It's casserole week! Comfort food for the winter. Here's a simple vegetarian "shepherd's pie," because you can't spend all that time caring for woolly little sheepies and then eat them. My old flatmates in New Zealand deserve credit for this recipe!
6 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 tbsp milk, cream, or buttermilk
2 medium onions, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp oil
300 g diced mushrooms
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp thyme
lots of freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp arrowroot flour (or cornstarch)
1/2 cup potato cooking water or low-salt veggie stock
2 tbsp sour cream (optional)
about 2 cups cooked kidney beans (1 large can, well drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup grated Cheddar (optional)
Cook quartered potatoes in water until tender; reserve 1/2 cup of the drained cooking water. Mash potatoes with the cream, milk, or buttermilk.
Sauté the chopped onion and garlic in oil in a large frying pan. Add the diced mushrooms and sugar and cook until the onions are well browned. Stir in the salt, herbs, pepper, and arrowroot. Pour in the reserved potato cooking water slowly, stirring constantly, until the sauce is the consistency of thick gravy; remove from the heat and add the sour cream, if desired. Stir in the cooked drained beans. Pour into a 2L casserole. Top with mashed potatoes and sprinkle with cheese, if desired.
Bake at 400F for 20 minutes, until nicely bubbled up.
Makes about 6 to 8 servings, depending on appetites.
