Curried Lentil Shepherd's Pie with a Sweet Potato Mash

The only traditional thing about this shepherd's pie is how comforting it is!  You will be pleasantly surprised by it's flavorful makeover and creamy sweet topping.  This meal is perfect for a cold night, and it literally begs you to eat it while curled up in front of the fireplace!

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup dry lentils
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced or grated (dried ginger is fine too, just use 3/4 tsp)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp corriander
1/2 tsp tumeric
1-2 tsp curry powder (depending on how spicy you like it)
3 Tbsp whole wheat flour
2 cups veggie stock
3/4 cup frozen peas
s/p
3 medium sized sweet potatoes
dash of non-dairy milk
pinch of dried ginger

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Wash, dry and poke holes in the sweet potatoes.  Place them in the oven to roast until tender, about 45 minutes.  You may want to line the bottom of your oven with foil, because the sweet potatoes will leak.

In a small sauce pan, bring 2 cups of water to boil, and add in rinsed lentils.  Boil for 10-15 minutes.  You may need to drain out excess water before adding to the rest of the dish.  Keep in mind the lentils will continue to cook in the oven, so just boil them until al dente.

While the lentils are cooking, add olive oil to a large cast iron skillet or dutch oven and heat over medium heat.  Add in onion, garlic, ginger and carrots, saute for about 5 minutes.  Add in precooked lentils and spices and flour.  Stir to coat and cook for another minute.  Pour in veggie stock and stir until thickened, about 3 minutes.  Season with s/p.  Finally, add in the frozen peas and stir to combine. Transfer to a lightly sprayed 9x13 baking dish.

Take the sweet potatoes out of the oven and carefully peel them.  Drop oven temperature down to 375 degrees.  Place the sweet potatoes in a medium sized bowl and mash.  Stir in soy milk and ginger and a tiny pinch of salt.  Spoon over lentil mixture.

Bake uncovered at 375 for roughly 45 minutes or until bubbly and topping is golden brown.  You may need to bump up the temp to broil for the last minute or so to brown the sweet potatoes better.  Remove from the oven and let the casserole set for 5-10 minutes before serving.