Lentil Bolognese Pie with Cornbread Crust

Ingredients

• For the lentil bolognese
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 carrot finely chopped
• 3 sticks celery finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 8 mushrooms finely chopped
• 1 handful fresh chopped parsley
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 tbsp caramelised balsamic
• 2 cans chopped tomatoes (or 5 large fresh, chopped)
• 2 cups vegetable stock/bone broth
• 1/2 cup dried french puy lentils
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 2 bay leaves
• Chilli flakes to taste

• For the cornbread
• 2 eggs/chia eggs (1tbsp chis seeds with 3 tbsp warm water set for 15 mins)
• 1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup maize flour or fine corn meal
• 1/2 cup gluten free flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2/3 cup almond milk
• 1 tbsp chopped rosemary (optional)

Directions

Heat olive oil in a wide, deep saucepan or frypan. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook over a low-medium heat until softened, then add garlic, mushrooms, parsley, chilli, oregano, bay leaves, and smoked paprika. Season with a small sprinkle of salt to help the mushrooms release their juices. Continue to cook, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, approx 20 minutes. Add the red wine and stir for a couple of minutes before adding tomatoes, balsamic, stock/broth, lentils and liquid smoke. Bring to a simmer, and leave to cook gently for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add approx 2 cups of water as needed until lentils are cooked and sauce is thick and rich. Season to taste and remove bay leaves. Preheat oven to 200C. In a small bowl mix milk and lemon juice. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and rosemary before whisking in the milk mixture, eggs, oil and syrup. Stir until just combined, don’t worry about any small lumps. Add lentil sauce to baking dish then gently spoon the cornbread batter on top before baking for 25-30 mins until golden. Run knife around edges before serving.