*gluten free
*nut free
*vegetarian (replace beef mince with Quorn mince)
*dairy free (replace cheese with dairy free cheese such as Violife)
*vegan (replace beef mince with Quorn mince & cheese with dairy free cheese such as Violife)
Brown the mince in half a tablespoon of olive oil and set aside
In the same pan, add the remaining olive oil and fry the onion, celery, courgette, carrots, bay leaves, rosemary and thyme for 5 minutes
Add the garlic and gently fry for a further minute
Return the mince to the pan and stir in the tomato purée and red wine or 200 ml of stock if not using wine. Cook on a medium heat for a few minutes until the liquid has reduced
Add the stock and simmer with the lid on for at least 30 minutes – 1 hour (adding more stock if needed). Stir through the fresh parsley and taste for seasoning
While this cooking, prepare the cauliflower mash topping
For the Cauliflower Mash topping
Preheat the oven to 200°c and roughly chop the cauliflower into equal sized pieces
In a saucepan steam the cauliflower and whole garlic cloves with just a few tablespoons of water, lid on, for 5 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. Use a knife to check
Remove the pan from the heat, drain any excess liquid and add the olive oil and mustard. Blend or mash until creamy and smooth. If it’s too sloppy or wet allow the mash to evaporate on a low heat. Season to taste. You can also flavour your mash with chopped spring onions or other herbs at this point if you wish
Take a large oven dish or individual dishes and fill to two thirds of the beef mixture, then top with the cauliflower mash. Use a fork to criss cross over the top and drizzle with olive oil, or omit the oil and top with a sprinkle of cheese if adding cheese
Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until golden. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh chopped chives or some some fresh thyme leaves. Serve on its own or with lots of leafy green cabbage