Shepherd’s Pie (from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant)
4 Large Servings
Tofu Layer
1 cake tofu, frozen, thawed, and shredded
1 large onion, chopped
2 T vegetable oil
¼ t thyme
½ t ground coriander seeds
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
½ c walnuts, toasted and chopped
Juice of ½ lemon (about 1 T)
1-2 T tamari soy sauce to taste
Potato Layer
4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 T butter or margarine
½ c milk
Salt to taste
Mushroom Gravy
2 T vegetable oil
½ lb. mushrooms, sliced
3 T tamari soy sauce
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ c hot potato water
2 T cornstarch dissolved in ½ c water
Start the freeze-thaw tofu procedure at least the day before.
For the tofu layer, sauté the chopped onions in the oil with the thyme, coriander, and black pepper until the onions are translucent. Stir in the walnuts and shredded tofu until heated through, and then stir in lemon juice and soy sauce. Remove from heat.
Boil potatoes until soft. Drain (don’t forget to save the water for the gravy!) Mash the potatoes with the butter and milk. Salt to taste.
For the gravy, heat the oil in a skillet and stir in the mushrooms, soy sauce and black pepper. Stir occasionally until mushrooms are tender. Add 1 ½ c of the potato water and bring to a boil. Slowly stir in cornstarch mixture and cook at a low boil, continuing to stir until the gravy is clear and thick.
Oil a 9” square casserole dish or use a 10” round cast-iron skillet. Layer the tofu mixture, then the mushroom gravy, and then the mashed potatoes. Dot the top with butter or margarine. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the top becomes golden.
My notes:
I omit the tofu, butter and cooking oil (use a cooking spray) to take the calorie count way down. Calories will come down to 350 per serving.
