Make it Tonight - Root Vegetable Baked Stew

This warm and hearty meal is perfect for a snowday! It's packed with a colourful array of seasonal vegetables, so that you can still support local food in the winter months. The more colours you include, the more vitamins and minerals you add. Feel free to add your favourite veggies to this recipe. The dish is similar to a shepherd's pie but with two layers - everything can be made with just two pots to cut down on dishes!

Ingredients

1 large (2 cups) white, new or russet potato

1 large (2 cups) sweet potato

1/2 cup plain yogurt

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 portobello mushrooms, chopped (4 cups-ish)

1 onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 large carrots, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

2 parsnips, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

2 stalks celery, diced

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

2 Tbsp tomato paste OR 1/8 cup tomato sauce

1 Tbsp each, thyme and rosemary

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp red wine

1 can chickpeas, rinsed

1 - 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup frozen peas

Fresh ground pepper

Strong, hard cheese like Parmigiano-Reggiano OR Grana Padano (optional)

Instructions

1. Cut potato and sweet potato into large pieces. Add to large pot of water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. Drain water. Add yogurt and freshly ground pepper and mash.

2. In a deep dish fry pan or oven-safe pot, heat the olive oil at medium heat. Add mushrooms and simmer for 3 minutes. Add onions and garlic and simmer for 5 minutes. Add carrots, parsnips, celery and red wine. Simmer for 3 minutes more.

3. Add broth, tomato paste or sauce, thyme, rosemary, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Stir in peas. Sprinkle flour into vegetables and cook for one minute more until sauce has thickened.

4. Crush chickpeas in a food processor or blender or potato masher until a chunky texture. Add chickpeas and freshly ground pepper (and pinch of salt if needed) to vegetable mixture.

5. Transfer vegetable mixture into a casserole dish if pot used is not oven safe, otherwise, give mix one final stir and top with mashed potato mixture. Top with grated cheese.

6. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until top starts to brown.

Serve warm.

Much love & good eating,

Stephanie