LENTIL SHEPPARDS PIE

This is a slight variation of the lentil lasagne. Some people don't eat pasta or its unavailable to them so this is an alternative for them. I wanted to eat a shepherd's pie but as I gave up meat I had to create an alternative. Its a nice winter meal when you are craving warm comfort food. Potato is very common making this an easy recipe for everyone. You can change the filling with whatever you have in season or whatever you need to cook up in your fridge. Its flexible and you can easily make it your own to suit your own tastes. This is one of my lazy meals that I make and can cook it up very quickly. It lasts well in the fridge for a couple of days ..... that's if the family stop eating it all the time!

LENTIL SHEPHERD'S PIE (disclaimer it contains no shepherd's!)
Waste - organic peels of onion and garlic
Tins - from lentils and tomatoes
Glass - sauce bottles
Plastic - cheese wrapping

LENTIL MIXTURE
1 large carrot
1 large zucchini
1/2 capsicum
1/2 large onion or 1 small onion
3 cloves of garlic or as many or few as you wish
handful of spinich
400 gram tin of cooked tomatoes or you could add 400 grams of freshly cooked tomatoes
400gram tin of lentils rinsed and drained or 240 grams of lentils that you have cooked yourself
1 tablespoon  of wortechsire sauce
1 tablespoon of tomatoe sauce
salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Add a dash of olive oil to a pan and when it warms add the onion and garlic cook until soft.
2. Add capsicum and stir for a few minutes
3. Put in all other ingredients and stir.
4. Taste test after a few minutes deciding if you would like to add more sauce or you are pleased with the taste.
5. When cooked put into the baking dish you want to use and set aside to cool.

TOPPING
Boil potatoes the number will depend on how wide your dish is. If I cook extra I just make another meal with them. But normally about five average sized potatoes will do the job. When cooked through mash them with a bit of butter and a splash of milk and a 1/2 cup of cheese.

METHOD TO COMPLETE

Spread over the top of the lentil mixture the mashed potato and then grate cheese of you would like. Put back into the oven and brown the top and heat through. You can make this meal in advance and heat and brown the top when you are ready to eat it.

This is a good hearty meal for hungry tummies. Its flexible so add whatever you have and whatever you like to eat. Make it your own. I hope you enjoy ........... thanks for stopping by ......  Eco Granny.

CARROT CAKE

I have cooked this carrot cake a few times now and it has not failed once. Therefore it is worthy of a blog. We have enjoyed it for afternoon tea with visitors and today I am taking it to my step mother's home as she has just had surgery for breast cancer. I wanted to take something nice as food always makes you feel a bit better. Life can be unpredictable and this situation just reminds me once again to enjoy every day and to value those you love. We can't always roam around doing exactly as we please but we can make our spare time count by doing things we love and being with those we love. So with that in mind bake this cake and share it and your time with your favourite people.

CARROT CAKE
Waste produced - organic to be ccomposted
Flour bags - paper biodegradable
Ingredients in glass such as vanilla, olive oil, cinnamon.
Honey from The Source is in a jar which I will clean and refill


1/2 cup plain flour
1 cup self raising flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 grated carrots
1/2 brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
1/2 cup of honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup olive oil

METHOD

1. Place all dry indgredients into a bowl including the carrot and walnut and stir through
2. Place all wet ingredients into another bowl and mix
3. Combine all together
4. Put into a cake tin and bake on a moderate oven until the cake is cooked through.
5. For cake novices the way to test if the cake is cooked is to poke through the middle of the cake with a skewer or knife and if it comes out clean or with crumbs on it then it's ready.

Icing for the top of the cake
 Combine 250 grams of cream cheese with 1/2 cup of icing sugar. Spread on the top of the cake once it has cooled. You can sprinkle some chopped up walnuts on the top to add extra crunch.

If you bake this cake share it with people who you love and those who love you back ....... thanks for stopping by ......... Eco Granny