When you think about comfort food, things like biscuits, sweets, chocolates and pasta most likely come to mind right away. This is because these sugary or high-carb foods give us that instant satisfaction that we often crave during the colder months. Unfortunately, if eaten on a regular basis and in large quantities, you will notice these foods affect your waistline too! The good news is that you can enjoy comfort foods without the guilt. Here is a scrumptious recipe for shepherd’s pie that will easily replace the usual high carb version.

Ingredients:

  • 650g cauliflower
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil (divided)
  • 1 onion (diced)
  • 2 carrots (peeled and diced)
  • 1 celery stalk (diced)
  • 3 garlic cloves (chopped)
  • 10g dried wild mushrooms (soaked in 2 1.2 Tbsp boiling water)
  • 500g mushrooms (diced)
  • 1 Tbsp fresh chopped thyme
  • 2 tsp thyme leaves (not chopped)
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • ΒΌ cup red wine
  • 1 cup vegetable stock
  • 3 Tbsp yeast
  • 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp salt
  • A pinch ground nutmeg
  • Additional salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  • While one look at the list of ingredients usually has people wondering just how complicated this comfort food recipe is, it really is easier than you may think. Simply follow these steps and you will have a scrumptious meal in no time!
  • Preheat your oven to 200 C.
  • Chop the cauliflower into equal pieces and place in a saucepan. Cover with water and boil.
  • Season the cauliflower with some salt and cook until tender.
  • Drain the water thoroughly. You may want to allow it to rest in a colander while you continue with the rest of the recipe.
  • Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, onion, carrots and celery to a large frying pan and cook over a medium heat.
  • Add the mushrooms in batches to make sure that they cook thoroughly. Remember, mushrooms are excellent comfort food and they offer amazing nutritional value. They are an excellent substitute for meat. Of course, if you really want to, you can include some meat in this recipe but this would require you to reduce the quantity of mushrooms.
  • Remove the wild mushrooms from the water and reserve the water for later.
  • Chop the mushrooms roughly and add to the rest of the mushrooms.
  • Add the tomato paste and garlic before you increase the heat.
  • Add the red wine and cook until the red wine has almost evaporated.
  • Now add the liquid from the soaked mushrooms and the vegetable stock.
  • Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. The liquid should reduce to half the quantity before you remove from heat.
  • Place your drained cauliflower in a food processor or blender along with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the yeast, mustard, some salt and thyme leaves. Blend until smooth. Adjust seasonings according to preference and add nutmeg before blending for another minute.
  • Divide the mushroom mixture into 4 large ramekins and then top with the cauliflower mash. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden.

This is a delicious comfort food dish that will not leave you feeling guilty! Even if you grab a second helping, you are eating pure goodness from start to finish! Try this recipe on your family and friends too. Don’t be surprised when they request this version rather than the conventional recipe!