1 pound ground meat or tofu -- beef is most traditional, but I think a ground beef and lamb blend is best. But you could also use turkey, chicken, tofu or any other meat substitute you like, including chick peas.
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
3 ribs of celery, diced
3/4 cup frozen or fresh peas
Beef, veggie or chicken stock or broth
1 tsp. smoked paprika (if you don't like the smoky flavor, just use sweet paprika)
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. flour
In a large skillet, brown your meat or tofu, using some of the olive oil so that it doesn't stick to the pan. When it's done, put it into a bowl and add the Worcestershire sauce so that it soaks in as the protein sits.
Add more olive oil to your pan and saute all your veggies, except for the peas. Start with the carrots for about 3-4 minutes so they soften up. Then add all the other veggies and add a couple pinches of salt. Stir well and cover, keeping the veggies on low heat. The salt will draw out moisture and the veggies will get really tender. Stir occasionally, cooking for about 10 minutes.
Then add back in the meat, and also add the peas, paprika and thyme. Taste the mixture and add some pepper to taste.
Once you're happy with the flavor, add the flour and stir thoroughly through the mixture and cook it for about 2 minutes. Then add enough stock or broth to just about cover the mixture, but not quite.
Bring this to a simmer and let it cook uncovered for about 10 minutes so the broth can thicken a bit. Taste it one more time, adding salt or pepper if needed.
Then ladle it into some sort of oven safe dish or individual ramekins. Cover it with a generous helping of mashed potatoes, and run a fork through the top of the mashed potatoes so there are lots of ridges. (Optional -- sprinkle with some of your favorite cheese).
Place it in a 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until the mashed potatoes brown a bit on the top.
When you take this out, it will be hotter than the surface of the sun, so best to let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Even then warn your
