How Gluten-free Shepherds Pie Saved My Marriage

How Gluten-Free Shepherd’s Pie Saved My Marriage


It was a rainy day in Liverpool, as most days are. The moist and miserable weather called for a hearty dish...something in a crock...something rooted in tradition.

“Honey,” I asked my husband, who was doing crosswords in front of the fireplace, “How about shepherd’s pie for dinner?”

At first he didn’t respond. “You know I can’t have flour,” he replied, somewhat coldly.

That’s when I mentally prepared my secret weapon: Chestnut flour. Thick, brown and delicious- this pounded chestnut flour was going to encase a mass of creamy potatoes in a flaky pastry.

“Let me take care of that,” I assured him.

The mission was to make a shepherd’s pie that was as healthy as possible: With chestnut flour, tofu instead of meat, and a vegan bean-curd sauce, that is just as creamy as cream...but dairy free.

Here’s what I did:

1) Preheated the oven to 177 degrees (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
2) Used earth balance (vegan margarine) to grease ten ounce serving ramekins.
3) Peeled three cups of potatoes.
4) Boiled potatoes for 25 minutes.
5) Mashed potatoes with food processor
6) Added a little coconut milk.
7) Seasoned with salt.
8) Stirred until smooth.
9) Added more coconut milk.

Here are the ingredients you will need for the rest of the stuffing:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of chopped garlic (fine)
1 cup of diced carrots
1 cup of diced zucchini
1 cup of chopped broccoli
1 can of artichoke hearts, quartered
1 cup of tofu
2 tsp of Italian herbs
1 tsp sage
1 tsp rosemary
salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat olive oil in a pan and stir-fry garlic. Add zucchini, broccoli and carrots. Cook for ten minutes. Add artichoke hearts, tofu, and seasonings.

GRAVY

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chestnut flour
1.5 tbsp soy milk
2 tbsp earth balance
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat olive oil on medium low. Stir in chestnut flour. Cook for half a minute. Add in soy milk, keep stirring. Add earth balance. Add nutritional yeast and salt. When it thickens, remove from heat and taste.

Pour gravy over filling and mix.

Put filling in ramekins and top with potatoes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Tent ramekins with foil to keep mashed potatoes moist (only for first half of baking time).

Hope this Chestnut flour shepherd’s pie will be as good for your marriage as it was for mine!

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