Nibbles with Nelly
Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
Hello, and welcome to the Blue Barn Farm and Sanctuary! With fall peeking out from behind the last hot days of summer here in the Pacific Northwest, my taste buds are pining for super hearty savory dishes. The weather has been interesting, to say the least. Our days are melty hot, but the nights cool off enough to want to kick on the heater by the time we wake up in the morning. We haven’t had any significant rain in over a couple of months, and if it weren’t Eugene, I might think we were experiencing desert weather patterns. The bird bath has been a constant source of entertainment. As I sit writing this post, there is a little feathered friend getting their morning splash on. Could there be anything more adorable than the shaking of the tailfeathers in pure watery bliss? I think not. Yet, imagine my surprise and complete delight at seeing a deer stop by for a long drink from the dish.
I digress… the point is that we are all connected: the people, animals, plants, everything on the Earth. When we can bring awareness to our choices, and do something like put a dish of water out for the animals when it hasn’t rained in weeks, they appreciate it. Much like I appreciate it when somebody offers to help me. I got curious about the word “shepherd”, and looked up synonyms on Google. If it’s being used as a verb, shepherd is also to coach, counsel, guide, usher, lead, mentor, attend to, among others. It is no accident that this delicious 100% plant-based dish fit for royalty, is called Shepherd’s Pie.
By now, those of you who have been following this blog know that I tend to get inspired by recipes I see online, but usually tweak them to create something that is not exactly what the original chef put out there. The closest version of the shepherd’s pie that I made can be found at one of my favorites: noracooks.com. Her recipe for the walnut/mushroom meat is AMAZING!!! It’s so good that I use it for a lot of other dishes. It’s flavorful, juicy, textured just right, and relatively easy to put together. For all the fantastic details, click on the link above.
An essential piece to any shepherd’s pie is the mashed potatoes. There are so many different ways to go about this while still maintaining a plant-based meal. My personal choice is Miyoko’s cultured vegan butter coupled with Forager plain cashewmilk yogurt for that rich, creamy, melt in your mouth mashed potato experience we all are looking for.
Vegan mashed potatoes never tasted so good!
Here’s the bottom line: make a little more mashed potatoes than you think you’ll need. It seems like every time I make this dish, I end up having to stretch the top layer of potatoes. Also, I’m pretty dedicated to an all-organic diet. Which is part of the reason I tend to adjust a lot of the recipes I make, depending on what is available in the stores. Vegan shepherd’s pie is a family pleaser, easy on the budget, and works great for leftovers. Did I mention that, like all of our recipes on the Blue Barn Farm and Sanctuary blog, it is 100% cruelty free? YES! This is what life is all about!
From all of us to all of you, have a safe and laughter-filled weekend! Remember, be kind, be compassionate, and get those empathetic vibes flowing! It’s the Golden Rule, just like many of us learned in kindergarten: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Leave us a note in the comments below. Let us know how your shepherd’s pie turned out. Until next time, so long everybody!
Miss Nelly Rose