Kind shepherds pie with a Middle Eastern twist

Ingredients

• 280 g MeEat MUU Mince
• 1 pcs Onion
• 2 pcs Red bell pepper
• 3 clove Garlic cloves
• 1/2 tbsp Cumin seeds
• 500 g Tomato, cubed, canned
• 2 pcs Bay leaf
• 1 g Chili pepper flakes
• 1 tsp Sweet red paprika powder
• 1 tsp Mint, dried
• 1 tsp Thyme, dried
• 1 tsp Oregano, dried
• 1 tsp Sesame seeds
• 230 g Chickpeas, canned
• 120 ml Cashews
• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp Cumin, ground
• 100 ml Baby water
• 2 pinch Sea salt
• 1 tsp Parsley, fresh

Method

1. Soak the cashews in a cold water for a few hours or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Halve the bell peppers and remove the seeds. Arrange the halves cut side facing down on an oven sheet and roast them on the top rack of the oven for about 30 minutes, until the skin bubbles and becomes slightly charred. Lift the bell peppers to a container with a lid, cover, and leave to cool.
3. Prepare the hummus: drain and rinse the cashews and the chickpeas. Mix all the ingredients into a smooth paste in a food processor or by hand blender. Use water only as much as is required for the hummus to be proper consistency. Add salt to taste.
4. If you don’t use ready-made za’ataar-spice mix, make it yourself: Heat a large pan and add in all the listed ingredients. Stir them for a while on a medium-hot skillet, until the sesame seeds turn slightly golden. Set aside.
5. Add a drizzle of olive oil to a sauté pan and brown the vegetable mince for 10 minutes. Set aside when ready.
6. Peel and mince the onion and garlic. Heat another drizzle of olive oil in the sauté pan and caramelise the onion, garlic, and the cumin seeds for a while over medium-low heat. Add canned diced tomatoes, bay leaves, chili flakes, paprika, and za’ataar. Cover and let simmer for approximately 10 minutes.
7. Peel and chop the cooled bell peppers. Add it to the sauté pan and cover it again with a lid, and let simmer over low heat for additional 10 minutes.
8. Chop the fresh parsley and mix it to the stew. Add the vegetable mince and a sprinkle of salt if you wish.
9. Pour the stew into an oven safe casserole dish. Spoon over the hummus and texturize the surface with a spoon or a fork. Drizzle some extra olive oil on top along with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and bake in a 200 °C oven, mid rack, for about 45 minutes. Cover the casserole with an aluminium foil if the top gets too brown during the bake.