Moussaka Recipe 425 Food

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• In large, heavy saucepan, heat 1/4 cup oil; saute finely ground meat, onion and garlic until lightly browned; add oregano, basil, cinnamon, salt, ripe olives (if using) and tomato sauce; Cover and simmer slowly about 30 minutes; uncover and simmer slowly another 30 minutes.
• While sauce simmers, prepare Bechamel Sauce (recipe below) and eggplant; cut ends from eggplant (1 large or 2 small) and cut in 1/2-inch-thick slices (if using large, flask-type eggplant, peel the skin off in strips with a vegetable peeler - creating a striped look - with some of the peel left on and some off. If using Japanese-style (the longish, purply-white ones), don't bother to peel at all); Place on a cookie sheet and brush with remaining olive oil; Place under broiler and broil until light brown; Remove from oven, salt lightly, turn eggplant and repeat process; Then position rack in center of oven and heat to 350 degrees.
• There are three ways you can prepare the potatoes for this delicious casserole: 1) shallow-fry potato rounds in olive oil until golden-brown or, 2) for fewer calories, arrange the potato slices in your baking pan, brush lightly with olive oil, bake for 15 minutes, continue with assembly, or 3) if you want to cut calories further, parboil them for 8 minutes; drain well on paper towels.
• To assemble: In 13x9x2-inch baking dish, arrange layer of potatoes, overlapping slightly, season lightly (there will be only one layer of potatoes, so use them all up); next, do a layer of eggplant; sprinkle some Parmesan, kaseri (or cheddar) and bread crumbs over eggplant; layer meat sauce, freshly grated cheeses, crumbs and Bechamel Sauce until all is used; bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees or until flecked golden-brown on top.
• To make Bechamel Sauce: In saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat; whisk in flour and cook slowly until smooth and lightly cooked (2-3 minutes); add salt and remove from heat; add milk, whisking rapidly and return to heat; cook until thick and bubbly, whisking constantly; allow to cool 5 minutes, whisking once in a while to prevent a skin from forming; incorporate eggs and grated cheese with wire whisk to make fluffy sauce.
• Freezer Notes: Once the baked moussaka has completely cooked, cut serving-size pieces, double-wrap in foil and freeze. Defrost in the usual manner and reheat in microwave (or oven) for a delicious, quick meal, when there's little time to cook and dinner is ready and waiting in the freezer!

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Heat a frying pan over a high heat. Drizzle 4 tbsp of the oil over the slices of aubergine and fry them in several batches for 5-7 mins or until golden brown and beginning to soften. If they look a little dry during cooking, add a dash more olive oil. Set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
• Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish or saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the mince and fry for 8-10 mins until a deep golden brown, regularly stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon. Tip into a bowl and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the casserole. Tip in the onion along with a pinch of salt and fry gently for 10-12 mins or until softened and turning translucent. Add the garlic, oregano, cinnamon, chilli and bay cooking for a further min. Return the lamb to the pan and pour in the red wine, bring to a bubble and reduce the wine by half. Stir through the tomatoes, tomato purée and brown sugar, along with 200ml water. Season. Lower the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 20 mins, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened.
• Heat oven to 200C/180 fan/gas 4. Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the potato slices and cook for 6 mins, drain in a colander and leave to steam dry for 10 mins.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan, stir in the flour and cook over a medium heat for 1 min. Remove from the heat and whisk in the milk, pouring in a bit at a time, until smooth. Return to the heat and bring to a simmer, cooking for 3 mins. Remove from the heat and whisk through the parmesan, a little grated nutmeg and some seasoning, and finally the whole egg as well as the yolk.
• Take a large rectangular ovenproof dish. Spoon a third of the meat into the dish and spread out evenly, followed by half the aubergine and half the potato, then the rest of the meat and another layer of aubergines, followed by potatoes. Finish with the béchamel, smoothing the top over with a palette knife. Put in the centre of the oven and cook for 50 mins or until deep golden brown. If it browns too much during cooking, cover the dish. Set aside for 10 mins to cool before serving.

AUTHENTIC GREEK MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and place in a colander set in the sink or over a plate. Let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour so the salt can draw out any bitterness.
• Meanwhile, make bechamel sauce. Heat milk in a saucepan almost to a boil. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until a smooth paste forms. Lower heat and gradually pour in hot milk, whisking constantly until bechamel sauce thickens. Season with salt. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Rinse eggplant slices under cold running water. Squeeze out liquid and pat dry with paper towels. Whisk egg yolks into the cooled bechamel.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and cook eggplant slices in batches until each side is lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on a large plate lined with paper towels.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
• Heat remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Cook grated onion until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high and add ground beef. Cook and stir until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Season with allspice, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
• Stir in tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook until all excess liquid has evaporated and mixture appears dry, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in parsley and remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly, then stir in the egg white.
• Arrange a layer of eggplant in the prepared baking dish. Cover eggplant with all of the beef mixture and sprinkle with 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Cover with remaining eggplant and sprinkle another 1/3 of Parmesan cheese on top. Pour bechamel sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top of the moussaka is set and golden, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven and let rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Bake the eggplant: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Brush the eggplant slices on both sides with the oil and lay on 2 small or 1 large foil-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake until the eggplant is soft, about 25 minutes. Set aside covered.
• Make the meat sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beef, oregano, allspice, cloves, and cinnamon. Break the meat up into small pieces and season with the 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until just cooked but still slightly pink inside, about 1 minute more. Add the tomato and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Cover, and cook until the sauce is thickened and fragrant, about 20 minutes.
• Make the custard sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and add the milk, salt, and nutmeg. Return to the heat and while whisking constantly, bring to a boil. Simmer 2 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and stir to cool. When the sauce is cool, whisk in the egg and yolks.
• Assemble the moussaka. Lower the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a 9 x 13 x 2-inch casserole dish with the oil. Scatter the breadcrumbs over the bottom of the pan. Lay half of the eggplant in the pan, overlapping the slices if needed. Cover with half of the meat sauce and smooth with a rubber spatula. Repeat with the remaining eggplant and meat sauce. Pour the custard sauce over the layered mixture and smooth with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with the Pecorino Romano and bake, uncovered, until lightly browned and the custard is set, about 1 hour.
• Remove the moussaka from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to serve.

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• First make the tomato sauce: peel and mince onions. Saute onions in 2 Tbsp oil and 2 Tbsp butter, over moderate heat, until they are soft and lightly colored (about 8 minutes). Add mush- rooms and saute. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, parsley, seasonings and sugar.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, and the mixture is quite thick. Remove skillet from heat and let it cool completely.
• Start seasoning the eggplants: peel eggplants and slice vertically, 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle lightly with salt and let sit for 30 minutes.
• Now make the Bechamel Sauce. NOTE: The Bechamel-egg-ricotta mixture will overflow all but the largest (professional size) food processors. Use a mixer or blend by hand.Place the milk in a saucepan, and heat it just until tiny bubbles appear along the edges. Remove and set aside.
• Melt the butter in 3-quart saucepan over very low heat until foamy, being careful not to brown. Slowly add the 6 Tbsp flour, stirring constantly until smooth (3-4 minutes), and still being careful not to let it brown.
• Add the milk slowly, whipping with a wire whisk. When the mixture is thick and smooth, remove it from the heat and stir in seasonings.
• Stir ricotta cheese until it is smooth and creamy. Gently fold it into the Bechamel sauce. Stir in beaten eggs until thoroughly incorporated.
• Back to the eggplant: Rinse well with cold water; squeeze gently and pat dry. Dredge the eggplant in 1 1/2 cups flour, and saute each in olive oil until it is brown on both sides.
• Remove and discard any excess oil that has risen to the top of the tomato mixture. Lightly grease a 16x10 baking pan that is at least 3 inches deep, and sprinkle the bottom with a few breadcrumbs.
• Place a layer of eggplant in the pan, following with a layer of tomato mixture. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and grated cheese. Repeat as many times as you have eggplant to last. Pour the Bechamel-ricotta sauce over the top and bake at 300 deg. F for one hour, or until a golden-brown crust has formed on top.
• Remove moussaka from oven and let it stand undisturbed 20-30 minutes; the delay allows the layers to fuse.

LOW-FAT MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425.
• Prepare eggplant: Peel eggplants and slice into 1/2" slices. Lay slices on several layers of paper towels; sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoons salt. Cover with additional paper towels and let stand for about 10 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Lightly coat each slice with cooking spray and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoons black pepper. Arrange slices in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Bake for 8 minutes at 425; take out and turn slices over, then bake for another 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
• Prepare meat mixture: Heat oil in large nonstick skillet. Add onion, garlic and ground turkey; saute 6-8 minutes, or until turkey is done. Stir in bulgur, mint, pepper, salt, allspice, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
• Prepare topping: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Slowly add milk, stirring with whisk until blended. Add four minced garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cooking 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly with whisk. Pour milk mixture into a food processor. Add feta and nutmeg, process until smooth, then stir in yogurt.
• Assemble: Coat a 13x9 pan with cooking spray. Place half the eggplant slices in bottom of pan, then cover with half the meat sauce. Layer remaining eggplant slices, top with remaining meat sauce. Spoon topping mixture evenly over top. Bake at 425 for 35 minutes.

SBD VEGGIE MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Lightly coat eggplant slices with olive oil (I use a pastry brush, dipped and give each side one quick swipe) and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake until softened and golden turning once, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add lentils, tomatoes, and their juices, parsley, oregano, cinnamon, salt, and a pinch of pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes.
• While eggplant and lentils are cooking, in a medium bowl, whisk together half-and-half, egg beaters 1/8 cup of the cheese, and nutmeg.
• Lightly coat an 8- by 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange one-third of the eggplant slices in a single layer in the dish. Spread half of the lentil mixture over the top. Repeat with remaining eggplant and lentil mixture, ending with a layer of eggplant. Pour half-and-half mixture over vegetables and sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsp cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake moussaka, covered, 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until heated through and golden on top. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Serve warm. (if you're freezing this, cut the moussaka into portions prior to freezing) reheats beautifully.

THE BEST MOUSSAKA!

Steps:

• Brown meat (either ground lamb or ground beef), onions, and garlic in olive oil.
• Add parsley, tomato, tomato sauce, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and bouillon.
• Cover and simmer 45 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in breadcrumbs.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Thinly slice eggplant.
• Dust with flour.
• Heat olive oil in skillet and brown eggplant on both sides.
• Cover bottom of greased large casserole dish (or greased small round roasting pan, which is what I use because I don't have a casserole dish big enough) with cooked, sliced potatoes.
• Top potato layer with with meat mixture and top that with eggplant.
• To make sauce, melt butter in saucepan.
• Add flour.
• Cook and stir 1 minute.
• Stir in milk.
• Cook on medium-low, stirring constantly, until thick and just starting to boil.
• Remove from heat and stir in eggs and cheese.
• Pour sauce evenly over eggplant layer in casserole dish.
• Place casserole dish into a larger pan containing some water.
• Bake, uncovered, for one hour.

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Prepare Eggplant:.
• First, peel eggplant and cut into 6mm (1/4") slices. (You can leave the peel on if you wish, or compromise and peel off alternate strips giving a striped effect.).
• Sprinkle both sides of eggplant slices with salt and place into a colander.
• Place colander over a saucepan or bowl, put a plate on top of the eggplant in the colander, and weigh it down by placing some cans of food on top. Leave for about an hour so that excess liquid drains from the eggplant.
• Prepare Tomato Sauce:.
• In the meantime, make tomato sauce. Place 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and place over medium heat.
• Cook onion and garlic until transparent.
• Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, cinnamon, sugar, parsley, pepper and salt (sparingly).
• Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Prepare Topping:.
• Next, prepare the topping. In a medium saucepan, combine cold milk, flour, chopped butter, nutmeg, bay leaf and seasoning. Be careful not to add too much salt, as you'll be adding cheese later. Place over a medium heat and whisk frequently with a balloon whisk until butter melts and sauce begins to simmer. Simmer for a few minutes until sauce is thickened and shiny.
• Remove from heat and remove bay leaf.
• Whisk in ricotta cheese, then set aside to cool. You will finish the topping later.
• Prepare Meat:.
• Now, add a little oil to a frying pan and cook minced meat, adding a little salt, but being careful not to over season.
• When meat is nearly cooked, fold in mint. If there is excess oil in the pan, put a plate over the meat and pour off excess oil, before adding tomato sauce.
• When tomato sauce is nice and thick, fold it into the meat, then simmer meat in its sauce for about 20 minutes.
• Finish Eggplant:.
• At this stage, set your oven to 180C (350F) so it will be ready for the assembled moussaka.
• Then, remove eggplant slices from colander and gently squeeze out any excess moisture.
• Dredge eggplant slices in flour, then fry in oil on both sides until golden brown (you may have to do this in batches).
• When cooked, place slices onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to soak up excess oil.
• Finish Topping:.
• Now whisk beaten egg and 3 tablespoons of the parmesan cheese into the topping.
• Assemble Dish:.
• Butter a pyrex dish or similar. Place half the meat and sauce mixture into the dish, then top with half the fried eggplant. Add the rest of the meat, and then add the rest of the eggplant. Now, pour over the topping and sprinkle the top with the remaining 3 tablespoons of grated parmesan.
• Place dish on a baking sheet (in case their is some spill over) and place on the centre shelf of the pre-heated moderate oven.
• Bake for 50 minutes, but check after 40 minutes. If the top is golden brown and fairly firm to touch at this stage, turn off the oven and let it sit for the remaining 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving.
• Traditionally served with a Greek Salad, but we like this accompanied with just steamed carrots, tossed in butter.

VEGETABLE MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Cover 2 baking sheets with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of eggplant rounds with salt. Arrange eggplant in single layer atop towels. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Position first rack in bottom third of oven and second rack in top third of oven and preheat to 425°F Remove eggplant and paper towels from baking sheets. Pat eggplant dry. Oil same baking sheets. Brush both sides of eggplant rounds with 1/4 cup oil. Arrange in single layer on baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes. Turn eggplant and rotate pans in oven. Continue baking until tender, about 15 minutes longer. Cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
• Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Sauté until onion is very tender, about 12 minutes. Mix in garlic, then mushrooms. Sauté until juices evaporate, about 10 minutes. Mix in oregano and cinnamon. Add tomatoes and parsley. Cook until mixture is thick, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Lightly oil 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange half of eggplant rounds in single layer in dish. Spoon half of tomato mixture evenly over eggplant. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese. Repeat layering with remaining eggplant, tomato mixture and 2 tablespoons cheese.
• Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Stir 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Simmer until sauce thickens, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk yolks in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot sauce. Pour sauce over vegetables in dish. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over sauce. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.).
• Bake moussaka until heated through and sauce is golden brown on top, about 45 minutes (or about 55 minutes for refrigerated moussaka). Cool 15 minutes.