Happy Good For You Friday!  I know it’s not Friday, but I’m on a cooking kick, and I’m my own boss, so this is what we are talking about today, M’kay?  Admittedly, I’m not a huge shepherd’s pie or pot pie fan.  I’m just never that psyched about the creamy filling, the white potatoes, or the heavy crust.  But, I am a fan of Clean, satisfying comfort food – and leftovers (I mean, if I’m going to cook, it should mean I don’t have to think about lunch the next day).  If you need to feed a family, or if you like leftovers, this dish could be the answer.  I made this last night, and it was delicious and manly-man-approved.

| Clean Shepherd’s Pie | Serves 4-6

For the Mashed Root Veggies
2 medium sized parsnips, peeled, cut into large chunks
1 large celery root, peeled, cut into large chunks
2 tablespoons coconut oil
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
Sea salt to taste
¼ teaspoon white pepper

For the Filling:
1 lb ground lamb (I used grassfed beef.)
1-2 large carrots, chopped into small pieces
1 large onion, chopped into medium pieces
2-3 celery sticks, chopped into medium pieces
1 tablespoon Mediterranean Seasonings (or 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons onion granules and 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
3 tablespoons brown rice flour
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Chop all vegetables.  Place the pieces into a medium sized pot. Add an inch of water, cover the pot and cook over high heat until tender when pierced with a fork.  Strain and allow to drain thoroughly.  Put the strained vegetables back into the pan, and using a hand masher, mash the them with the coconut oil until there are no more chunks.  Add in the almond milk and season with sea salt and white pepper.  (I put the vegetables and almond milk into the Vitamix on the hot soup setting and it came out perfectly.)  Cover and set aside.

Heat a large saute pan with 2 tablespoons coconut oil.  Add the lamb to the pan and sear until browned.  Begin to break up the lamb then add in the vegetables.  Stir to combine and cook until the veggies are soft.  Sprinkle in the herbs and flour. Continue to stir to prevent burning.  After a few minutes, add the stock. Allow to slowly simmer and gradually thicken.  Season with sea salt, and remove the pan from the heat.  Pour lamb-veg mixture into a large dish (any shape works; I used a round pie plate and some individual ramekins as well).

Top with the mashed root purée, and using a spatula, spread the mash over the entire surface of the lamb mixture.  Place in the oven to cook for 20 minutes.  Serve warm.  (I also added a pat of grassfed butter on top after taking the dish out of the oven.)

Enjoy!

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