Moussaka With Yogurt Sauce Gluten Free Food

THE ULTIMATE MAKEOVER: MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, wide sauté pan. Tip in the onion and garlic, then fry for 6-8 mins until turning golden. Add the carrots and fry for 2 mins more. Stir the meat into the pan, breaking it up as you stir. Cook and stir over a high heat until the meat is no longer pink. Pour in the wine and briefly cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the cinnamon and allspice. Tip in the tomatoes, tomato purée and 1 tbsp water (mixed with any juices left in the can), then stir to break up the tomatoes. Season with some pepper, add all the oregano and half the parsley, cover, then simmer on a low heat for 50 mins, stirring occasionally. Season to taste. Mix in the remaining parsley. Can be done a day ahead and refrigerated overnight.
• While the meat cooks (unless you are doing this a day ahead) prepare the aubergines. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/ gas 6. Brush a little of the remaining oil onto 2 large baking sheets. Mix the rest of the oil with the lemon juice. Slice the aubergines into 1cm thick lengthways slices, then lay them on the oiled baking sheets. Brush with the oil and lemon mix, then season with pepper. Bake for 20-25 mins until soft, then set aside. Lower oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
• Spread 2 big spoonfuls of the meat mixture on the bottom of an ovenproof dish (about 28 x 20 x 6cm deep). Lay the aubergine slices on top, slightly overlapping. Spoon the rest of the meat mixture on top. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Slacken the cornflour with a little of the yogurt, stir in the rest of the yogurt, then mix this into the eggs with half the cheese. Season with pepper. Pour and spread this over the meat to cover it. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese, a little cinnamon and a grating of pepper. Bake for 50 mins-1 hr until bubbling and golden.
• Leave moussaka to settle for 8-10 mins, then scatter over some chopped parsley and cut into squares. Serve with a salad of tomato, red onion and rocket.

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!

EASY MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes whole for 20 mins or just until tender. Drain and allow to cool.
• Return the pan to the heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil and the onion. Cook until softened, then add the lamb. Fry the mince for 5 mins or until cooked through and starting to char. Add the garlic and spice, and stir in the passata. Bring to a simmer, then season to taste, take off the heat and set aside until needed.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Warm a griddle pan over a high heat and brush a little oil over the aubergines. Grill for 2-3 mins each side or until char lines appear. You may have to do this in 3-4 batches.
• Once cool enough to handle, cut the boiled potatoes into thick slices. Put 1 tbsp oil in the base of a deep ovenproof dish and start with a layer of potatoes, then aubergines, a sprinkling of seasoning, then a layer of the lamb mixture. Repeat until all the mixture is used up, ending with a layer of aubergines. Spread the crème fraîche over the top and scatter with the cheese. Put in the oven for 10 mins or until the cheese is golden.

ZUCCHINI MOUSSAKA WITH YOGURT

Steps:

• Finely mince the garlic cloves and shallot. Fry the ground beef with the minced garlic and shallot until nicely browned, season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Set aside.
• Peel and slice the potatoes, about 1/4 inch thick.
• Slice the tomatoes and zucchini likewise.
• Combine canned tomatoes, beef stock, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning and 1/2 tablespoon pepper.
• Cover the ground of a large pot with the olive oil, then layer it with the sliced tomatoes.
• Sprinkle some Italian seasoning, salt and pepper on the tomatoes.
• Place a layer of sliced potatoes on the tomato layer, season the same way.
• Place a layer of sliced zucchini on the potato layer, season like the tomatoes and potatoes.
• Cover with the browned ground beef as last layer, then pour prepared tomato sauce over it.
• You can now sprinkle some parmesan on top. If you use nutritional yeast, I'd recommend to mix it into the tomato sauce. Parmesan mixed into the sauce is another option to play with.
• Bring the moussaka to a gentle boil, cover and let simmer on low heat for about 1 hour.
• Serve with plain yoghurt if desired.

MOUSSAKA WITH YOGURT SAUCE (GLUTEN FREE)

Steps:

• Boil potatoes for 15 minutes, until nearly done. Peel and cut into 1/3 inch slices.
• Cut eggplant into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle with salt and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• After ten minutes, pat eggplant slices dry, lightly oil them and spread on a paper lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from oven.
• Mince garlic.
• Brown ground beef, season with salt and pepper to taste, add minced garlic, beef broth and canned tomatoes. Let simmer for 5 minutes and remove from stove.
• Combine yogurt, eggs, rice flour and cornstarch, season with salt and pepper to taste. I used about 1/4 teaspoon salt for 2 cups of yogurt, but you might need less, depending on how salty your beef broth is.
• Preheat oven to 390 degrees.
• Grease oven proof casserole dish with olive oil, layer first with one layer eggplant slices, then 1 layer potato slices, then half if the meat. Pour half of the yogurt sauce over meat layer. Repeat layers, top with rest of the yogurt sauce, then top with grated pecorino or parmesan cheese.
• Bake, covered, for 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes.
• Serve with green salad as a side.