Diabetes: Shepherd's Pie with a difference

Cooking mince

Serves 4

Ingredients

• Olive-oil spray
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 450g lean minced lamb
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
• 1 teaspoon anchovy essence
• 200g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 250ml lamb, chicken or beef stock
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium cauliflower, broken into florets
• 2 tablespoons low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons soft wholegrain breadcrumbs

Method

• Heat a frying pan. Spray lightly with olive oil, then tip in the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened but not browned, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, heat a large, heavy-based pan and spray lightly with olive oil.
• Tip in half the minced lamb and cook over a fairly high heat until evenly browned, breaking up any lumps with the back of a wooden spoon and straining off any melted fat. Transfer to a plate. Cook the rest of the lamb, then return all of the lamb to the pan, adding the cooked onions and stirring to combine.
• Sprinkle over the fl our and then add the bay leaves, thyme and anchovy essence, stirring to combine.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, stock, Worcestershire sauce and a good pinch of pepper.
• Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes–1 hour until the lamb is completely tender and softened. Season with black pepper.
• Allow to cool, then refrigerate. Remove any solidified fat from the top. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
• Meanwhile, to make the topping, place the cauliflower in a pan of boiling water, cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes or until tender. Drain and return to the pan for a couple of minutes to dry out, shaking the pan occasionally to prevent the cauliflower sticking to the bottom. Place the cauliflower in a food processor and blend until smooth. Place in a large bowl and beat in the yogurt and egg yolk. Season with black pepper to taste.
• Spoon the lamb mixture into a 1.8 litre pie dish, discarding the bay leaves. Cover with the mashed cauliflower, then smooth over and mark with a spatula. Top with the breadcrumbs and spray with a little oil. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown. Serve at once straight from the dish with a bowl of peas, if liked.

Per serving: 303 KCals, 13G Fat, 5G Saturated Fat, 16G Carbohydrate, 0.34G Sodium

Please note the image above is for illustrative purposes only, and is not an original photograph of the dish described.

Extracted from: Healthy Eating for Diabetes by Antony Worrall Thompson & Azmina Govindji (Kyle Cathie, £12.99) with photography by Steve Baxter. Buy this book at a discount from Saga Books.