Super Comforting Vegan Pastel De Papa

This creamy, comforting Pastel De Papa, or in other words, Shepherd’s pie, has been in my hubby’s family since he can remember! My Mother in law, learned it from my Grandma in law, may she rest in peace, who learned it from her Mother, in Argentina! You see where I’m going with this, right? 🙂 Anyway, a few years ago, my mother in law, made a vegetarian version, and since then, it’s been a staple in her home.

So, I decided it was my turn to play around with the recipe, and make a vegan version! I added a few personal touches to the dish, but left the idea the same. A smooth layer of mashed potatoes, with a rich, flavored filling, topped with an extra layer of creamy mashed potatoes. Trust me when I say, it’s worth every bite!

I’m also thinking we should rename the dish to Pastel De Mama, because we did all get the idea of this super comforting dish from a Mama! 🙂 But for now, we’ll leave it as it is.

Enjoy darlings, and I can’t wait to hear how yours turn out! 🙂

What You’ll Need

Makes an 8-inch (20 cm) skillet pan pastel de papa

• 3- 1/2 Cups of Diced Potatoes
• 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Nutmeg Powder
• 1/4 Cup of Coconut Milk
• 6 Medium sized Mushrooms
• 4 Crushed Garlic Cloves
• 1/2 Cup of Cooked Green Lentils
• 7 Kalamata Olives, pits removed
• 1 Red Onion
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Chili Flakes
• Splash of White Wine, optional

Instructions

1. Peel, and dice 3 and a half cups worth of potatoes, roughly around 4 medium sized potatoes, then place them in a pot, covered with water, and cook until they’re nice and soft, around 20 minutes.

2. In the meantime, peel, and cut the onion in half, then slice it into long strips.

3. Next, heat a saucepan, and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, along with the onion strips, and cook for a few minutes, until they start to sweat.

4. Add the crushed garlic, along with the chopped mushrooms, and cook for a couple of minutes. Roughly chop the kalamata olives, pits removed, and add it to the pan, along with the cooked green lentils, and give it all a good stir.

5. Finally, add the chili flakes, thyme leaves, and salt and black pepper to taste, along with a splash of white wine, then turn off the heat, and set aside, while we mash the potatoes.

Assembling our Pastel De Papa

1. Preheat the oven to 374 degrees F (190 C).

2. When the potatoes have softened, strain them, then add the coconut milk, nutmeg powder, olive oil, and sea salt to taste, and mash the potatoes, until smooth.

3. Transfer a 1/3 of the mashed potatoes, into your skillet pan, or Pyrex tray of roughly same size, and form an even layer, with a spatula.

4. Next, add the mushroom and lentil mixture, and smooth it out, to form another layer.

5. Add small dollops of the remaining mashed potatoes, on top of your mushroom layer, and carefully smooth it out, until you’re left with a clean layer of mashed potatoes.

6. Finally, form decorative lines, with a fork, and pop your pastel de papa into the oven until it’s lightly golden brown. What are you waiting for?  Dig in! 🙂

How easy was that? I can’t wait to hear how yours turn out! And don’t forget, sharing is caring!

Want an easy sweet treat to indulge in, for dessert? Try my Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies, they’re chewy, chocolaty, and only 45 calories a cookie! 🙂 You’re welcome!

Until next time,

Have A Bright Day xx