A tasty Veganuary dish by Brighton chef Gemma Ogston

This amazingly tasty shepherds pie is the perfect winter family dish and the ultimate comfort food.

It’s a great one to try out if you are doing Veganuary.

A plant based twist of the classic and in this recipe I have replaced the mince with grated mushrooms.

The taste is unreal as the mushrooms have a rich flavour and the texture is almost meat-like.

This is a firm favourite with my kids and I like to top with a mixture of sweet potatoes and normal ones for added taste and goodness. Add frozen peas to the filling for extra protein too.

Ingredients

3 large potatoes, peeled

1 large sweet potato, chopped

150g natural yogurt

A splash of milk

Salt and pepper

Filling :1 tbsp. oil

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves

1 pack of mushrooms, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1⁄2 tsp. of mixed herbs

2 tbsp. of tomato puree

1 cup of vegetable stock

1 cup of frozen peas

A pinch of salt

Method

1. Place the chopped potatoes into a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil.

2. Cook until soft, strain and place back into the pan.

3. Add the yogurt, milk, salt and pepper. Mash with a potato masher or fork until smooth.

4. In a pan, heat some oil on medium heat. Cook the onions for a few minutes and add the garlic, mushrooms, carrots, with the lid on for about five minutes.

5. Add the tomato paste, peas and stock and stir well.

6. Place in an oven proof dish and place the mashed potatoes on top of the filling.

7. Turn on the oven to 200oC/gas mark 6 and bake for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes begin to brown. Serve with green veggies.

You could also grill instead of oven bake. Place on medium for 10 minutes until potato topping is golden.

Gemma Ogston runs Gems Wholesome Kitchen a plant-based food business based in Brighton and is the author of The Self-Care cookbook.