doesn't turn out the way I want it to. So I document it on this blog, with my notes and suggestions. This is not only for you to be able to learn from my mistakes, but for myself as well. So the next time I try the recipe, I can change it until it's perfected.

For example, Rob and I have perfected the Squash and Sage Pasta recipe.

Now we've just tried one for Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie, and it was far from perfect... but that's what cooking is all about, and I look forward to tweaking the recipe the next time I try it!!

Ingredients

1 can of beans (kidney or black beans or whatever you'd like!)

1/2 can of tomato paste

1/3 cup of vegetable broth

1 tbsp diced garlic

1 cup of corn niblets (Rob and I used fresh corn that we had recently frozen!)

10-12 small potatoes

salt and pepper

grated cheese (optional)

chopped green onion (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Boil and mash your potatoes using your favourite recipe. Some people add butter, some add milk, and some add both. Mash 'em however you prefer!
3. Meanwhile, drain and rinse your beans. Put the beans, garlic, tomato paste, and broth into a saucepan. Season with salt and pepper and stir until paste and broth are blended.
4. Simmer the bean mixture until it thickens.
5. Spread the bean mixture into a square baking dish. Rob and I used a 9x9 pyrex baking dish.
6. Spread the corn niblets on top of the bean mixture.
7. Top with the mashed potatoes. If you opted for the grated cheese and green onion, sprinkle these on the top of the pie.
8. Bake for about 20 minutes. Broil for a minute or two at the end to brown the top.
9. Cool for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

This recipe wasn't as successful as we would've liked... Here's what we thought:

• The bean mixture was a little bland. Be sure to season it well. Next time, we will add some sauteed onions and possibly some chili powder. Also, maybe use some garlic powder instead of fresh diced garlic. Rob suggests preparing the bottom layer as if it was chili.
• I would add more than corn to the middle layer. Maybe some peas and carrots to add flavour.
• The cheese and onion mixture on top needed to be browned in order to have an impact. When we prepared it, the cheese was simply melted and bubbly which didn't add much to the overall flavour. Next time, I would either make sure the cheese was lightly browned and slightly crispy or I would leave it out altogether.

Even after all those suggestions, I think this recipe has potential to be a family favourite. It's all about experimenting with the seasonings and ingredients to make it your own.