Moussaka Meat Or Vegetarian Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil 3 baking sheets.
• Veg: Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices lengthwise. Places them into a colander and sprinkle with salt -- rub the salt around so that it reaches all sides on all pieces. Set the colander aside to sweat for about 15 minutes (takes away any bitterness).
• In the meantime slice the zucchini into similar 1/4 inch slices lengthwise. Peel the potatoes then slice the same way.
• Rinse the eggplant and pat dry.
• Place each vegetable onto it's own baking sheet. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of oil over all the veg, rubbing around so that all sides get covered. The eggplant will need a little more oil, and it does stick more easily. Sprinkle the zucchini and potato with salt. Spread out the veg, overlapping is OK and probably necessary to fit everything on. Roast all the veg until lightly browned around the edges - roughly 15 minutes for the eggplant and zucchini and 20 minutes for the potatoes.
• Tomato Sauce: Combine the remaning 1/4 cup oil and garlic in a large pan. Heat over medium heat and let the garlic sizzle for about a minute and then add in the shallots. Cook until transulcent, about 5 minutes. Add in the tin of crushed tomatoes (entire tin, no straining). Add the oregano, cinnamon and bay leaf. Leave that covered, to simmer for about 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightl and reduce. Turn off the heat and adjust salt to taste. Remove bay leaf.
• Topping: Using a food processor, blend the pine nuts and lemon juice into a paste. Add the tofu, garlic, arrowroot, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Blend until creamy and smooth.
• Putting it together: Lightly oil a casserole dish (ie 9 x 13). Reheat the oven to 400. Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the dish, followed by a layer of eggplant, a layer of potatoes another 1/2 cup of sauce and half of the breadcrumbs.
• Assess how much eggplant and potato you have left. If you can do 2 more layers, then do another sequence of sauce/eggplant/potato/sauce. If you can only do 1 more layer then move on to the next zucchini step.
• Spread all of the zucchini over this, then top with another layer of eggplant/potato/sauce, and the rest of the breadcrumbs.
• Spread the pine nut topping on last, using a spatula to spread it out as best you can without disturbing the layers underneath.
• Bake for 40 minutes until the top is lightly browned and a few cracks have formed in the topping. Allow to set 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Steps:

• Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Rinse and pat eggplant dry. Cook eggplant and zucchini in hot oil until lightly browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side; remove with a slotted spoon to drain on a paper towel-lined plate, reserving as much oil as possible in the skillet
• Adding more oil to skillet as needed and let it get hot. Cook potato slices in hot oil until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side; remove with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate, again reserving oil in the skillet.
• Saute onion and garlic in reserved oil until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour in vinegar, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium-low; cook until liquid is reduced in volume and thick. Stir in tomatoes, lentils, 1/2 the juice from lentils, oregano and parsley. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes.
• Layer about 1/3 of the eggplant, 1/3 of the zucchini, 1/2 the potatoes, 1/2 the onions, and 1/2 the feta into a 13x9-inch baking dish. Pour tomato mixture over vegetables; repeat layering, finishing with a layer of eggplant and zucchini.
• Cover and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
• Stir butter, flour, and milk together in a small saucepan; bring to a slow boil, whisking constantly until thick and smooth. Season with pepper and nutmeg; stir. Remove from heat, cool for 5 minutes, and stir in beaten egg.
• Pour sauce over vegetables and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for another 25 to 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Char the eggplants over a gas burner, turning with tongs, 4 to 6 minutes. Let cool, then slice 1/2 inch thick.
• Arrange the eggplant slices on two baking sheets. Brush with olive oil on both sides and season with salt. Roast until golden and cooked through, 20 to 22 minutes. Set aside.
• Combine 6 cups water and the lentils in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and let cool.
• Fill a large wide pot with 1 inch of vegetable oil. Heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350˚ F or a piece of bread dropped in turns golden quickly. Working in batches, fry the potato slices a few at a time until golden but not too brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the potatoes to a rack to drain and season with salt.
• Make the lentil-tomato sauce: Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large wide pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened and starting to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the cooled lentils and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, tomato paste, 1/2 cup water, the oregano, 2 teaspoons salt and 3 grinds of pepper and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Make the béchamel: Combine the cinnamon stick, milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the nutmeg and set aside.
• In another saucepan, melt the remaining 1 stick butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, 3 to 5 minutes (do not let it brown). Slowly whisk in the heavy cream mixture, bring to a simmer and cook until thick and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes; remove from the heat. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then temper them by whisking in 1 cup of the béchamel; whisk the tempered egg mixture into the remaining béchamel. Season with salt and pepper and add the feta.
• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Oil an extra-large baking dish or roasting pan. Layer half of the eggplant in the bottom of the pan, then pour half of the lentil-tomato sauce on top, spreading it in an even layer. Top with a layer of half of the potatoes and then spread with half of the béchamel. Repeat the layers (eggplant, lentil-tomato sauce, potatoes, béchamel).
• Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. (If the top browns too quickly, cover with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.) Let cool, then cut into pieces.

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat.
• Sauté onion 4-5 minutes until lightly browned. Stir in mushrooms and zucchini and sauté 2 minutes.
• Stir in next 6 ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• Turn on broiler.
• Arrange eggplant slices on an oiled broiler rack. Broil 3-4 minutes per side until browned. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce by scalding milk in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat until tiny bubbles appear.
• Remove from heat.
• Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until just bubbling. Do not brown. Slowly whisk in the flour, stirring constantly until smooth. Do not brown.
• Slowly whisk in hot milk, followed by half of the mozzarella cheese, stirring constantly 2-3 minutes until mixture is thickened.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in seasonings and set aside to cool slightly.
• Preheat oven to 400°F in a fan oven or slightly higher in a normal oven.
• Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and sprinkle the bottom with 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs.
• Place a layer of eggplant in the pan. Spread a layer of tomato mixture over top. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and some mozzarella cheese.
• Repeat layering as long as ingredients last.
• Pour the sauce over the top and bake 30-40 minutes, or until top is golden.
• Transfer moussaka to a wire rack and let stand 15-20 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• Boil spinach for one minute, drain and reserve the liquid.
• Put 450 ml of the water into a pan and add the lentils.
• Cover and cook over a medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tbs of oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion and garlic for about 10 minutes until soft and golden.
• Stir the mushrooms into the onions, increase the heat and season generously.
• Cook until juicy and darkened in colour.
• Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook briskly for 5 minutes until thickened but still quite liquid.
• Add the lentils and any cooking liquid, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon cumin.
• Simmer gently for a few minutes.
• Squeeze all the liquid out of the spinach and stir it into the pan.
• Add a little water if the stew seems too dry.
• Boil the potatoes in salted water, drain, cool slightly and slice lengthways.
• Pre-heat the oven to 400 F or 200 degrees C.
• Trim the eggplant and slice lengthways about 1/2 cm thick.
• Smear a baking sheet with remaining oil, lay out the slices.
• Bake for 15 minutes, turn and cook the other side for a further 5 minutes until soft.
• Reduce the temperature to 360 F or 180 degrees C.
• Take a 2-litre capacity dish at least 5 cm deep and make a layer with half the potatoes, then half the eggplant, followed by the mushroom mixture, the rest of the eggplant and the rest of the potatoes.
• To make the topping, melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and gradually add the milk and bring it to the boil.
• Simmer for a few minutes, add the parmesan and the ricotta mixed with the egg.
• Remove from the heat, taste and adjust the seasoning.
• Pour the sauce over the moussaka and dust with nutmeg.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is set and golden.

Steps:

• Preheat oven 180°C.
• Place the sliced eggplant in layers in a large sieve, sprinkling each layer with salt. Cover and leave for at least 30 minutes to allow the bitter juices to be extracted.
• Place the lentils, stock and bay leaves in a saucepan and bring to boil, then simmer for approx 20 minutes, until lentils are tender. If you are using canned ready prepared lentils skip this step and add the bay leaves to the main mix while cooking instead.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes.
• Stir the drained lentils, tomatoes, check peas, mushrooms, tomato puree, herbs and water into the onions. Bring to boil and simmer covered for 10 minutes. Season to taste and remove the bay leaves.
• Rinse the eggplant slices and pat dry with kitchen paper. Place a few of the slices on a plate and microwave for 1 minute. Repeat this until all the slices have been microwave (traditional way is to fry the slices, which can be done if preferred).
• Arrange a layer of eggplants on the bottom of a deep casserole dish, spoon over a layer of lentil mixture. Continue the layers until all the mixture and eggplant slices are used, finishing with a lentil mixture layer.
• Beat together the yogurt and egg, and season. Pour over the mixture in the casserole.
• Sprinkle grated cheese on top and bake for 45 minutes.

Steps:

• Prep the Vegetables:
• Using a sharp peeler, partially peel the eggplants, leaving strips of peel about 1 inch wide around the eggplant. Slice the eggplant in to 1/2 inch slices. Place the eggplant slices in a colander and salt them liberally. Cover them with an inverted plate that is weighted down by a heavy can or jar. Place the colander in the sink so that excess moisture can be drawn out. They will need to sit for at least 15-20 minutes, preferably an hour. The salt also helps to remove some of the bitterness of the eggplant.
• Peel the potatoes and boil them whole until they are just done. They should not get too soft, just cooked enough so that they no longer crunch. Drain, cool and slice them in 1/4 inch slices. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and lightly grease. Add a splash of water to the egg whites and beat them lightly with a fork. Add breadcrumbs to a flat plate.
• Rinse the eggplant slices and dry with paper towels. Dip the eggplant slices in the beaten egg whites and then dredge them in the breadcrumbs, coating both sides. Place breaded eggplant slices on baking sheets and bake at 400 degrees for 1/2 an hour, turning them over once during cooking.
• When eggplant is finished cooking, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• Make the Meat Filling:
• In a large sauté pan, brown the ground beef (or lamb) until the pink color disappears. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add wine to pan and allow it to simmer and reduce a bit before adding cinnamon, allspice, parsley, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and sugar. Allow the sauce to simmer uncovered for approximately 15 minutes so that excess liquid can evaporate. It should be a drier, chunkier, tomato sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Make the Béchamel Sauce:
• Melt butter over low heat. Using a whisk, add flour to melted butter whisking continuously to make a smooth paste. Allow the flour to cook for a minute but do not allow it to brown.
• Add warmed milk to mixture in a steady stream, whisking continuously.
• Simmer over low heat until it thickens a bit but does not boil.
• Remove from heat, and stir in beaten egg yolks and pinch of nutmeg. Return to heat and stir until sauce thickens.
• Assemble the Moussaka:
• Lightly grease a large deep baking pan (lasagna pan). Sprinkle the bottom of pan with breadcrumbs. Leaving a 1/4 inch space around the edges of the pan, place a layer of potatoes on the bottom. Top with a layer of eggplant slices.
• Add meat sauce on top of eggplant layer and sprinkle with 1/4 of the grated cheese. Top with another layer of eggplant slices and sprinkle once again with 1/4 of the grated cheese.
• Pour the béchamel sauce over the eggplant and be sure to allow sauce to fill the sides and corners of the pan. Smooth the béchamel on top with a spatula and sprinkle with remaining grated cheese. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes or until béchamel sauce is a nice golden brown color. Allow to cool for 15 - 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
• You can make this dish ahead up until the béchamel sauce and refrigerate. Make the béchamel sauce right before you intend to bake it.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375. Place eggplant on a baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until soft and golden, about 30 minutes, turning once.
• Boil potatoes 5 minutes until crisp tender.
• Combine Alfredo sauce, ricotta, eggs, and nutmeg in a medium bowl and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese; set aside.
• Heat 2-3 T. olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion until it begins to soften (about 3 minutes). Add mushrooms and saute until soft (about 7 minutes). Add tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Lightly butter a 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle 1/3 of the bread crumb mixture on bottom; add the potatoes as the next layer. Cover with half the eggpalnt and half the mushroom/onion mixture. Repeat layers with 1/3 of the bread crumbs, remaining eggplant, and remaining mushroom mixture.
• Pour egg mixture over all and top with the remaining bread crumb mixture. Bake for 45 minutes (1 hour if made ahead) or until top is golden. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.