Healthy Shepherd’s Pie with Red Curry Beef, Coconut Kale and Pumpkin Mash

I’ve been thinking a lot in the wake of #metoo, and some other personal things I’ve been noodling, about which stories are ours to tell.

I remember the first time I ever saw myself in my parents’ writing. The thing that tipped me off, of all things, was the shepherd’s pie.

It was a scene in a play in which the shiksa wife makes the Jewish husband shepherd’s pie. She tells him it’s beef, he insists it tastes like lamb. He hates lamb, and asks why she keeps making it with lamb. Semi-playful bickering ensues.

Though that particular scene was innocuous enough, it was one I had already watched many times at my own dining room table. It was my reality filtered through the mouths of characters. One thread that made me question how the whole garment had been woven together.

Fiction is a funny little scapegoat. Anything you reveal of yourself can automatically be chalked up to imagination. And yet writers always write what they know. Memoir, though, is more blatant. Your point of view is laid bare. And it becomes your call whether or not those closest to you are fair game.

It wasn’t always my intention to have a main character in The Wellness Project named Charlie. But he wrote himself in by way of sticking around. I’m so grateful he did. Yet, I’m not sure if sticking around, tethering your life to a memoirist, is in itself consent.

I was so nervous when I gave Charlie the first draft of the book to read. It was personal, it was raw, it was so many aspects of our relationship put on the table (with a side of tabbouleh). Having been in his shoes before, I knew that the impact of reading it would be the shepherd’s pie scene on steroids.

It’s Charlie’s birthday this week, and while I’m grateful for him for many things, other than his pancake-making skills, his acceptance of my writing and putting our lives out there is one of the things that makes me feel the luckiest. It’s hard enough sharing a life with another person without worrying about also being a character in their play. And it takes a trust that I’m not sure I myself possess.

Another thing I’m grateful for is his love of shepherd’s pie, made with any type of meat, and eaten for leftovers multiple meals in a row, as was the case with this healthy shepherd’s pie recipe. I made it in honor of Sara’s Virtual Pumpkin Party with a cauliflower-pumpkin puree that stood in for the usual Irish potato mash.

I’ve been having a lot of fun recently with Thai-inspired mashups of traditional comfort foods. (Just see this and this). So I took my shepherd’s pie even further away from my mom’s classic version with a little red curry paste and kale in the meat filling. You can use lamb or beef, depending on the pickiness of your partner. Chicken or turkey would also work if you’re staying away from red meat.

There are also several options for making this vegetarian/vegan. You can use a lentil base like in this recipe, or swap in my mushroom bolognese as the base. Just use red curry in place of the other spices or condiments.

Shepherd’s pie is one of my favorite comfort foods when I’m trying to stay on the Paleo bandwagon, and this healthy version has the added benefit of being nightshade-free (if you omit the red curry) and Whole30 friendly.

Make sure to hop over to Sara’s site to see the other fabulous bloggers participating in this year’s pumpkin partaaay!

And a happy birthday to my main man, in life and on the page.

Xoxo
Phoebe

Healthy Thai Shepherd’s Pie with Red Curry Beef, Coconut Kale and Pumpkin Mash

4.50 from 4 votes

print recipe

The beauty of this healthy shepherd's pie recipe? The pumpkin puree makes it fast! It's paleo and Whole30-friendly. If you omit the red curry paste, this recipe is also nightshade-free and autoimmune paleo. Regardless of both those dietary accolades, it's delicious AF. It's up to you what meat to use as your base. It tastes great with beef or lamb, but also turkey or chicken. Either way, it's also packed with kale! Instead of flour, coconut milk makes both the base and the topping super rich and creamy. Lastly, you can make this entire meal in advance, fulling assembled. But you can also make each element separately in advance and assemble/bake-off right before dinner.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Phoebe Lapine

Ingredients

• 1 small head cauliflower cut into medium florets
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
• 1 large leek white and light green parts only, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 medium shallots thinly sliced
• 1 pound ground beef lamb or chicken
• 2 large garlic cloves minced
• 1 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons red curry paste for Whole30, choose a compliant brand
• Sea salt
• 1 small bunch kale thinly sliced into ribbons
• 1 cup coconut milk divided (see note)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice divided
• 1 pound Pacific Foods Organic Pumpkin Puree

Instructions

• Cook the cauliflower: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the cauliflower florets and cook until fork tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well and shake out excess moisture. Set aside (if you’re waiting on the beef, you can proceed with the topping in step 4).
• Meanwhile, make the filling: in a large cast iron or ovenproof skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and shallots; sauté until translucent and beginning to brown, 4 minutes. Push the vegetables to the side of the pan and add the ground meat to the center. Brown over high heat, breaking apart with your spatula into bite-sized pieces, until cooked through and charred around the edges, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, red curry paste and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook for two more minutes, until fragrant. Carefully fold in the kale, and continue to cook the meat mixture until the greens are wilted. Remove the pan from the heat and add 3/4 cup coconut milk and 1 tablespoon lime juice, scrapping up any brown bits that may have formed on the bottom of the pan while cooking. Set the meat mixture aside.
• Finish the topping: transfer the cooked cauliflower to a blender or large food processor with the Pacific Foods Organic Pumpkin Puree, remaining 1/4 coconut milk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon salt. Puree the mixture until very smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as necessary.
• Assemble the pie: using the back of a wooden spoon or spatula, make sure the meat mixture is spread evenly in the skillet. Scoop the cauliflower pumpkin mash on top and smooth with your spatula so the meat is mostly covered.
• Bake the pie: preheat the broiler to high. Transfer the skillet to the broiler and cook until the meat is bubbling up the sides and the topping has begun to form a light crust, about 5 minutes.
• Serve warm as a one-pan meal, or with a side salad.

Notes

If using a can of coconut milk, make sure to stir it well before measuring. Using an oven-proof skillet means less clean-up and transferring of recipe elements, but if you don’t have one, you can assemble the pie in a 13x9 baking dish.

If you make this, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe - I'd love to see it!

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave