Vegetable and Lentil Cottage pie

Vegetable and Lentil Cottage Pie

Ingredients:

8 oz Brown Lentils

2 Bay leaves

2 tsp sunflower oil

1 onion finely chopped

4 oz carrots finely chopped

3 sticks of celery diced

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp chopped fresh marjoram (I use dried 1 ¼ tsp)

1 tsp chopped fresh sage (I use dried 1 ¼ tsp)

1 ½ tsp yeast extract

1tbsp tomatoe puree

½ pint lentil stock or water

1 1b potatoes – if they are old or fluffy peel and boil more as they tend to boil away

½ oz Margarine

2 tbsp skimmed milk

Soak lentils for 3 hours minimum

Drain and wash and then cover with water in a large sauce pan. Add Bay leaves and bring to the boil – then cover pan and simmer for 25 minutes. Leave to cool in there own stock water.

Heat oil in a large sauce pan and add carrots, celery and onion and fry gently for about 5 minutes.

Add the cooked lentils and stock, the paprika, yeast extract, marjoram, sage and tomatoe puree and then cover and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes or until stock is nice and thick. Taste and if necessary add more yeast extract although not to make it too strong or salty.  When cooked poor into a large casserole dish

Cook enough potatoes to mash with milk and margarine and cover the lentil mixture in the large casserole dish.

Some people like to sprinkle the top of the mash with sesame seeds – I leave them

This dish takes about 20 mins on a high oven setting and is ready when potatoes are brown and crispy.