Soak the cashews in the boiling water inside the blender. While they soak chop and measure your vegetables, herbs and spices. Cook the potatoes in a large pot starting from cool water, over medium heat until tender – then mash them with the ingredients above and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add some of the olive oil. Add the onion to the hot pan and cook until they are translucent and soft. Remove the onion and move onto the next vegetable. You’ll be par cooking the remainder of the veggies in batches to ensure they get some color and a little tender but generally maintain their color and texture as they will continue to cook in the casserole. The order isn’t important, but just ensure the vegetables (fennel, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms) have some space to spread and cook evenly. Add salt, pepper and olive oil to the vegetables as needed while they cook. 

Once the vegetables are done to your liking, remove them to a very large bowl. Remove any vegetable debris from the bottom of the skillet and raise the heat to medium high. Add some olive oil. Blot the meat with a paper towel. Press the ground beef into a thin and flat layer along the bottom of the skillet – in two batches if necessary. You really want to create a sear on the beef. Season the beef with all the herbs and spices, kosher salt and pepper. Using a spatula, flip the beef over in large chunks to sear on the second side too. 

Drain the cashews, then blend them with the fresh cup of water for 2-3 minutes in a high-powered blender until completely smooth and creamy. Pour the broth and the arrowroot into a jar, close the lid tightly and shake vigorously. Bring the cashew cream to a slow simmer in a saucepan, stirring often. Reduce it to low heat, add the broth and arrowroot slurry and stir constantly to avoid scorching. It should thicken within a few minutes. If after 5 minutes it’s hasn’t thickened to a gravy like consistency, you can add another well shaken ¼ cup of broth with another ¼ tsp arrowroot. 

Pour the cashew cream gravy over the meat and vegetables and gently fold everything together. Pour the mixture into the bottom of a casserole dish, top it with the mashed potatoes. Smooth the potatoes over the top with the back of a spatula or silicone spoon. You can use a fork to drag a design over top. Brush the top with 1-2 tsp of olive oil or melted ghee. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or so until hot and bubbling with a little browning on the top.  

Serve hot!