Meat Free Mondays!

If you haven’t heard of "Meat Free Mondays" check out meatfreemondays.com. It was set up by Sir Paul McCartney and his daughters to raise the awareness of how eating meat is effecting the environment and potentially climate change. I think most of us meat eaters forget or perhaps do not realise the effects eating animal products has on the environment.  If we do have concerns it is often for animal rights purposes or for our health.

I’m not suggesting we all have to go vegetarian. I love meat and would find it very difficult to cut it out completely but I do have at least one day a week free of animal products and would only eat meat at one meal a day.  Some people feel a meal is not a meal without a big hunk of meat, because where are they going to get the protein from? This is a huge misconception as there are so many plant based proteins out there which are full of goodness and very versatile to cook with.

So I won’t go into huge detail on "Meat Free Mondays", as you can go to the link above to see more info on why this is worth doing but here is some food for thought. The UK’s Food Climate Research Network suggests that food production from farm to fork is responsible for between 20-30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. 

Livestock production is responsible for around half of these emissions. The more meat we eat the bigger that carbon footprint will get. A sustainable future demands that we cut down but how is this possible when the world’s population is continuously growing!

The group 'Compassion in World Farming' estimates that if the average UK household cut its consumption of meat in half this would cut more emissions than if car use was halved. So by making a little change such as going one day a week meat free, you will be taking part in a world changing campaign where what’s good for your health is also good for the planet.

So here is my "Meat Free Monday" recipe, it is a good warm hearty meal and simple to make. You can make a few amendments to the recipe, I have made it before with aduki beans instead of lentils or you can use normal potato if you prefer. I just have a little obsession with sweet potatoes at the moment. 

Shepherdless Pie

Serves 4

All you need

• 1 tsp coconut oil or olive oil
• 1 onion diced
• 1 green or red pepper
• 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tsps of harissa paste (I got this in tesco but if you don’t                     have it don’t worry)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 cup of dried green puy lentils (rinse before)
• 1 pint of veg stock (start with about 1/3 pint and add                more if lentils absorb too much too quickly)
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• ½ cup of chopped coriander (optional)
• 2 large sweet potatoes

What to do

1. Heat oil in large pan and add onions on medium heat for about 4 mins.
2. Add garlic, green pepper, harissa paste, coriander & cumin and cook for about 2 mins stirring continuously.
3. Add lentils, stock, tomato puree, tinned tomatoes and bring to the boil.
4. Reduce and simmer for about 45 mins, stir occasionally, until lentils are cooked and sauce is reduced.  Add a little more water if the sauce reduces too quickly and if the lentils are still uncooked.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir through coriander leaves.
6. Preheat oven to 180^oC.
7. Chop sweet potato in small cubes and simmer or steam for about 10 mins until tender.
8. Drain and mash with a little olive oil.
9. Pour lentils into a deep baking dish, cover with mashed potato and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.
10. Serve with a side of some steamed veg or salad.

Allergens and Intolerances
Gluten Free (GF)	Yes
Dairy Free (DF)	Yes
Sugar Free (SF)	Yes

Hope you enjoy this, I'm still working on my photography skills when is come to food. If you have any tips let me know as currently the photo's are not giving the food much justice.


Steph :)