Cottage Pie With Hidden Veggies

A hearty, warming cottage pie recipe, perfect for a cold winters night. The ultimate comfort food, with the added benefit of sneaky hidden fresh veggies for those who find it difficult to persuade their kids to eat their quota. Ideal served alone or with a side of fresh green veggies. This recipe also offers the possibility of plenty of substitutions if you don't have just what the recipe calls for - I often use turkey mince as a healthier alternative to beef.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 1 pie

Ingredients

• 2  teaspoons olive oil
• 1⁄2 kg  extra lean ground beef
• 1  large onion, diced
• 2  garlic cloves, crushed
• 1  teaspoon  caremalised  balsamic vinegar
• 1  teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1  teaspoon dried parsley
• 2  teaspoons dried thyme
• 1  teaspoon  celery salt
• 1  teaspoon  all purpose  seasoning
• 1  cup red wine
• 2  zucchini, grated
• 2  carrots, grated
• 2  beef bouillon cubes
• 1⁄2 pint boiling water
• 2  tablespoons tomato puree
• 2  bay leaves
• 1  sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 2  potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1⁄2 small  butternut pumpkin, peeled and cubed
• 2  teaspoons butter
•  salt
•  pepper

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a large pan.
2. Add the minced beef and brown.
3. Add the onions and continue to cook until translucent (approx 4 mins).
4. Add the caremalised balsamic vinegar, worcestershire sauce, garlic, celery salt, all purpose seasoning, thyme and parsley and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the red wine and continute to cook until the liquid is absorbed.
6. Add the grated zucchini and carrot and cook for a further 2 or 3 minutes.
7. Crumble in the stock cubes, add the boiling water then stir it in together.
8. Add the tomato puree, bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste.
9. Continue to simmer on a low heat, you may need to add a little more water.
10. Meanwhile, place the pumkin, potatoes and sweet potato into a separate pan and cover with cold water.
11. Bring to the boil and simmer until tender.
12. Drain the potato/sweet potato/pumpkin and mash - as the pumpkin tends to retain water the best way to mash it is using a ricer so you can squeeze the water out at the start of each press.
13. Add the butter to the potato mix and season to taste.
14. Remove the bay leaves from the minced beef mix and spoon the mixture into a shallow 2 quart dish.
15. Add the potato mix over the top of the beef mixture, spread evenly then rough up the top using the back of a fork.
16. Place under a hot grill for 4 minutes.