Polenta Cottage Pie

Ingredients:
olive oil spray
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium Carrot, peeled, diced into 1cm cubes
150 g cup Mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 small Eggplant diced into 1cm cubes
1 Beef mince mixture
2 tbsp Plain flour
1/3 cup chicken stock
410 g can Crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup Polenta
1 1/3 cups Self-raising flour
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 Egg
1 1/4 cups Buttermilk
steamed Green beans, to serve (optional)

How to make it:

1. Preheat oven to 200˚C (180˚C fan-forced). Grease an 8-cup (2-litre capacity) baking or pie dish with olive oil spray.
2. Heat half the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook carrot, mushrooms and eggplant for 6 minutes, or until softened. Set vegetables aside. Heat the remaining oil over high heat, add lamb mixture and cook, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until browned. Return vegetables to the pan, add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add stock and bring to the boil.
3. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sauce slightly thickens. Spoon lamb mixture into prepared baking or pie dish.
4. Combine polenta, flour and cheese in a bowl. Whisk together egg and buttermilk, then add to flour mixture. Stir until well combined. Dollop spoonfuls of polenta over lamb mixture. Place dish on an oven tray and bake for 25–30 minutes or until polenta is golden. Serve with steamed green beans.
5. Middle Eastern lamb mince - In a large bowl combine 1kg lamb mince, 2 garlic cloves, crushed, 1 red onion, finely chopped, ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp  ground cinnamon and ½ tsp ground ginger. Season with sea salt and pepper. Divide mixture in half and place in two plastic containers. Store one in the fridge and the other in the freezer.