Hello Internet Fairies,
When approached the right way, finding vegan alternatives to comfort foods or classic dishes is pretty exciting: trying new ingredients, attempting to mimic flavours, and finally forming your favourite substitute.
I was feeling like Shepherd's Pie one day, and with a package of Yve's Ground Round in my fridge, I had no excuse. There's a picture of a Shepherd's Pie right on the darn package.
~ 1 package Yve's Ground Round (regular flavour, as opposed to the kind for tacos, etc.)
~ 3 carrots
~ 2 white potatoes
~ 2 sweet potatoes
~ 1/2 a yellow onion
~ 1 package Shepherd's Pie seasoning mix OR seasonings you'd prefer in this instance
~ 1 tbsp parsley
~ 1/4 cup cashew milk
~ 2 tbsp vegan margarine
~ Daiya Cheese (to top)
~ Oven at 350°F
So what I did to start was peel the carrots and potatoes, and chop that onion. I popped them in some boiling water to soften them. I figured the sweet potatoes made it KINDA original. A little.
At that time, I mixed the chickpeas, seasoning, and ground round in the bottom of the dish I would be making my Shepherd's Pie in. When the onion and carrots were tender (which was before the potatoes, naturally), I removed them from the water and chopped them up a bit, which I then also added to the mix~ I pressed it down with a fork in preparation to top with the potatoes.
Once the potatoes were soft, I took them out and mashed them, adding in the 1/4 cup cashew milk, 2 tablespoons of vegan margarine, and 1 tablespoon of parsley, adding salt and pepper to taste. Basically, mashed potatoes. This mixture was then poured on top of the ground round melangé, and gently pressed down with a fork. I sprinkled Daiya shredded cheeze on it, and baked it at 350°F for half an hour, then broiled it for a few minutes afterwards to get some crispiness going on top. Yummeh~
I really enjoyed making this, and with some experience under my belt, maybe it'll be even better next time.
