Mushroom and Lentil Ragout with Mashed Potatoes

Gently heat the vegan butter or oil in a large pan. Add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the carrots (no need to peel if organic). Slice the carrots lengthwise and thinly slice into half disks (the thinner they are sliced, the quicker they will cook). Add the carrots and garlic to the pan and stir through.
Slice the mushrooms and add them to the pan. Cook for 4 minutes or so, until the mushrooms start to brown and release their liquid. Stir now and then.
Add the lentils, tomato puree, soy sauce and thyme to the pan and stir through.
Add the water and vegetable bouillon powder. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the carrot is tender.
In a small bowl mix together 2 tsp cornflour and 2 TBSP water. Add it to the pan and bring to the boil for a couple of minutes, stirring now and then until the sauce has thickened slightly. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

While the ragout is simmering, prepare the potatoes (peeling is optional… I prefer to leave the peel on as I love a bit of texture to my mash, plus there are lots of nutrients in the skin!)
Slice the potatoes into chunks and add to a large pan of boiling salted water for 12-15 minutes, until tender.
If adding kale, remove the thick stalks and finely chop the leaves. Add it to the potatoes for the final 3 minutes of the cooking time.
Drain the potatoes and kale into a colander and give it a shake to remove the water. Return them to the pan. Add the vegan butter, milk, salt and pepper and mash using a potato masher. Taste test, and adjust the seasoning to suit.
Arrange the potato in warm bowls and ladle the ragout on top. Add a sprinkling of chopped parsley for garnish, and serve. Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to three days.