Moussaka

Robert Kindermann aka RobertK

Diet
[x] Flexitarian + Omnivore
[x] Vegan: use mushrooms instead of meat
[x] Vegetarian : use mushrooms instead of meat
[x] Pescatarian : use mushrooms instead of meat
[x] Gluten free: use GF flour
[x] Weight Maint
[O] Keto Diet
[x] Mediterranean 
[O] Lectin Avoidance: potato
[x] Oxalate Avoidance
[O] Purine Avoidance: tomato

Moussaka

Moussaka is Greek comfort casserole food of eggplant, potatoes, and traditionally a spiced meat sauce layered like a lasagna.

Meat

  • 1 lb ground lamb (or beef/lamb combo)
  • 1 large yellow onion (diced)
  • 2 T Olive oil
  • 1 T dried oregano
  • 1 t ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 t ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 t paprika (hot or smoky, your preference)
  • 1/2 t kosher Salt
  • 1/2 t black pepper
  • 1/2 C red wine
  • 14 oz Pomi diced tomato
  • 1 t sugar
  • 1/2 C hot beef broth

Veggies

  • 2 eggplants (slice 1/4" lengthwise, discarding ends)
  • 3 T Kosher Salt (for both sides of the eggplant)
  • 2 large russet potatoes (peel + slice 1/4: lengthwise)
  • 5 C water (to boil sliced potatoes)

Make + Bake

  • 3/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt
  • 3 large whisked eggs
  • 1 T allpurpose flour (or GF flour)
  • 1/2 C reduced fat ricotta (or cottage cheese)
  • 3 oz crumbled herbed feta cheese
  • 2 sec Olive oil spray (Spritze the baking pan)
  • 4 tbsp Panko bread crumbs

Mise en Place

  1. Set oven to broil. Set up and meat and veggie workstation.

  2. Take out eggs so they get to room temperature.

  3. Wash hands and veggies. Gather all the spices and herbs for the dish. Peel potatoes and slice.

Eggplant Prep

  1. Slice the eggplant as thin or thick as you prefer in your dish. Since I am not a fan of eggplant, I slice them thin.

  2. Place the eggplant slices in one layer on a drying rack over a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Let it "sweat" for 15 minutes, then flip over and salt again for another 15 minutes. (This is to remove some of the bitterness and to reduce its moisture.)

  3. Using a towel or paper sheet pat the eggplant slices dry. Then, once you poured out the eggplant produced water, add a parchment paper to the baking sheet and place one layer of the veggie on the sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and carefully broil the veggies, turning them over so both sides are cooked and lightly browned. Remove and set aside. Keeping doing this in batches if required and monitor the broiling so nothing burns.

  4. After broiling, reduce the oven to 350F.

Meat Prep

  1. Heat a large skillet, then add 2T olive oil. Saute diced onions until they are golden brown, stirring regularly.

  2. Add the ground lamb and cook until browned. Then add herbs: dried oregano, ground cinnamon, ground pepper, zested nutmeg, and hot paprika. Season with salt and pepper. Stir the food to coat everything with the spices and seasonings.

  3. Add the wine and stir in well, then boil for ~1min to slightly reduce the liquid.

  4. Add tomatoes, sugar and broth. Simmer on medium-low heat for ~30 minutes. Then set aside in the skillet.

Potatoes

  1. Boil the sliced potatoes until soft, then drain the water and set the potatoes aside.

Cheese-based Topping

  1. Whisk Greek yogurt with eggs and flour in a bowl.

  2. Add the ricotta and feta cheese and whisk again to combine well.

Baking

  1. Spray oil on a 9" x 13″ baking pan. (I also put a parchment piece on the bottom to help get the food out without any sticking.)

  2. Layer the the food, first eggplant, then meat sauce, and then the potato slices. Sprinkle with bread crumbs between each layer.

  3. Once all the layers are done, cover the top with the cheese mix. Bake for 45 min.

  4. Turn the oven back onto broil and make sure the baking pan is on the top rack and broil briefly to give the dish a golden brown topping. Keep an eye on the dish while it is broiling so it does not turn black.

  5. Remove from the oven and let sit a few minutes before cutting.

Moussaka is a common dish in the Middle East and the Mediterranean so there are of course variations to this dish. I am just sharing my favorite.

Options:

  • Cook the meat, and veggies in advance and just assemble the day of the dinner.
  • Use Bechamel, and add herbed feta cheese to it as the topping if you want.
  • Use mushroom in place of meat.
  • Add sauce between each layer of: eggplant, meat, breadcrumbs, sauce.
  • Many cooks use Globe or Italian Eggplants, but not Chinese.

This dish freezes well.