Meatless Monday - Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

This is a delicious, hearty meal.  It's a good one to try if you do not eat a lot of vegetarian meals, or if you are not familiar with lentils.  It's also a nice meal to make if you are having non-vegetarian company for dinner because it is still a "meat-and-potatoes" kind of dish.  You can make it in a large casserole dish, but sometimes we like to make individual mini-dishes for something "fancy".

...this is just a picture of shepherd's pie, not MY recipe (I forgot to take a picture).  I will replace the picture when I make this again.

Ingredients:

• 8-10 large or medium potatoes (I prefer red or yellow)
• 2 tbsp margarine
• 1/2 C milk (I use soy milk, but any kind will do)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• about 10 cremini or white mushrooms
• 2 15-oz cans of lentils, drained (not rinsed), or 3 1/2 C cooked green lentils with a bit of liquid reserved*
• 1 or 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp seasoning blend (e.g. a ClubHouse mix, Epicure, Mrs. Dash, etc)
• black pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 C frozen peas or corn, thawed

Directions:

• Peel and dice the potatoes. Place in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and transfer to a small mixing bowl
• Stir the margarine into the potatoes until melted, then add the milk and mash until fluffy. Cover and set aside until needed. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and mushrooms and continue to sauté until the onion is golden.
• Add the lentils and their liquid and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the optional soy sauce, seasoning blend and pepper. Cook gently for 5 minutes. Combine the cornstarch with just enough water to dissolve in a small container. Stir into the lentil mixture.
• Mix the frozen peas or corn into the lentil mixture.
• Lightly oil a casserole dish.  Pour in the lentil mixture, then spread the potatoes evenly on top.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes (or until the potatoes start to turn slightly golden and crusty).
• Take out of the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
• Cut into squares or wedges and serve!  Enjoy!

*Cooking lentils is EASY.  You can cook them in your rice cooker or a pot, just like rice.  No need to pre-soak or anything.