A Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Cottage pie. 

I was going to make my usual Shepherd's Pie this morning but had no ground lamb so I decided to substitute black beans for the lamb in the recipe.  This should actually be called a cottage pie, because a true Shepherd's Pie must have lamb.

No salt added black beans.

I like the salt free black beans that I get at Whole Foods that come in a carton.

Saute onions.

Add black beans. 

First you saute a small diced onion in olive oil until soft. Add the black beans that have been drained.  In Shepherd's Pie at this point I would add HP Sauce to the meat, but I substituted tomato sauce which I added to the beans and onion.  Mix all of these and place in the bottom of a greased casserole dish.

Add tomato sauce to beans and onions. 

Bean mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish.

Cook 2 cups of peas and carrots (I use frozen ones) in the microwave for 4 to 5 minutes.  Drain and add on top of the bean mixture.

Frozen peas and carrots

Second layer of peas and carrots.

Frost with mashed potatoes.  This is a good way to use leftover mashed potatoes.  I used ready-packaged, mashed Yukon potatoes to which I added 1/2 cup of sour cream and 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk as I heated the potatoes to a consistency good for spreading on top of the pie. Spread to the edges to seal.

Mashed Yukon potatoes.

Top crust of mashed potatoes.

I added some grated Italian cheese to increase the protein content of the pie, since I was not using meat.  Bake in a 400 F oven until brown on top and bubbly around the edges, about 40 to 45 minutes.  

Italian cheese blend.

Top with shredded cheese.

This pie could be made with any leftover veggies as the second layer, and if you don't have ground meat then use black beans, kidney beans or pinto beans as your first layer.

Out of the oven.

Add mixed greens and you have a one-dish meal. 

You can have lunch or supper made in just a short time with whatever you have on hand, and it is a healthful and delicious one-dish meal.  Serve with mixed greens on the side. 

Black Beans and Orzo

Black beans and orzo.

I ate so many desserts in preparation for the Chocolate Festival that I've decided to cut back on sweets and try something a little more healthful.  At Whole Foods the other day I noticed their nice selection of dried beans.  I bought some black beans and cooked up a large pot--enough to have extra to freeze for later dishes.

I prepared black beans and orzo from a very simple recipe.  I sauteed one diced onion and 6 cloves of garlic, to which I added 1 can of diced tomatoes (drained), 2 cups of cooked black beans, a dash of cumin, 1 tsp. dried oregano and 1/2 cup of salsa.  I covered and simmered this for about ten minutes.

Preparing the black bean sauce.

I cooked 1/2 pound of plain orzo (next time I will use whole wheat orzo because it is more healthful.)  Orzo is small rice-shaped pasta and can be substituted for rice in many recipes.  Orzo cooks much faster than rice.  I cooked the orzo for about 7 minutes until al dente,  Drain and rinse the orzo.

Rinse and drain the orzo.

Serve bean sauce over orzo and add grated cheese on top (I used cheddar but mozzarella would be good too).  Add a nice green salad and supper is ready.

Let's have supper.