Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie

Help boost your immunity with this recipe recommended by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, MD, author of Eat for Health and Eat to Live.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

4 large sweet potatoes

1 cup chopped broccoli

1 cup chopped cauliflower

1 medium chopped leek

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1" squares

1 teaspoon herbes de Provence (dried French herbs)

4 tablespoons Dr. Fuhrman’s VegiZest or other no-salt veggie soup base

2 cups chopped spinach

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 cup carrot juice

1 cup firm tofu, water squeezed out and crumbled

1 cup hazelnuts, brazil nuts or almonds, chopped medium-fine (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake sweet potatoes until soft, about 45 minutes. When potatoes are tender, remove to a bowl and mash.

Add broccoli, cauliflower, leeks, bell peppers, herbes de Provence and Dr. Fuhrman’s VegiZest to a large saute pan along with 2 cups of water. Simmer until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add spinach and toss.

Drain vegetables, reserving vegetable liquid in pot.

Whisk cornstarch into carrot juice, then whisk the mixture into boiling vegetable liquid until it thickens.

Add vegetables and crumbled tofu to sauce and toss to combine.

Divide mixture into two 8-inch pie pans. Top each with 1/4 cup nuts (optional).

Spread sweet potatoes over the top and sprinkle with remaining nuts (optional).

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until hot and nuts are light brown. If desired, sprinkle with parsley.

NOTES: Frozen chopped broccoli, cauliflower and spinach may be substituted for fresh. Thaw and drain well. Do not precook.

This dish may be prepared ahead and frozen, unbaked. Cover tightly with aluminum foil before freezing. Do not defrost, but bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes.