What To Eat During A Snow Storm

This morning as I left work at 7:30am I got paranoid about the impending snow storm and drove straight to Trader Joe's in scrubs and bags under my eyes.  Had to make sure we had plenty of food and wine!!!

This recipe started with a vague idea in my mind and it ended up being tastier than I expected.  I mean I seriously impressed myself out of nowhere with this one.  I wanted a straight vegetarian lentil version but Jeff seemed bummed by that idea so I compromised.  I had 2 filets in the freezer so I added that to my lentils and tons of veggies so all in all I still felt pretty good about this meal.  Jeff says using filet in shepherd's pie is sacrilege but I say don't judge me.  To make it vegetarian leave out the steak and use more lentils/mushrooms.  Or f*ck the lentils and use all ground beef or lamb, whatever! 


Shepherd's Pie with Lentils, Filet and Veggies (and a dope mashed pot/cheese topper!)

2 lbs large red potatoes, quartered, skin on 
2 tbs butter or earth balance
splash milk or unsweetened almond milk
2 tbs sour cream, optional 
salt to taste
2 tbs chopped fresh chives or scallions 
small block grated cheese, I used some fancy sh*t similar to gruyere, about 1/2 cup 
(above measurements are total guesses, when I make mashed potatoes I sort of black out to forget how much fat I'm actually adding!)

1 cup dry black lentils, ccoked in 4 cups veggie stock or water, or canned cooked lentils (note: black lentils cook quicker than green and have an earthy flavor)
2-3 tbs evoo
2 filet mignon or small sirloin steaks, cut into small chunks
1 sweet yellow onion, chopped 
4 carrots, peeled and chopped 
2 celery stalks, chopped
8-10oz cremini (or white button) mushrooms, sliced
1/2 to 1 tbs dried thyme
S&P to taste
3 cloves garlic
1 tbs tomato paste (optional if you have it, adds more flavor-I always keep a plastic baggy in the freezer)
3-4 tbs flour
1/2 cup red wine

Bring a big pot of water to boil, add potatoes and cook for about 20 minutes or until tender with a fork. At the same time add lentils to veggie broth, bring to a boil then simmer for 25 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 400.

While the water is boiling, add evoo to a medium pot or dutch oven over medium heat and add filet, cook until just brown, about 3 minutes.  Remove from pot and set aside.  

In same pot add onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper, season with S&P and cook until just soft.  Add garlic and tomato paste (and maybe another tsb of evoo!) and cook another couple minutes for paste to caramelize.  

Once the veggies look tender and a little brown, sprinkle flour over top, mix and cook for another minute.  Add red wine and cook another couple minutes to reduce and cook off the alcohol (you are already drinking wine, right?  It's snowing!).  

Add the lentils/veggie stock mixure and stir...eye ball it, you might not need all the lentil cooking liquid, it should be thick like a stew.  Taste and season with S&P if necessary.  

By this point the potatoes should be done, drain the water and add butter, sour cream, milk, salt and mix with electric hand mixer or kitchen aid mixer or potato masher, then mix in chives/scallions.  

Add potatoes to meat/veggie/lentil mixture, grate cheese on top and bake for about 30 minutes.  Broil for 1 or 2 minutes to brown the cheese on top at the end.  Enjoy!