Having an English husband is wonderful. But I have to admit, I was a little nervous about posting this recipe because our family over there is well-versed in Shepard’s Pie. Not only that, but we have friends who are as dear as family and they are IRISH. So here I am, the American addition, attempting to replicate one of their traditional dishes. And to top it off? I use cauliflower instead of potatoes – in fact, I use cabbage and cauliflower. So sort of a paleo take on Colcannon – another traditional Irish dish.

All I can hope is that they try it and find it as delicious as we do and that they’ll still let me come over and visit.

Shepard’s Pie

1/2 tsp. + 1 Tbsp. ghee

1/4 of a small head of cabbage, about 1/2 lb. or 3 cups, thinly sliced

1 lb. of ground lamb

1/2 a medium onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

3 oz. mushrooms, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp. coconut oil

1/2 tsp. thyme

2 T. tomato paste

1 T. coconut aminos

1 c. beef broth

1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped about 1 Tbsp.

1 20 oz. bag of frozen cauliflower

1/4 c. vegetable or chicken broth

1/3 c. coconut milk

1 tsp. salt, divided

pepper

Directions

1) Cook the cabbage Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt 1/2 a tsp. of ghee in a large skillet over medium-medium low heat. Add the shredded cabbage and 1/4 tsp. of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 10 minutes. If the cabbage starts to stick before it is tender, add 1-2 Tbsp. of water and continue to cook. Set aside.

2) Cook the lamb In the same pan you used for the cabbage, no need to rinse, increase the heat to medium and melt the coconut oil. Add the onion, carrots, mushrooms, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the lamb, breaking it into chunks, and the garlic, thyme, and pepper. Cook, continuing to break down the lamb, until it is cooked through, about 8 or 9 minutes. Add the tomato paste, coconut aminos, and beef broth. Simmer for about 25 minutes until most of the liquid is evaporated or absorbed. Add the parsley and stir to combine.

3) Make the cauliflower mash Cook the cauliflower according to the package directions. Then place in a food processor or blender with 1 Tbsp. of ghee, 1/2 a tsp. of salt, the vegetable broth, and coconut milk. Process until smooth, adding a little broth or coconut milk if necessary to obtain a creamy consistency. Add the cooked cabbage to the processor and pulse about 10 times, until the cabbage is well incorporated but not totally blended in.

4) Assemble the pie Place the meat mixture in a 9 in. glass pie dish. Top with the cauliflower-cabbage mixture and spread gently and evenly over the top. Grind some pepper over the top and place in the oven for 30 minutes until bubbly and slightly golden. Allow to rest about 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 3-4