Method
Step 1
Preparation: Preheat oven to 250°C – top grill on. Prepare all ingredients as indicated above. Boil the kettle (for the sweet potato).
Step 2
Sweet Potato: Place a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water on high heat. Add the sweet potato and cook for 15 minutes until soft. Drain. Mash the sweet potatoes with a knob of butter. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
Step 3
Pumpkin seeds: Place a small pan on high heat and dry toast the pumpkin seeds until lightly browned - about a minute. Shake the pan often so that they don’t burn.
Step 4
Mince: Place a few glugs of olive oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Cook the onion, with a little salt, for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, celery and mince, breaking up the mince with a wooden spoon. Stir together and cook for 5 minutes until the mince is browned. Add the tomato paste, chilli powder and bay leaf. Cook for a minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 5
Casserole: Place the mince mixture in an ovenproof casserole dish, top with the mash and scatter with the grated cheese. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden on top.
Step 6
Courgette salad: Cut the ends off the courgettes and shave lengthwise into thin ribbons (2 to 3mm thick) using a potato peeler. Place courgettes ribbons and toasted pumpkin seeds in a salad bowl. Mix these ingredients together in a cup to make the dressing: olive oil (see quantity above), white wine vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Drizzle over the courgette ribbons and toss to coat. Scatter with pumpkin seeds. Set aside.
Step 7
Serve a portion of cottage pie on a plate with a side of courgette salad.