Cottage Pie
GLUTEN FREE · PALEO · DAIRY-FREE OPTION · NUT FREE
This dish has forever been referred to as ‘Shepherd’s Pie’ in my house, but apparently this has been in error! Shepherd’s Pie is traditionally made with lamb mince, but this recipe is made with beef mince, which apparently is traditional for a Cottage Pie. In all honesty, I still call it Shepherd’s Pie when I make it, but for the purposes of recipe accuracy, I’m calling it Cottage Pie here.
Regardless of whether this pie is ascribed to a cottage, a shepherd, a farmer or a synchronised swimmer, it’s a delicious, wholesome and comforting recipe to tuck into, especially during colder winter months. It’s also a great option for batch cooking and freezing, so you have it in your freezer all ready to go. In fact, when I was at university in the UK, and my mum would come to visit, in true Cypriot-mum-style, she would very kindly cook up a storm and fill my freezer with portions of this goodness, so her child wouldn’t go hungry!
You can play around a little with your choice of veggies in this dish, according to preference and/or tummy tolerances, but the essence of the dish is, in short: mince and veggies on the bottom, topped with creamy mash. The result is a wonderful combination of flavours, colours and textures in every bite!
INGREDIENTS
Beef mince
Beef is high in protein and contains several essential vitamins and minerals, iron and zinc in particular, and is one of the only good dietary sources of Vitamin B12.
Protein is a key building block for the body and the immune system. As an example of animal protein, beef offers all nine essential amino acids (the building blocks of proteins), which means that the protein content can be much more easily absorbed and assimilated in the body. This can be particularly important when trying to restore health and recover from injury, surgery, and illness in general.
Beef is also an excellent source of iron. The form of iron found in beef is known as heme iron, which is the form of iron that is most easily absorbed by the body (in comparison to non-heme iron, found in plant foods like whole grains, seeds, nuts, legumes etc). This is an important distinction for those suffering with low iron levels, or full-blown anaemia - both of which are common with digestive disorders, and IBD in particular.
Ghee
Possibly one of my favourite ingredients ever! Ghee has a lovely nutty taste and is an excellent alternative to butter, particularly in savoury cooking. Due to the removal of the milk solids, it is both lactose-free and casein-free and so is very well-tolerated, although may still need to be avoided by those with severe dairy allergies (in which case, olive oil or avocado oil would be a suitable alternative, making the recipe dairy free).
Ghee is also a key ingredient in a gut-healing diet as it contains butyrate: a source of energy for the cells lining the colon, has anti-inflammatory properties, can improve intestinal permeability, and can be particularly helpful for people with IBD.
Instead of ghee, you could use coconut oil (I would recommend odourless for this recipe) or avocado oil.
Red onion
Onions really are an undervalued veggie. Packed with nutrients, including Vitamin C, B-vitamins and potassium, their medicinal properties have been recognised since ancient times, when they were used to treat various ailments. Just be sure not to over-peel them when removing the papery skin as it’s the outer layers that have the highest concentration of nutrients.
Rich in antioxidants, including quercetin, onions have powerful anti-inflammatory properties, and have been shown to reduce cholesterol and triglycerides. Red onions, in particular, contain anthocyanins, which have been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease.
Onions also have anti-bacterial properties, and because they are rich in fibre and prebiotics, they are also good for the gut as they can increase levels of good bacteria and immune function.
You can use white/yellow onion here if you like, I just always have a preference for red onions.
Garlic
Garlic elevates both the flavour and the immune-supporting properties of this dish. It also has powerful anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties, and acts as a prebiotic by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut.
The carrots have been grated in the version pictured here.
Carrots
Carrots’ bright orange hue tells you immediately that they are rich in beta-carotene, the precursor to Vitamin A, and an antioxidant that actually gets its name from carrots themselves! In fact, just a couple of carrots will satisfy your daily Vitamin A requirements.
They are also a good source of fibre, and several B vitamins, as well as vitamin K and potassium.
Here, you can either chop or grate the carrots, depending on whether you want more texture, or a softer overall result, in the final dish.
Green peas
That standard bag of frozen green peas lurking at the back of most freezers is a key part of this recipe - indeed, most permutations of traditional cottage pie (or shepherd’s pie for that matter) are pea-full.
Green peas are pretty popular - hence their fairly permanent residence in those freezers - and for good reason. Their bright and slightly sweet freshness is a lovely addition to many dishes. They also pack quite the nutritional punch, being rich in fibre, antioxidants and various nutrients, including Vitamins A and K. Peas are also, somewhat surprisingly, rather high in protein, which makes them stand out among many other veggies.
I say “other veggies” but technically, green peas are actually not vegetables at all! They are a legume (like chickpeas, lentils and beans), and are in fact the seeds of a legume plant - who knew?!
Celery (optional)
Celery does not typically make an appearance in a Cottage/Shepherd’s pie, but I like adding it in for the extra hit of flavour and slight crunch - it’s all about those textures!
A great source of fibre and antioxidants, celery also offers a hit of Vitamins A, C and K, while also having an alkalising effect, which helps neutralise the acidity of other foods (for example, the tomato element of this dish), and so can be soothing on the digestive system, and have anti-inflammatory effects in the body.
Tomato passata
Passata is essentially puréed raw tomatoes that have been passed through a sieve to get rid of chunks, skins and seeds. You can find this ready-made in jars (ideally opt for organic versions), or you can make your own.
Tomatoes are very hydrating, their water content is clear as soon as you cut or bite into them! Technically a fruit and not a vegetable, tomatoes are rich in fibre, potassium, folate and vitamins C and K. They are also a great source of lycopene, a well-known antioxidant.
Bone broth
A gut-healing superstar, bone broth is full to the brim with nutrients, minerals and amino acids. It is rich in protein and contains collagen, glutamine, glucosamine, glycine and chondroitin, all of which help build and strengthen your bones and joints, as well as supporting the lining of the gut and improving intestinal permeability (leaky gut).
Bone broth also adds flavour to food, much as stock cubes do! I find the most convenient way to add it to my cooking, is to pour it into ice cube trays and then simply pop the ice cubes into the dish as it is cooking.
Of course, you can always substitute with vegetable broth if preferred, or if that’s what you have on hand.
Parsley
Parsley is what you could call a ‘quiet’ superfood. Often underestimated or associated with frivolous food garnishes (which we usually throw away or relegate to the plate’s ‘rim of shame’), it’s actually packed with nutrients, including vitamins A, C and K.
Turmeric
A key anti-inflammatory player in this dish. For a full rundown on turmeric’s hero spice status, click here.
Sweet paprika
Potatoes
A staple veggie for so many of us, it’s almost quite challenging to not have some version of potato on a relatively regular basis! Often shunned in standard low-carb approaches to eating, the humble potato is actually more nutritious than it gets credit for.
Potatoes are a good source of Vitamin C, B6 and potassium (an important electrolyte, crucial for many bodily functions, and for maintaining optimum hydration - of particular importance to anyone with IBD).
Potatoes also contain something called resistant starch. This is a type of starch which cannot be completely broken down and absorbed by the body, and so ends up in the large intestine, where it in fact becomes an excellent food source for the good bacteria living in the gut, and so is a prebiotic. The good gut bugs turn this resistant starch into, among other things, butyrate (a short-chain fatty acid), which is a source of energy for the cells lining the colon, has anti-inflammatory properties, can improve intestinal permeability, and can be particularly helpful for people with IBD. The resistant starch content of potatoes is actually increased when potatoes are cooked and then cooled - great news for eating your Cottage Pie leftovers then!
Non-dairy milk (optional)
Choose your favourite plant-based milk. Just keep in mind that more strong-tasting milk options may come through in the final dish’s flavour.
Paleo milk options: almond, cashew, coconut, hazelnut, hemp.
AIP milk options: coconut, tigernut (chufa).
Other: oat, rice, soy.
Salt & pepper
Grated parmesan or vegan parmesan
For vegan parmesan, try this recipe.
CHANGES & SUBTITUTIONS
Make it dairy-free
You can easily make this recipe dairy-free, simply by using avocado or coconut oil instead of ghee, and vegan parmesan instead of regular parmesan (or indeed, no parmesan at all!).
Sweet potatoes instead of potatoes
Feel free to change up this traditional version of the pie by using sweet potatoes for the mash topping instead.
Nightshade-free version
For anyone sensitive to nightshades, you can make this recipe nightshade-free. Simply use sweet potatoes instead of potatoes for the mash, leave out the sweet paprika, and use Nomato Sauce (with added water to achieve desired consistency) instead of tomato passata.
Change up the veggies
If your gut struggles with peas, by all means sub them for zucchini, or any veggies that you feel your gut is most comfortable with.
Make it low-FODMAP
To make this recipe low-FODMAP, you can use fennel instead of onion, leave out the garlic or use a little garlic-infused oil (which is generally well-tolerated for low-FODMAP), and leave out the green peas. The tomato passata and celery per serving qualify as low-FODMAP so no problem there!
TIPS
This is truly a great recipe for batch cooking in portions and freezing. So, get cooking and stock up that freezer, for a delicious and nutritious ‘ready meal’, good to go.
COTTAGE PIE
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp ghee
- 500g lean beef mince
- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 1 cup peas, cooked (steamed or boiled)
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped (optional)
- 1 1/3 cups bone broth or vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cups tomato passata
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 6 medium potatoes, peeled, cooked (steamed or boiled)
- 3/4-1 cup non-dairy milk of choice
- grated parmesan, or vegan parmesan (optional)
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add ghee to a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add in the onion and garlic and sauté for around 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent.
- Next, add the beef mince and brown it, stirring through regularly to ensure no raw bits of meat are visible.
- Add the vegetables to the saucepan, followed by the tomato passata, and the broth. The mince mix should just be covered - if necessary, can add a little more broth, or water.
- Stir through and leave to simmer on a medium heat until the veggies are cooked through and the mixture thickens (approx. 15-20 mins). Then add in the turmeric, sweet paprika, salt and pepper, as well as the chopped parsley, and stir through. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven at 180°C.
- While the beef and veggie mixture is cooking, you can prepare the potatoes. Place the potatoes into a bowl, add the non-dairy milk 1/4 cup at a time and mash thoroughly, until you reach the desired consistency and creaminess (you may not need to use up all the milk). Season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
- Transfer the beef and veggie mixture to an ovenproof dish. Spoon the mashed potato on top and spread evenly, to ensure the beef layer is completely covered. Sprinkle the parmesan (regular or vegan) over the top, if using, and place in the oven for 30-45 minutes, until the surface begins to colour.
- Serve straight from the oven.