Shepherd’s Pie

COVID mask story, Exhibit B:

Awhile ago, I told about how I am having trouble sometimes understanding people through their masks.

Apparently, I am not the only one.

My SIL was picking up her dry cleaning recently, when the woman behind the counter asked her if she was walking.

“Oh, yes,” she answered, “I walk every day if I can.”

“When do you walk?” the woman wanted to know.

“Oh, sometimes really early in the morning, but usually in the evening,” my SIL replied.

“Where do you work?” the woman was very interested in knowing every detail of her life.

“I walk up and down the street and around the mall,” she informed her.

Only the woman wasn’t saying walk.  She was actually saying work. And my SIL basically told her that she works odd hours on the street and by the mall.

“You know, she probably thinks you are a lady of the evening,” I told her.

“What!” my SIL yelled. “No!  She thinks I work at the mall.”

“Pretty sure she doesn’t,” I hooted.  She thinks you are Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, only without Richard Gere taking you to the opera or the Roy Orbison song playing when you walk down the street.

Hehehehehe.

Ingredients: (For the filling)

• 1 cup puy (French) lentils (uncooked)
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 3/4 cup diced carrot
• 3/4 cup diced sweet potato
• 1 cup diced onion
• 3/4 cup cut green beans
• 3/4 cup corn
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 clove)
• 1 Tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 Tablespoon dried rosemary
• 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1  1/2 cups water to cook the lentils

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400
2. Rinse the lentils and set aside.
3. In a medium pot, saute the celery, carrot, sweet potato and onion in a splash of olive oil 3-4 minutes over medium low heat until the onion are translucent.
4. Add the garlic, thyme and rosemary and saute 30 seconds.  Add the lentils, water, green beans and corn, and bring to a boil.  Cover and lower heat to a simmer. Simmer 20-25 minutes till lentils are tender and water is evaporated.
5. If there is a lot of excess water, you will need to drain the lentils, but if the water has all been absorbed, you do not need to drain them.  Add the tomato paste, and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Put lentils into an 8×8 casserole dish and top with mashed cauliflower (recipe follows).  Bake 20 minutes till cauliflower is golden.

Cauliflower topping:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups riced cauliflower (I used a bag of riced frozen)
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup diced onions
• 1/4 cup water to cook cauliflower
• 1 cup parmesan (or cheese of choice)
• 1 Tablespoon minced parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley

Directions:

1. Put the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Sauce the cauliflower and onions 3-4 minutes till onions are translucent.  Add the garlic and saute 30 seconds.
2. Add the water and bring to a boil.  Turn heat to simmer, cover and cook until cauliflower is done (about 15 minutes)
3. Drain the cauliflower, then put into a bowl and add the cheese and beat or whip till cauliflower is smooth and creamy. Stir in the parsley.
4. Spread on top of lentil mixture before baking.

Enjoy!