Mushroom Sage and Lentil Forager's Pie

As you know, I recommend roasting extra pumpkin, sweet potato etc whenever you have the oven on and saving the cooked veggies as a shortcut for an easy meal later in the week.  This pie is a perfect example of this time saver. A complete meal in a bowl.
I call it Forager's pie as it is not a Shepherd's pie or Cottage pie because there is no meat.  It's filled with delicious chunks of mushrooms and lentils flavoured with rosemary and sage, then topped with roughly mashed potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potato and red onions.  So yummy and filling.  Perfect comfort food any time of the year. Enjoy!  Colleen

Preparation   20 minutes for chopping all veggies, frying mushrooms etc.  

Plus     allow   45 minutes to roast vegetables for mash topping if not already prepared

Baking    20 - 30 minutes until golden

Ingredients  (for 4 generous pies)

Topping

Roast sufficient veggies to generously cover.  For these 4 bowls I peeled, chopped and baked  1 sweet potato, 1 small pumpkin, 3 large potatoes and 1 large red onion all tossed in a splash of olive oil and some salt, pepper and dried herbs

splash Olive Oil

tablespoon butter

400 -500 gram sliced mushrooms

Sage leaves and rosemary leaves chopped - about 2 tablespoons each

fresh parsley - chopped (reserve some for topping)

shake of dried sage 

3 stalks of celery and some inner leaves - sliced

2 cloves garlic - crushed

1 packet baby spinach leaves 

tiny splash Worcestershire sauce or similar

teaspoon Dried Porcini mushroom powder (optional)

1 tin of rinsed and drained brown lentils

Season well with lots of freshly cracked pepper, some sea salt and some white pepper

tiny tiny splash of Dry Sherry (optional)

Sprinkle of dried breadcrumbs (optional)  and chopped fresh parsley garnish

Method

Preferably a day ahead

Roast the topping vegetables ready to rough mash with enough Olive Oil to make topping, taste and season to your preference.  Set aside.

Preheat oven 190℃ 

prepare 4 ovenproof bowls placed on an oven tray (easy to remove from oven later)  You could use 1 large bowl and increase cooking time if preferred

In a large frypan, melt the butter along with a splash of olive oil.

Add the sliced mushrooms, celery, garlic and herbs and fry until mushrooms start to brown, then add the spinach leaves. Toss through until most of the water is removed.

Add Worcestershire sauce, mushroom powder and brown lentils.

Taste and season with salt and peppers.  If desired, add tiny splash Dry Sherry.

Warm through.  Mixture should be moist but not dripping with water.

Spoon mixture into 4 bowls 

Dollop the vegetable mash over the mushroom lentil mixture.  Don't push too hard.

If desired, sprinkle over a little breadcrumbs for crunch

Bake for approx 20 - 30 minutes until tops are golden.

Garnish with reserved parsley

                                         Enjoy!   Colleen