Meatless Monday: Jamie Oliver's Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie with Cheddar and Lentils

I'm trying to introduce at least 1 meat-free dinner per week.  It's better for the body, better for the budget, and better for the environment to do so.  This recipe passed the true test, which is Cameron the Carnivore's taste buds. Hey Mikey! He likes it!

Ingredients:

2 red onions

2 carrots

2 sticks of celery

2 cloves of garlic (or more if you love garlic)

small bunch of fresh rosemary

2 X 400 g cans of lentils (I find the cans in Canada tend to be larger, but that's ok. I'll tell you what to do with the rest)

olive oil

1 X 400 g can sliced plum tomatoes (again, you'll find Canadian cans are larger, but no need to fret)

200 ml vegetable stock

2 lbs red potatoes (or any kind of 'new-ish' potatoes that you won't have to peel)

salt and pepper

150 g cheddar cheese, grated

100 ml milk

blob of butter

Method:

1. Peel and chop the onions and carrots. Or if you're lazy like me, skip peeling the carrots, just scrub them good, and fire them through the cuisinart on "slice". 
2. Trim and chop the celery
3. Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves
4. Pick off the rosemary leaves and discard the stalks.  Finely chop 1/2 the leaves, put the rest aside.
5. Drain the lentils
6. Heat a large pot on medium heat, add a good glug of olive oil, and the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. 
7. Cover and cook gently approx. 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened
8. Add the chopped rosemary leaves, canned tomatoes, and stock, and stir well
9. Bring to a boil, then add the drained lentils.  Reduce to low heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes until it thickens a bit.
10. Cut the potatoes into halves and quarters, depending on the size of them.  Put into a pot of salted, boiling water. Boil until tender - approx. 15 minutes. Check tenderness by sticking them with a knife to make sure they're soft through.
11. Drain the potatoes, mash them, then add the milk, butter, almost all the cheese (save some for garnish), and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix until smooth and creamy. 
12. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees
13. Transfer the lentil mixture into a large ovenproof baking dish. I use a large "lasagna pan".  You will not need all the lentil mixture, if using Canadian-sized cans of tomatoes and lentils.  Put enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and then some, keeping in mind you're going to need room to top it all with the potatoes mixture.  Set aside the remaining lentil mix. 
14. Spoon the mashed potatoes mixture over the top, decorate it with the remaining whole rosemary leaves, and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil.
15. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.
16. Cook in hot oven 30 minutes, until golden and bubbling.  
17. ENJOY!

For the leftover lentil mixture, I fire it into a freezer bag, to thaw and use another time over rice.