Sweet and Spicy Shepherd’s Pie

gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, sugar-free

Hate is a very strong word and I reserve its use for very few things in this world.  Being sick is one of those things.

I hate being sick so much that my body is doing everything it possibly can to deny there’s anything wrong with it.  I don’t have a sore throat, a cough, a runny nose, a fever.  There’s no specific part of me that I could say “hurts.”  I’m just sleepier than a jet-lagged rock star on tour and my limbs feel so heavy I am beginning to think they’re turning to marble.  Soon I’ll be completely made of stone.  Like a gargoyle.  I already look like one in my sickly, gloomy condition, anyway.

This isn’t even the worst of it.  I am going to London on thursday.  Yes, London.  Apparently, Destiny had it that Scott would receive an email from the Almighty Expedia, proclaiming the deal of all deals: airfare to London (of all places) so low, we thought it had to be a joke.  Joke or not, we jumped on it.  So we are going to London.  All week we’ve been turning to each other and casually asking, “what do you want to do Thursday?”  To which the other shrugs and says, “eh, I dunno, wanna go to London?” “Yeah, I guess, sure…”  And then we break our little charade, giggle like mad and jump around for a minute.

Obviously, these circumstances leave me with a serious mission: Get me well before getting me on that plane.  Step 1) Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie.  Scott’s creation.  One of my ultimate comfort foods.  He made it for me last night, and thereby set me on the path to healing.

I think I may be on the path of reformation as well… Is it possible for me to hate even fewer things than I thought I did?  Because if being sick means bowlfuls of this brand of medicine courtesy of the love of my life, maybe I don’t hate being sick so much after all…

Sweet and Spicy Shepherd’s Pie

about 1 lb ground lamb

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

1/2 cup frozen peas

2 large sweet potatoes or yams

1/2 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk

1 tsp soy-free Earth Balance

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp curry

1/4 tsp cayenne

grapeseed oil spray

1) Peel sweet potatoes, chop into 2″-3″ cubes, and boil.

2) While sweet potatoes are boiling, sauté the onion over medium heat in a non-stick pan with grapeseed oil spray until transparent.

3) Add lamb, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp curry, 1/8 tsp cayenne to onions and brown while breaking apart with spatula.

4) When lamb is almost done, add peas.  Stir until lamb is completely browned.  Pour off the fat at this time, if you wish.

5) Place meat mixture into a pyrex loaf dish (or pan).

6) When sweet potatoes are fork tender, drain water, and return to original pot.  Add coconut milk, earth balance, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp curry, 1/8 tsp cayenne.  Whisk till fluffy.

7) Spoon potatoes on top of meat mixture, and bake at 350˚ until sweet potatoes begin to brown, about 35-45 minutes.