Here is a savory shepherd’s pie with the flavors of Hungarian goulash. The TVP (textured vegetable protein) is in a mince form, so it blends nicely with finely chopped vegetables and lentils and provides plenty of protein for this dish.
Serves 6.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 c yellow or red lentils
- 1/4 c TVP mince (fine granules)
- 4 medium potatoes
- kosher salt, divided
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3 Tbsp butter, divided use
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/2 green bell pepper
- 1 carrot, peeled
- 1 stalk of celery
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 tsp dry rosemary
- 1/4 tsp caraway seeds
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
- 4 tsp Hungarian paprika
- 1 tsp dark chili pepper
- 1/4 tsp Vegeta (optional)
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 c minced fresh parsley
Directions:
- Place lentils in a small saucepan with 1 cup boiling water. Once they come back up to the boil, stir the pot, cover and simmer on low for 12 minutes or until lentils are just tender. Set aside.
- Place the TVP mince in a small bowl and barely cover with boiling water. Allow to stand a few minutes, stir and set aside.
- Peel and quarter the potatoes. Cover with water and add 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer about 15 minutes until fork tender. Drain and mash in a food mill or with a potato masher until smooth. Add 1/8 tsp kosher salt and the white pepper. When cool, add egg and 2 Tbsp of melted butter. Stir well and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Finely chop the onion, red pepper, green pepper, carrot, and celery. Mince the garlic.In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium low heat and add the onions. Saute a couple of minutes; add the red and green bell pepper, celery, carrot and garlic and continue to saute a few more minutes. Add the spices and seasonings. Allow them to heat up for a minute; then add the tomatoes, parsley, lentils, and TVP. Continue to blend and heat for five more minutes.
- Oil an 11 X 7 inch baking dish (olive oil) and place the Hungarian mixture evenly in the bottom, removing the bay leaves. Carefully smooth a layer of mashed potatoes on top and dot with the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter. Sprinkle with paprika and bake for 35 minutes or until the top begins to brown around the edges. Allow to cool 10-20 minutes before cutting into squares.