Go on! Already planning to be holed up autumn-wise, cooking plenty nutritious culinary comforts. Have enjoyed red dragon pie before now as a diner not a cook (it being speciality of a friend and I don’t dare try and replicate as know would be disappointed) but wanted to get something together to rival it in the satisfaction stakes.

So last night set about nailing a lentil-based vegan cottage pie. It turned out awesome so well chuffed.

~ Green Lentil Cottage Pie (Prep 10 mins. Cooking approx 45 mins stove top + 30 mins oven)

Simmer a couple of cups of dark green/puy lentils in twice the amount of veg stock. (Instant stock method – while lentils simmering in water add Marigold or similar vegetable stock powder to taste. I used about a level dessert spoon of the lown sodium Marigold. Stir well.

While simmering add a heaped teaspoon yeast extract (Marmite etc), pepper to taste, a good squirt of brown sauce, some prepared horseradish to taste, level teaspoon of mixed herbs, a tbsp of tomato paste, and finally – a heaped teaspoon of honey

Leave lentils simmering, stir occasionally.

In another pan, add veg oil and sauteé three diced medium carrots with two medium chopped onions and a stick of sliced celery. Sauteé until soft/onions golden.

Add these fried veg, a good handful of soya mince (dried or frozen) and a few sliced mushrooms to the simmering lentils, stir and continue cooking until all is soft. Add water if you desire more gravy, but don’t overdo it. Taste ocassionally for correct texture, lentils should be soft, twice the original size yet still have some bite. When cooling and transferring to casserole dish it should all hold together without running through a hole-y spoon.

Make garlicky mashed potato. I used boiled red apache spuds, salt, heaped teaspoon of minced garlic, Pure soya spread and Koko coconut milk drink all mashed up with skins included. Coconut cream is good too. If non-vegan use butter etc.

pour/spoon cooked lentil mixture into big ovenproof casserole dish, should fill dish approx 3/4 full. Carefully dollop prepared mash on top of the lentils and drag a fork lightly through until furrowed level with peaks.

Pop in preheated oven about 180 and cook until mash is beginning to brown with crispy peaks.

That’s it.

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Serve hot with garden peas, sweetcorn, kale. Goes well with mint sauce or mustard.

Serve cold any old way.

Want more, watchoo got?

The secret to a good vegan pie is uninvite the vegan.

Gravy and thinly sliced vegans?

Butter pie is my go-to, shouldn’t be hard to veganise it with non-dairy ‘butter’. I’l see if I’ve got the recipe written down anywhere.

Not my recipe (I can’t find it) but I had this bookmarked. Again, may well be adaptable.

http://www.grouprecipes.com/4526/vegetarian-potato-pie.html

Incidentally, “cottage pie” does not meet the STW-approved definition of “pie.” But your recipe sounds good, I might give that a crack.

Green Lentil Cottage Pie

– I am can smell the fart from here!

Trying to get the OH to switch us back to vegie during the week, might have a bash at this and surprise her as he hates lentils 😉

*PSA, I ate three portions including the 1am ‘fork in the dark’ fridge manoeuvre.

Not one fart. It’s a vicious, dog-eared urban myth, I’m convinced.

Mrs MR being a vegan we eat a lot of (green) lentils and they don’t bother us any* . Now, chips, beans, meat pies, beer, peanuts etc is a different story …

*Maybe it’s the yellow variety that do it? Will have to explore…

i’ll dig out the recipe and post it tomorrow for my go-to pie, the creamy courgette, leek and butterbean pot pie. it’s a good one…

To avoid farting after pulses, soak them overnight first.

This is the only veggie dish that didn’t make me think, ‘nice but needed meat’.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/cauliflower-paneer-pea-curry

*EDIT*

Forgot the B12 flakes.

A couple of tablspoons of B12 flakes stirred into the lentils before they go in the casserole dish. It really does make an appreciable difference to the taste as well. Tastes ‘meaty’, which a lot of meat-eaters claim is a ridiculous aim for a vegetarian.

I’m not a vegetarian though, just food-obsessed.

This is the only veggie dish that didn’t make me think, ‘nice but needed meat’.

Thanks, not a pie – but will give it a try!

Best vegetarian pie I had was down in Dorest:

Rabbit, Cider, Leeks, Bacon, Prunes and Apples topped with Black Pudding.

You may just have to be a bit economical with the truth as regards to the vegetarian bit…

Yotam Ottolenghi, warm root veg pie, absolutely delicious!

Recepie and video

It’s the onions that make it windy 😉

Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie are the only pies that are permitted to not have a totally enclosed base and sides.

Recipe sounds alright, but I’d swap out the soya mince for the real thing when I do it.

Surely B12 flakes are only needed if you don’t include the Marmite

Surely B12 flakes are only needed if you don’t include the Marmite

Good question, sure you could use more of one or the other. I use both because: 1. We usually have both and 2. Marmite is a great flavour enhancer but high in salt and I have wrecked dishes by using too much.

Marmite: Sodium (per 100gms) – 3.9gms
Engevita SavouryYeast Condiment Flakes with B12: Sodium (per 100gms) – 0.07gms (ie negligible)

I am of the opinion that a good dollop of barley miso plus maybe a little soy is best in a lentil/aduki bean shepherds pie.

and also that Linda Mc Cartney Country Pies are fine things despite recently going from 4 to 2 in a pack with little price drop

That sounds lovely MR, will give that a go 😀

Mines’s not vegan (sorry) Spinach Ricotta and thyme Pasties.

make a normal savoury short crust pastry. steam at least 350g of spinach, drain and squeeze out as much moisture as you can, fry a well diced onion and garlic in butter/oil, stir the spinach in and leave to cool. Tip it into a bowl when cool, and stir in at least 125g of cheese (I use ricotta, you could easily use goats) add 50g or parmesan, thyme sprigs (handful) chopped up some lemon zest if you want, pinch of nutmeg, half a beaten egg, and salt and peeper, mix thoroughly.

now, roll out pastry and cut into 6-7in squares, divide the mixture into the centre of the pastry squares, and crimp into triangles, and brush with the remaining egg to gloss. bake at 180 for 25-30mins until golden brown. Eat hot or cold.

nostoc – never tried barley miso, will give it a go maybe. Does it have that cheesey/tangy flavour that the B12 flakes give? I’m finding that to be the key to a lot of vegan comfort-food dishes but have always been the kind of man that likes potatoes with his cheese rather than the other way around 😉

Yeah agree Linda Mcs pies are pretty good for a fast-fix but I always want two 🙂

nickc – ricotta pasties!? Yes!!!!

Interesting recipes and some hilarious and highly oroginal never before said jokes …..oh my sides

I quite like do a layer of thick green lentils, layer of stuffing, layer of apple sauce and another layer of thick green lentils

Not sure its the best but its easy .

I have nothing to offer but shall certainly be trying some of these 😀

Homity pie Not vegan though.
The pie shop in Lochinver does some great veggie pies

@Junkyard YGM 😉

+1 for the Green Lentil Cottage Pie. Made a 6-person sized dish and finished most of it between 3 of us!

Chestnut cottage pie is good. I have a nice recipe with chestnuts, cauliflower, carrot, peas, onions, dates.
Sauce contains marmite, blackstrap molasses, balsamic vinegar, orange juice, tomato puree. Topping is potato and sweet potato mashed together.