Skinny Chicken Moussaka Food

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.

MOM'S CHICKEN & POTATO MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes, peel them and smash them in a bowl together with the butter and some salt and add enough milk to get a soft but by no means liquid mass (in fact it’s up to you to decide how thick you want it to be).
• In a frying pan put the 2 tbl oil, the chicken, the tomato paste, cumin, pepper, nutmeg and some salt and start frying dividing the meat with a fork until it starts to fall apart into crumbs.
• Grease a baking tin with the remaining oil (don’t forget the sides too), spread half of the potatoes on the bottom, pour the chicken over them and cover it with the remaining potatoes.
• Preheat the oven to a medium temperature and put the moussaka in and let it heat for 5 min.
• In a bowl beat the yogurt with the eggs the thyme, a bit of salt and some black pepper.
• Pour the yogurt mixture over the moussaka and bake until it gets golden brown (about 10-15 min).
• When ready take out of the oven and leave to cool a bit – potatoes cool very slowly.
• Serve very warm.

CHICKEN "MOUSSAKA"

Steps:

• Layer eggplant slices in colander and sprinkle with plenty of salt. Let sit for 30 minutes, then rinse with lots of cold water. Lay slices out flat and use a clean kitchen towel to squeeze out excess water and pat dry.
• Turn oven to broil. Spray a cookie sheet with EVOO and lay eggplant in one layer on sheet. Spray with more EVOO. Broil for a few minutes (don't burn!), then flip slices over, spray again with EVOO and broil a few more minutes. I usually broil until they feel soft and lose their firm shape when picked up with tongs.
• Heat oven to 350°F
• Heat 1 T. olive oil in large skillet or dutch oven. Add chicken and onions and saute for 5 minutes or so, breaking up chicken with wooden spoon.
• Add tomatoes, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes till sauce is thickened slightly.
• Spread tomato chicken mix in the bottom of a 9x13 pan, top with a layer of eggplant.
• To make the sauce: Melt butter in small saucepan, whisk in flour and cook for two minutes, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk in milk, bring to a bubble and reduce to simmer till thickened. Melt in parmesan.
• Spoon sauce over eggplant. Bake at 350 till browned and bubbly.