With Butternut Squash Mash in the middle:
Intriguing enough…when I did the Half Ironman a couple summers ago in Calgary, Canada we were given gift bags. Inside the gift bag was Impact Magazine the July/August 2011 edition. I saw this recipe for Mammothherd’s pie and kept the magazine to one day attempt it. Let’s just say I loved it so much I made it twice in one week. I did tweak a few things to put my flare on it. It does take some time to prep and bake but it is well worth every second. Today I am taking it to my Crossfitters and the folks over at Dale Bros. Brewery to try.
Notes from Chef Pierre Lamielle auther of Kitchen Scraps:
Mammotherd’s Pie
With any dietary adjustments, it’s the nostalgia of familiar comfort foods that will drag you back to your old ways of eating. Make this when you need a big batch of food for the week, when you need to feed people who don’t know what Paleo is or when you have a mammoth-sized appetite. It’s actually better than a classic Shepherd’s pie with more tasty flavours and the comforting warm-blanket mashed topper to make you feel all warm and woolly inside. http://kitchenscraps.ca/2011/07/29/paleo-re-evolution/
Serves 10
INGREDIENTS:
*Double the recipe and use a larger pan if you want a larger pie
1 pound ground lamb, beef, mammoth or any ground meat – I used lean ground turkey
1 onion, finely minced
2 ribs of celery, finely minced
1 butternut squash or carrots, peeled and grated or minced
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
1 bunch of Leeks, about 1 cup finely minced
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
½ cup of red wine
1 cup vegetable stock
¼ cup fresh chopped assorted herbs (rosemary, mint, thyme, oregano)
Zest of 1 lemon or orange
Mashed topper
2 heads of cauliflower, quartered
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 slices of cooked crispy bacon, broken into baby pieces
¼ cup of milk
1 tsp. butter
Olive oil and salt/pepper
PROCEDURE FOR MASHED TOPPER: You need two large pots
Get two large pots on the stove. Fill one with water and bring it to a boil for the mash
When the water comes to a boil drop in the peeled sweet potatoes and the cauliflower
Boil on a gentle simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are nice and tender
When they are tender remove from the water and leave them to release steam for 10 minutes out of the water
To mash the cauliflower you can just use a potato masher. Optional: add in a tad bit of milk and butter to make it creamier and some pieces of crispy bacon
For a smoother topper transfer the cauliflower and sweet potato to a food processor and blitz until very smooth. You may need to do this in batches. I didn’t do this step. It was creamy enough with the potato masher
Set aside in a bowl and adjust seasoning with salt to taste.
Optional: For a middle layer which I love to do, you can do the same steps as mashed topper using cubed butternut squash. Use about 1 pound of cubed butternut squash, boil, mash, and spread on top of the meat. Add in the mashed topper as the top layer.
PROCEDURE FOR BOTTOM MEAT LAYER: You need two large pans
In the one pan brown the lamb or whatever meat you want to use over medium high heat
In the second pan, toss in all your vegetables. I used onions, celery, butternut squash, mushrooms, garlic, and leeks
Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes
Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire, red wine and stock
Combine the meat pan even the juices into the vegetable pan and stir completely
Taste it and add salt as needed
Bring the whole thing to a simmer. At the last minute, stir in the herbs and citrus (zest and juice) and pour the whole mess veggie meat pan into an oven safe baking dish. I used a 2 quart Pyrex oblong shaped baking dish: 11 x 7 x 2 inches
Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.
Spoon the mash onto the meaty filling and smooth out the top until evenly distributed
Use a fork to make lines and ridges that can get crispy on top
Drizzle the top with a little oil and sprinkle on some salt and pepper
Throw the whole thing into the oven and bake until the veg are nice and golden and crispy on top
Estimate about one hour and a half in the oven
When the shepherd’s pie is done let it rest for about 10-15 minutes before serving
To freeze, divide into small plastic containers and freeze in small packs.
This freezes really well for defrosting and eating later.
Here are some Paleo resources that will help you get started and keep going:
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