
Cosy cottage pie
Ingredients:
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2 good-sized aubergines, finely chopped
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250g mushrooms of your choice, (I tend to use chestnut), finely chopped
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Handful fresh tomatoes, chopped
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2 onions, sliced
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4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
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1 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
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1 400g can mixed bean salad in water, rinsed
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Leaves from 3 springs of thyme
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2 tbsp tomato purée
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2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
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250g super lean 5% fat beef mince (Optional)
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3 tbsp wholemeal plain flour
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500ml low-salt beef stock (I use Kallo)
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Few dashes of Worcestershire Sauce
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2 large sweet potatoes/4 small ones
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500g carrots
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Splash of skimmed milk
Method:
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Chop the mushrooms and aubergines into small pieces and add to a large pot with the oil. Start to cook over a medium heat.
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Add the fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, beans, thyme and mince if using, and stir together.
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Add the tomato purée and flour and cook for 1 minute.
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Add the canned tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, stock and finally a good grinding of pepper.
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Stir, bring up to the boil, allow to thicken, reduce to a gentle simmer and cover, leaving to cook for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
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Meanwhile, peel and chop the carrots and sweet potatoes and boil under tender.
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Drain and leave until no more steam is visible.
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Remove the lid on the sauce and bring up the good rolling boil and, if necessary, reduce until it is rich and unctuous and not too runny.
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Pour the sauce into a rectangular ovenproof dish.
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Mash the carrots and sweet potatoes, using a small slug of skimmed milk to slacken them. Grind in lots of pepper.
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Spoon the mash top over the sauce and use a fork to spread it and make ridges. Or, if you're feeling fancy, pipe with a bag and nozzle.
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Bake at 180 fan for 25 minutes, or until the top starts to look a bit crispy. Due to a lack of added fat, it won't go particularly golden but will still taste magnificent!
Serves 6




UPDATED!

Health
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All the veg are full of vitamins, minerals and in the case of the tomatoes, antioxidants such as lycopene. You will likely hit your five a day from a good-sized portion!
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There is next to no fat added to this dish.
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Beans are legumes and an excellent source of protein. They don't have the saturated fat content of animal proteins.
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The optional beef in this dish is scant and lean, and while I don't think it adds an awful lot, I appreciate some people enjoy knowing they've had some meat. For good heart health I have been advised to eat red meat no more than once or twice a month, though once a week is ok if it is lean and cooked with no added fat.
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This dish is around 367 calories per serving.
