If you’re in the mood for something warm, hearty and comforting, but want something healthy and fresh tasting too, this is the recipe for you. Think of it as an inverted Shepard’s pie with lighter and more refreshing flavors. It’s also a very aesthetically pleasing dish and would make for an impressive side dish at a dinner party.

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1 bulb of garlic
3 russet potatoes
7 scallions
¾ cup almond milk
1 bundle of asparagus
½ cup of frozen green peas
½ red onion
½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Slice the top off of the bulb of garlic, drizzle with olive oil and wrap in tin foil. Place in the oven and let roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.
Peel and Cut the potatoes into 1 ½ inch chunks. Place in a medium saucepan and cover potatoes with cold water. Place on stove and bring the pot to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook potatoes for about twenty minutes, until they are for tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, thinly slice the scallions. Sautee them in a small pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sautee them until they are fragrant and dark green, with slight browning.
While the garlic, potatoes and scallions are cooking, prepare the asparagus and onions. Chop the asparagus into one-inch pieces and dice the onions into ¼ to ½ inch squares. Toss together in olive oil, a dash of salt and a dash of pepper.
Once the potatoes, garlic and scallions are cooked, drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add to them: the roasted garlic (it will be soft and can just be squeezed out of the skin once cooled slightly), the scallions and ¾ cup almond milk. Mash together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Reset the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch spring pan (alternatively if you do not have one, you can use a regular round cake pan or a 9x9 baking dish—whatever you use, if not using a spring pan, line pan with parchment paper hanging over the sides so that the cake can be lifted out of the pan). Fill the pan with the mashed potatoes. Top the mashed potatoes with the peas, asparagus, and red onion. Gently press the vegetables into the potatoes. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, until the vegetables are slightly browned.
While the cake is cooking, prepare the lemon Dijon dressing by combining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard and a dash of salt and pepper. Whisk together vigorously.
When the cake is finished cooking, top with chopped pecans* and drizzle with the lemon Dijon dressing. Slice and Enjoy!