Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Today I’m recovering from an incredible Birthday party we threw for my adorable niece Lillian yesterday. I didn’t drink (much), I’m tired because I woke up at 5am yesterday morning and couldn’t go back to sleep. I decided to stay up and edit together a little video of the home movies we’ve taken of Lillian over the past year, and before I knew it, it was time to get everything ready for the party. The hubby made an amazing three-hour Beatles music mix and I made decorations for the party’s flower theme, as well as some yummy Chickpea “Tuna” Sandwiches. My eldest sister Nadia hosted at her place and the whole family helped get the house together. We had awesome food (Chef Sarah Lee!), a craft table, a piñata, a potato sack race, and the weather was beautiful. We all had a wonderful time, I can’t believe my squishy is already a year old! Today’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration is going to be just the hubby and I and this delicious Shepherd’s Pie.

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Mashed Potato Ingredients
2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled, quartered
4 tbsp vegan butter (I use smart balance)
1/2 cup almond or soy milk
salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Pie Filling Ingredients
1 tbsp vegan butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 white onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced (about 3 cups)
6 stalks celery, diced (about 2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup vegetable stock
14-oz. package of Lightlife Gimme Lean Ground Sausage Style Veggie Protein
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Just look at this yummy pie!

Directions
Mashed Potatoes: Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until fork tender, about 20 minutes. (You can move on to the next step while the potatoes boil) Turn off the heat and strain the potatoes. Return the potatoes to the pot and add butter, milk, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper. Mash together until combined, set aside.

Pie Filling: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Add butter and oil to a large pan on medium heat. Sauté the onions, carrots, celery and garlic for about 10 minutes until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Once the vegetables have softened and start to brown mix in the tomato paste and vegetable stock. Stir and simmer for another 10 minutes. While the vegetable mixture simmers, cook the sausage in a separate pan set over medium heat, creating a crumble as it browns. Add the sausage to the vegetables to combine, then transfer the mixture to an oven-proof baking dish, spreading it evenly on the bottom. I used a 9×12 baking pan, but you can also use a casserole dish.

Pour the mashed potatoes on top of vegetable mixture and spread out evenly with the back of a large spoon. Place the dish into the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes, or until browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Warm and tasty shepherd’s pie filling

The hubby loved this Shepherd’s Pie. The veggie sausage has a sweet flavor that pairs perfectly with the fresh cooked vegetables. The filling together with the creamy mashed potatoes made the dish so good, the hubby got a second helping. We plan to spend the rest of today catching up on video projects, editing some photos from Lillian’s 1st birthday party, and listening to our favorite Northern Irish singer-songwriter, Van Morrison. If you’re interested in enjoying some drinks today, check out Barnivore, a guide for vegan wine, beer, and liquor. Have a safe and fun St. Patrick’s Day!

xo angie

p.s. Special thanks to my best Irish buddy Siggy for the recommendations and advice!