No Potato Shepherd's Pie
  • 1 cup medium grain (Calrose) rice (200g)
  • 1 3/4 cup water

  • 1 cup extra lean ground beef (250g)
  • 1/4 onion (40g)
  • 1/2 stick celery (20g)
  • 1 tsp oil (7g)

  • 1 cup drained canned corn (150g)
  • 3/4 cup cream corn (175g)

  • 1 tsp butter (8g)
  • 1 tbs cream cheese (30g)
  • 1 tbs flour (10g)
  • 1/2 cup water (10g)
  • pepper and paprika
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
In the mood for shepherd's pie, but worry about the potatoes? Try this "no potato" shepherd's pie.

Make sure to use medium grain rice (aka sushi, Calrose, or Kokuho rice) for its nice chewy and sticky texture. This recipe will not work with other types of rice. Served plain, this rice is excellent a a side dish to an Oriental main course.

This quantity is for a small, 1 L, 6"x6" Pyrex baking dish. If using a larger container such as an 8"x8" brownie pan, you can double the recipe.

If allowed, salt to taste at any step.
 Nutritional information 
1/5 of pie (250g)
 Phosphorus (mg) 188 
 Potassium (mg) 386 
 Sodium (mg) 4 
 Protein (g) 16 
 Sugar (g) 2.3 
 Carbohydrates (g) 3.1 
 Water (mL) 47 
 Fibre (g) 2.5 
 Calories 312 
STEP 1: Bring the 1 3/4 cup water to a boil, drop the rice, and allow to simmer at low heat, covered, for 20 minutes.
STEP 2: After 18 minutes of simmering, check to make sure nearly all the water has been absorbed by pushing the rice a bit with a fork. If the bottom is dry, add 2 tbs water. Let simmer, covered, for the remaining 2 minutes. Just to be clear, the total cooking time for the rice is 20 minutes.
STEP 3: To enhance the rice's sticky properties, fluff up with a fork 2 or 3 times while you let it cool uncovered. Your rice should reach room temperature. Meanwhile, you can prepare the meat.
STEP 4: Chop the celery across the fibers, and chop further in a food processor along with the onion and mushrooms.
STEP 5: Fry the meat in the oil along with the vegetables.
STEP 6: The vegetables will lose their water as they cook as shown.
STEP 7: Continue cooking until all the juices have evaporated.
STEP 8: Press the meat down in the 6"x6" Pyrex pan.
STEP 9: Add the corn and cream corn, and flatten.
STEP 10: Add the cooled, cooked rice and press down.
STEP 11: These next steps are faster than they look! Melt the butter and the cream cheese in a small cookpot.
STEP 10: With a spoon, incorporate the butter to the cream cheese until uniform, as shown. Blend in 1 tbs flour in 1/2 cup water, drop with the butter and cream cheese mixture, and mix while bringing to a boil - it will make a creamy mixture. Add pepper to taste.
STEP 13: Top the shepherd's pie with the creamy mixture, pushing it into the rice a bit.
STEP 14: Sprinkle some paprika and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.
STEP 15: Serve with fresh garden salad.