This Three Bean Cottage Pie stacks both your protein you fibre into one juicy meal. With 31g protein per serve and 23g fibre per serve (that’s almost all the RDI in one hit!)
Understandably some of us aren’t mega fans of beans because of concern of gastrointestinal upset (gassiness, bloating, cramping). If this is you my recommendation is introducing these friends in fibre SLOWLY to your diet. More prescriptively, if you haven’t been eating them but have been learning of their great benefits then introduce a tablespoon one day, and a tablespoon the next and then take a break for a couple of days and repeat this for a week. Tune into how your gut (specifically your microbes who will be loving your fibre intake) responds and then increase as you adapt. I like to ensure beans are soaked overnight, rinsed, drained and cooked well (with some kombu seaweed if you have it as this also helps to tenderise them) if you are using raw beans. If you are using tinned beans (which can sometimes be more tolerable for people) please ensure they are rinsed and drained well before using.
This recipe calls for 3 different types of beans which you could buy as a tinned 3-bean mix or use your preferred 3.
HIGH PROTEIN THREE BEAN COTTAGE PIE
Serves 3
Gluten free : Vegetarian
1 small head cauliflower
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 brown onion, finely diced
200g button mushrooms, diced small
2x 400g tin 3-Bean Mix or 3.5 cups mixed cooked beans of your choice, rinsed and drained
1x 400g tin cherry tomatoes
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp tomato paste
2 tbsp pesto
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 tbsp gluten free flour
1 cup cottage cheese
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
Spray extra virgin olive oil or a drizzle extra for the topping
Opt: Chopped chives to serve
Heat oven to 180C. Cut the cauliflower into florets and steam until soft, then transfer to a bowl and set aside. Add olive oil to a saucepan on medium heat followed by the garlic and onion and pop the lid on to sweat the vegetables for 4-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan, sweat for another 4 min (approximately) or until they are soft, then add the beans, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and pesto and cook stirring for 2 minutes. Add 2 tbsp stock to a cup with the flour and stir to create a slurry, then pour this into the pan and stir through well. Add the remaining stock to the pan and stir. Season with a touch of sea salt and black pepper and turn off the heat. Mash the cauliflower with cottage cheese and season to taste. Pour the bean mix into a pie dish (2-3 person serve), top with mashed cauliflower and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Give it a spray of olive oil if you have it otherwise a drizzle over the top is great as well. Bake in oven for 45 minutes. Sprinkle fresh herbs over the top for some greenery. Let it cool slightly before spooning into it and serving.
