When I was twenty three and living in Vancouver where vegan cuisine was much more established than I’d ever been confronted with before, I decided to try my hand at it. I recall my roommate commenting how I was going to no longer eat anything which came from a face (an odd analogy I still struggle with), but that month was a great test.

Eating nothing that came from a face was a bold challenge, but it was also a great learning curve for how different, yet delicious food can be when you give it a go. Today’s recipe is just the same, it’s something I likely never would have considered until I had tried it and I implore you to try the same.

Vegan’s get a bad rap. though sometimes founded, most who choose to live their lives in this manner are, in fact, fancy as anyone else. They just choose to fill their bodies with different foods or rather a larger spread of healthier fare.

Changing an old English recipe that has meat as big component into a vegan version proved an appetite pleasing change and it’s worth giving a go if you’ve always been put off.

Vegan Shepherdless Pie
Recipe by Romingtaste
Serves 6

Ingredients:
400 grams/14 ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1/2 leek , finely sliced and halved
2 scallions, finely sliced
1 carrot, finely cubed
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 vegetable vegetable bouillon
2 large sweet potatoes, roughly chopped
3 large portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
1/2 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon curry powder

Directions:
Place the onions in a saucepan with a little olive oil on low heat for approximately 3 minutes, stirring until lightly cooked.

Add in the garlic, leek and scallions and stir until lightly cooked, approximately 3 minutes. Add in the cubed carrots and stir, cooking for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, place the sweet potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover and heat on high. Cook until soft when pierced. Drain 3/4 of water and add the other half tablespoon vegetable broth. Continue cooking on low for approximately 3 minutes.

Place the black beans in a saucepan with half a cup of water and add 1/2 the vegetable broth on low heat to simmer and reduce for 5 minutes.

Add in the tomatoes, stirring to combine and cook on a simmer for a further 10 minutes.

Add the onion, garlic, leek, scallions and carrot to the black beans. Continue cooking for 10 minutes to blend the flavors together, stirring every few minutes.

Heat the oven to 150°C/300F on grill.

Add the mushrooms to the black beans and stir to combine. Seasoning to taste.

Pour the remaining water from the sweet potatoes into the black bean mixture and add the milk, olive oil and curry powder and mash until smooth. Season to taste.

Place the black beans in a heatproof baking dish and spoon the mashed sweet potatoes on top. Running a fork over the top.

Grill in the oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Serve immediately with a salad or on it’s own.

Yield: Serves 6

Vegan Shepherdless Pie

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This meatless take on a British classic has plenty of flavor to satisfy even those who don't have dietary preferences

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 400 grams/14 ounce can black beans, rinsed
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1/2 leek , finely sliced and halved
• 2 scallions, finely sliced
• 1 carrot, finely cubed
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 vegetable vegetable bouillon
• 2 large sweet potatoes, roughly chopped
• 3 large portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon curry powder

Instructions

Place the onions in a saucepan with a little olive oil on low heat for approximately 3 minutes, stirring until lightly cooked.

Add in the garlic, leek and scallions and stir until lightly cooked, approximately 3 minutes. Add in the cubed carrots and stir, cooking for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, place the sweet potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover and heat on high. Cook until soft when pierced. Drain 3/4 of water and add the other half tablespoon vegetable broth. Continue cooking on low for approximately 3 minutes.

Place the black beans in a saucepan with half a cup of water and add 1/2 the vegetable broth on low heat to simmer and reduce for 5 minutes.

Add in the tomatoes, stirring to combine and cook on a simmer for a further 10 minutes.

Add the onion, garlic, leek, scallions and carrot to the black beans. Continue cooking for 10 minutes to blend the flavors together, stirring every few minutes.

Heat the oven to 150°C/300F on grill.

Add the mushrooms to the black beans and stir to combine. Seasoning to taste.

Pour the remaining water from the sweet potatoes into the black bean mixture and add the milk, olive oil and curry powder and mash until smooth. Season to taste.

Place the black beans in a heatproof baking dish and spoon the mashed sweet potatoes on top. Running a fork over the top.

Grill in the oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Serve immediately with a salad or on it’s own.