Veggie Shepherd's Pie

5-6 large potatoes
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
2-3 medium carrots, diced
1 medium sweet potato, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 17.6 oz package of cooked lentils
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp chipotle powder

1) Boil potatoes until tender. Drain, while saving 1 cup of cooking water. Mash potatoes with cooking water. Set aside.
2) In a large saute pan, heat oil and cook veggies in the following order: carrots and sweet potatoes (5-6  minutes), add peppers and lentils (an additional 3-4 minutes), add corn and peas (an additional 1-2 minutes), add spices. Along the way, add water as necessary to keep vegetables from sticking.
3) Put the veggies into a large, deep oven-safe dish. Smooth the mashed potatoes over the veggies. Place in the oven to broil, until the top has lightly browned.

Review: I loved the smoky flavor this had. The original recipe called for paprika and cayenne, which I switched to smoked paprika and chipotle - yummy! The below picture is just of the bottom of the pie, to see the variety. I didn't want to dirty yet another dish for presentation. So, I just mixed the mashed potatoes into the rest of the veggies and mixed thoroughly. It was tasty and filling, but the presentation wasn't pretty enough for the blog!

Adapted from:
http://www.platesforplants.com/blog/comfort-food-very-veggie-shepherds-pie/

Balsamic Sauteed Chard & Lentils

1 17.6 oz package of cooked lentils
1 bunch Swiss chard
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbs olive oil
4 Tbs balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

1) In a skillet, heat olive oil. Saute garlic for one minute, or until fragrant.
2) Add lentils and chard. Saute 3 to 5 minutes, until chard begins to wilt.
3) Add balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Combine.

Review: I love making dinner with fresh greens from my garden!! I made this an easier recipe by buying the lentils precooked (sold in the produce aisle at Trader Joe's). The original recipe called for fancy lentils that cooked for more than half an hour! I also used Trader Joe's Balsamic Glaze instead of just balsamic vinegar. It's sweeter and thicker. It's my new favorite condiment! Overall, this was a filling, hearty dinner. It's also vitamin-packed.

Adapted from:
http://www.theglutenfreevegan.com/2012/01/balsamic-sauteed-chard-and-lentils-du-puy/