Moussaka

[NulloModo]

Heya,

I was cooking this for a cooking challenge somewhere else, then I realized everyone around here would probably enjoy it too. Moussaka can be a great, filling, and flavorful LC meal.

Ingredients:
2lbs beef, lamb, veal, pork, or mixture thereof
1 lb whole milk mozerella
2 medium-large eggplants
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 small can tomato paste (or like half a cup of LC pasta sauce, what I used)
1 can cured black olives (no pits)
2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons oregano
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp ground clove
salt, and EVOO for eggplant slices.

Method:

Take your eggplants, score the sides (so that the peel will slice easier when serving), lightly coat with EVOO and salt, and toss into the oven at 400 degrees on a backing sheet. Leave them for around 20/30 minutes, or until golden brown, while they are in there, you can:

Chop up the onion, smash the garlic, and toss it in with everything else (except for the cheese) into a pot. Stir until the meet and onion are browned, the spices well blended, and most of the excess liquid gone.

In a casserole dish layer eggplant, meat, a layer of mozerella, more eggplant, more meat, more cheese, etc, until you get to the top. Add some parmesan or Feta to the top if you like.

Results:

[/img]

[Pau]

Originally Posted by NulloModo

In a casserole dish layer eggplant, meat, a layer of mozerella, more eggplant, more meat, more cheese, etc, until you get to the top. Add some parmesan or Feta to the top if you like.

I love it :nod Next time I´ll add some cinnamon as you suggest!

YUMMY!!!!!!! :icondance :icondance

[not2late]

atkins.com had a really good looking recipe for moussaka....I'll have to see if its still there.

[Pau]

Do you know the real Moussaka has cream in it??? :nod An Atkins friend!!!! :icondance

[NulloModo]

The real one has a bechamel sauce, which while it does have cream, also has flour, which isn't as Atkins friendly I just decided to go with a nice melting cheese as opposed to the bechamel.

[Pau]

Originally Posted by NulloModo

The real one has a bechamel sauce, which while it does have cream, also has flour, which isn't as Atkins friendly I just decided to go with a nice melting cheese as opposed to the bechamel.

:nono :nono :nono Lasagna has bechamel.
Moussaka has cream. No bechamel.

For sure!

I love moussaka where is my plate? I make it at least once a month!!! but usually a vegatarian version... eggplant is my favorite veggie on the planet...it is a happy veggie!

[LindaJay]

OK Nullo -- I see you are in Delaware. I'll be up later for that moussaka. I have some eggplant lasagne in the oven right now -- and it looks almost just like that since I put Italian sausage in it!

But, I don't "get" how you cook the eggplant. In the picture, it looks like your eggplant slices have been fried, but the recipe sounds like you cook it whole, score so the peeling comes off (and it doesn't explode!), then slice, but I don't "get" how the cooked slices come out looking like the picture. If I sliced a cooked eggplant, it would be mush.

Please explain -- or better yet, provide directions to your house, and I'll just come right on up there and try it out!

For my cream/bechamel/cheese layer -- I mix ricotta, egg and that Italian blend cheese.

[NulloModo]

Originally Posted by Pau

:nono :nono :nono Lasagna has bechamel.
Moussaka has cream. No bechamel.

For sure!

Hmm, most of the recipes I have been seeing call for bechamel, then again, Moussaka has lots of various ethnic varieties, so perhaps the cream is a regional thing?

[NulloModo]

Originally Posted by LindaJay

OK Nullo -- I see you are in Delaware. I'll be up later for that moussaka. I have some eggplant lasagne in the oven right now -- and it looks almost just like that since I put Italian sausage in it!

But, I don't "get" how you cook the eggplant. In the picture, it looks like your eggplant slices have been fried, but the recipe sounds like you cook it whole, score so the peeling comes off (and it doesn't explode!), then slice, but I don't "get" how the cooked slices come out looking like the picture. If I sliced a cooked eggplant, it would be mush.

Please explain -- or better yet, provide directions to your house, and I'll just come right on up there and try it out!

For my cream/bechamel/cheese layer -- I mix ricotta, egg and that Italian blend cheese.

I slice it before I cook it. I score it, slice it, lay the sliced pieces out on a baking sheet, coat in a light layer of oil, then bake while salted.