Shepherd's Pie Paleo Style

Shepherd's Pie 

Shepherd's Pie is such a lovely dish that makes me think of cold nights in the UK watching snooker and drinking a pint or two. It is nostalgic for me and also fulfills my comfort food quota without the after effect of the guilt and bad gut. Technically a shepherd's pie requires lamb so I always use lamb. (Using any other ground meat makes a cottage pie but most American's don't care.) Being the uptight chica that I am means that I have to make it right or not at all. So my additional ingredients kind of removes it from the shepherd's pie definition but I will feign ignorance this time.  I happen to also love Cornish pasties but since I am not making a shortening and wheat filled pastry any time soon, I will get my rutabaga fix out in this incarnation. When I was shopping for the recipe I needed a proper Worcestershire sauce. While you only need 2 tsp of the stuff, it is pretty much liquid gold. Without it, you are missing the key flavor. It took me a bit of sleuthing to accomplish, but I found a gluten and soy free sauce. The Lea & Perrins Low Sodium Worcestershire sauce happens to be safe for consumption. Don't forget to keep it in the refrigerator after opening. I never knew this growing up...good thing we didn't use it often. We had been keeping it in the cupboards for years! 

Topping this tasty beauty off is sweet potato rounds where traditionally there would be white potato mash. I love a good potato mash but it really isn't that great for you. Instead you can substitute the sweet potatoes or make a cauliflower mash with a nice dose of garlic and s&p and no one will know the better. Enjoy- it gets even better the second day.

Ingredients:

• 1lb ground lamb
• 2 carrots, sliced into small pieces
• 1 sweet potato sliced into even rounds
• 1 rutabaga sliced into squares
• 5 cap mushrooms, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped fine
• 1 sprig thyme, chopped fine
• 1/2 - 1 cup red wine
• 1 onion chopped fine

Prep: Heat a skillet and brown the lamb while you prep the veg. Cut up all veggies and herbs and set aside in nice pile. Turn oven to 400F

Cook: In a pan cook the lamb until nearly done and break up into pieces. Add the mixed vegetables and herbs and cook for another 5 minutes. Pour in the wine and Worcestershire sauce and cook on medium for another 5 minutes.  Once a lovely sauce has formed around the tasty meat and veg, pour into a baking dish. Top with the slices of sweet potato or whipped cauliflower. Bake in a 400F oven for 20 minutes uncovered followed by 10 minutes with a foil top on to steam soften the sweet potatoes.