Roasted Mushroom Aubergine Moussaka Food

MOUSSAKA WITH ROASTED MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees with racks positioned in the middle and lower third. Slice eggplants lengthwise, about 1/3 inch thick. Line 2 baking sheets with foil and brush foil with olive oil. Place slices on the foil, season to taste with salt, and brush with olive oil. Place in oven and roast until soft and browned in spots, about 20 minutes, switching the pans top to bottom after 10 minutes. When done slices will look dry on the surface but when you pierce them with a knife you should be able to see that the flesh is soft. Remove from oven and carefully fold foil up over eggplant to make a foil packet, taking care not to burn yourself. It doesn't matter if the eggplant slices pile onto each other. Crimp edges of foil so that eggplant is sealed in the packet and leave to steam inside foil for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile make the meat and tomato filling. In a large, deep skillet or casserole heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes, and add garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and raise heat to medium-high. Stir in ground beef or lamb and brown for about 3 minutes. Stir in roasted mushroom mix, tomatoes, paprika, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, sugar, bay leaf, salt and enough water to barely cover meat. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. The mixture should be thick and very fragrant. Cook uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes, until liquid in pan is just about gone. Remove bay leaf, taste and add salt and pepper, and remove from heat. Allow mixture to cooled slightly, then stir in 1 beaten egg and parsley.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 3-quart baking dish or gratin dish. Make an even layer of half the eggplant slices over the bottom, and spread all of meat sauce on top in one layer. Top with remaining eggplant. Bake for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat together eggs and yogurt, season with salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) and stir in pepper and paprika. Pour over top of moussaka, scraping out every last drop with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle grated cheese evenly over the top. Return to oven and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until puffed and golden. Serve warm.

ROASTED MUSHROOM & AUBERGINE MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 190℃/gas 5. Halve the onions then peel and chop through the root into thin wedges. Scrub eht potatoes and chop into bite-sized pieces - not too large, so they cook in time. Toss both onion and potato in a large roasting tim in 2 tbsp olive oil. Season and roast for 10 mins, while you continue.
• Clean and quarter the mushrooms. Chop the aubergine into 1cm discs, then chop the discs in half. Halve the cherry tomatoes, unless, very small, then leave them whole.
• Toss the aubergine, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes into the roasting tin, with a splash more oil. Roast it all for 10 mins.
• Peel and finely chop or grate the garlic. Roughly chop 1 good tablespoon of oregano leaves. Shred a tsp of mint leaves.
• After 10 mins, toss the veg with the garlic, chopped oregano, mint and cinnamon. Roast for 10 mins.
• In a bowl, whisk the eggs together with a fork, then stir in the yoghurt and the nutmeg.
• Toss the roasting veg with the tinned tomatoes and roast for 5 more mins, then check the seasoning before transferring it all to a reasonably snug-fitting baking dish. Spread the yogurt mix over the top, sprinkle with the cheese and bake for approx 3--45 mins, until the top is golden and just set - this will depend a lot on your oven and dish.
• Shred a little more mint, approx 1 tsp. Peel long ribbons of courgette, working down and round, stopping when you reach the seedy middle. Just before serving, toss the courgette and mint with a handful of salad leaves to your liking, a squeeze of lemon, pinch of salt and a little olive oil to taste. Serve with the moussaka.

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.

MUSHROOM STUFFED EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Halve the eggplant lengthwise. With a serrated spoon or a knife, scoop out pulp of eggplant, leaving about a 1/2" shell.
• Place shells on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet and bake in oven for about 10-12 minutes.
• While eggplant shells are in oven, finely chop the eggplant pulp.
• In a pan, over medium heat, melt butter. Add eggplant pulp, onion, parsley, salt, oregano, garlic and mushrooms. Cover and sauté, stirring occasionally, until eggplant pulp and mushroom are tender -- about 10 minutes or so.
• Stir in parmesan cheese and HALF of the breadcrumbs.
• Turn oven down to 350°F Remove eggplant shells.
• Spoon mixture into eggplant shells.
• Mix remaining half of breadcrumbs with melted butter. Sprinkle over filled eggplant.
• Place filled eggplant shells back in the oven bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.

MUSHROOM MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Salt the eggplant lightly and bake on an oiled cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until tender.
• Saute the mushrooms in the 3 tbps. of butter along with the onions and garlic.
• Add the tomato paste, parsley, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, cinnamon and wine. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed.
• Add the bread crumbs, parmesan and beaten eggs. Remove from heat.
• Make a white sauce. Melt the 1/2 cup of butter over a low flame. Whisk in the flour. Then whisk in the milk. Keep whisking until thick.
• Beat in the egg yolks.
• Butter a large casserole dish. Cover the bottom with eggplant slices, then half the mushroom sauce. Add remaining eggplant and cover with remaining mushroom sauce. Top with white sauce. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and extra grated cheese if desired.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, covered with foil. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes longer.

MOUSSAKA-STYLE STUFFED EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE)

Steps:

• Halve the eggplants lengthwise and score the interior of each half, leaving about a third of an inch thickness on the perimeter.
• Use a paring knife and a spoon to scoop out the interior of the eggplant, leaving a 'boat.'.
• Using a fork, pierce the skin in several places, liberally salt the halves and place them upside down on paper towels to drain for about 30 minutes.
• Chop the eggplant flesh into 1/2" cubes and set aside 4 cups of the cubes (reserve any excess for another recipe).
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Wipe the eggplant shells out with paper towels, brush the skin lightly with a little olive oil, and place them on a baking sheet.
• Bake them until they are just tender (about ten minutes) then remove from the oven and set aside in a baking dish.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
• Add the lamb and cook, breaking up the pieces, until lightly browned--about 5 minutes.
• Add the onion, garlic, 4 cups of eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is soft--about five more minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, cloves, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne and cook until the mixture is fairly dry.
• Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the ricotta.
• Season to taste and spoon into the 4 eggplant halves.
• Place the remaining 1 and 1/3 cups of ricotta in a small bowl and stir in the nutmeg and enough milk until the consistency of the cheese mixture is spreadable.
• Spread it over the filled eggplant halves and sprinkle the tops with parmesan.
• Bake until the tops are very brown--25 to 35 minutes.
• Sprinkle with parsley and serve.