Moroccan Sweet Potato Shepard's Pie

Shepard and Cottage pies were considered meals for common people in Ireland. They generally had a meat and vegetable mixture on the bottom and a crust of mashed potatoes on top (making it an economical choice). Oft times people would even use left over meat from other meals and "repurpose it" in a meat pie. Cottage pie is traditionally made with ground beef and shepard's pie with lamb. Both will work in this recipe, or you can even leave the meat out all together and just use chickpeas instead for a vegan version. Both versions are full of Moroccan spices and warm flavors: cumin, chili, garlic, ginger, hints of cinnamon and cilantro. I've replace the more traditional white potato with sweet potatoes for a more nutrient dense meal (full of B6, vit C, magnesium, and vit A. It is also a great antifungal and antibacterial with the amount of onion, garlic and cumin in the dish. It was so good we hardly had any left overs, ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS
For the bottom:

• 1 lb grass-fed ground lamb or beef (omit for vegan)
• 3 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 15 oz. cans drained) (optional for meat version I used both meat and chickpeas for some added protein punch!)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
• 1.5 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1-1.5 cups chopped tomatoes fresh or canned (about 14 oz can)
• ½ cup stock (vegetable, chicken or beef) + salt to taste
• ½ cup currants or raisins
• ½ bunch cilantro, stems removed, rinsed and chopped

For the mash:

• 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chucks
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (coconut milk is best (don't use a vanilla flavored version - this dish is sweet enough)

LET'S MAKE IT!

For the bottom:

1. Brown the ground meat in a large skillet over medium high heat- I left it a bit undercooked as I knew it would return to both pan and oven. If doing only chickpeas, start with step 3.
2. Remove meat from skillet and set aside.
3. Add olive oil to the pan along with the onions, garlic, ginger, spices and salt and cook for 8-10 minutes until the onion is softened.
4. Return the meat to the pan (if using) along with tomatoes and stock and simmer 10 minutes to thicken sauce.  
5. Add chickpeas (if using), currants, and chopped cilantro, stir and remove from heat.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the mash:

1. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes or until tender.
2. Drain well and add the  cumin, garlic powder, salt and milk. My potatoes were so soft it mashed them with a spatula.
3. With a hand blender (or potato masher), blend until they reach a creamy consistency. I prefer my mashed potatoes chunky, just be careful not to over mash as it can quickly turn to paste.

Put it together:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Fill a 13 in x 9 in casserole dish with the filling and spread the mash on top.
3. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the topping is beginning to brown.
4. Garnish with extra chopped cilantro, if desired.

I had a hungry family so I returned my dish to the oven for about ten minutes and then turned the broiler on for about 3 minutes. All the ingredients should be fully cooked at this point, so you are really just looking for some browning to happen to the potatoes. I assembled straight into my large cast iron pan for the sake of less dishes. I also didn't have currants or raisins which really bummed be out- but I chose to make it anyways, I think they only could have added to the dish, but if you don't have them around the house, the dish was AMAZING without them. If you make this, please send me pictures of yours!