Moussaka A Lighter Delicious Version Recipe 485

TRADITIONAL MOUSSAKA RECIPE WITH EGGPLANTS (AUBERGINES) AND POTATOES

Steps:

• To prepare this Greek moussaka recipe, begin by preparing the eggplants. Remove the stalks from the eggplants and cut them into slices, 1 cm thick. Season with salt and place in a colander for about half an hour.
• and squeeze with your hands, to get rid of the excessive water. Pat them dry and fry in plenty of oil, until nicely colored. Place the fried eggplants on some paper, in order to absorb the oil. (For a lighter version of the traditional Greek moussaka try drizzling the aubergines with some olive oil and bake them for 20 minutes instead of frying them). Set aside when done.
• If you are adding potatoes to your moussaka, now its time to slice them into 0.5cm, half a finger width slices. Fry them or bake them in the same way as the eggplants. Season with some salt and set them aside when done.
• for the moussaka. Heat a large pan to medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Stir in the chopped onions and sauté, until softened and slightly colored. Stir in the mince breaking it up with a wooden spoon and sauté. When it starts to brown, add the the garlic and tomato paste and sauté until the garlic starts to soften. Pour in the red wine to deglaze the meat juices and wait to evaporate. Add the tinned tomatoes, the sugar, a pinch of cinnamon, 1 bay leaf and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes or until most of the juices have evaporated. Set aside when done.
• for the moussaka. Use a large pan to melt the butter over low-medium heat. Add the flour whisking continuously to make a paste. Add warmed milk in a steady stream; keep whisking in order to prevent your sauce from getting lumpy. If the sauce still needs to thicken, boil over low heat while continuing to stir. Its consistency should resemble a thick cream.
• Remove the béchamel pan from the stove and stir in the egg yolks, salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and the most of the grated cheese. Reserve some cheese to sprinkle on top! Whisk quickly, in order to prevent the eggs from turning an omelette! Season with salt to taste. Take one spoon full of béchamel and stir it in the meat sauce. Set the béchamel sauce aside.
• Now its time to assemble the moussaka. For this moussaka recipe you will need a large baking dish, approx. 20x30cm / 8x12inch and 8cm/3 inch deep). Butter the bottom and sides of the pan and layer the potatoes first (if you're using them), then half the eggplants. Pour in all of the meat sauce and spread it out evenly. Add a second layer of eggplants, top with all of the béchamel sauce and smooth out with a spatula.
• . Preheat you oven at 180C/350F and bake your musaka for about 60 minutes or until its crust turns light golden brown. Even though it will be really hard to do so, you should wait for the moussaka to cool down and be just warm to the touch before cutting into pieces. This will prevent the béchamel sauce from pouring out when you're cutting your pieces.
• Serve the Moussaka with a refreshing Traditional Greek Salad and enjoy over a glass of wine!

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and saute until lightly translucent (about 2 minutes). Add chopped carrots, celery and red bell pepper, season with salt and saute until vegetables are tender (about 3 minutes). Add finely chopped tomato to the skillet and minced garlic, and cook for few minutes until it looks like sauce. Season with freshly ground pepper, paprika, and summer savory, and stir well.
• Transfer vegetables to a plate. Add ground beef to the skillet and cook for about 6 minutes until brown. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, summer savory & cumin. Break it up into small pieces with wooden spoon. Mix vegetables and ground beef together. Transfer to a 9 x 13 greased baking dish.
• In the same large skillet heat oil and add HALF of the chopped potatoes (cook them in batches as you want them to cook evenly). Season with salt, paprika, freshly ground black pepper and summer savory. Let potatoes cook covered for about 10 minutes until slightly tender (they will cook more in the oven later) and stir every couple minutes. When the potatoes are done, add them to the beef and vegetable mixture in the 9 x 13 baking dish. Repeat with the second batch of potatoes.
• Pour 2 cups water over the moussaka. (The water should not cover the potatoes, the water line should be just below them.)
• Place in a preheated 400 F oven and bake for about 50 minutes.

BEST RECIPE FOR GREEK MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Start by making the GROUND BEEF SAUCE.

HEALTHIER MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 190C.
• Line a large baking tray with foil and spray it with the olive oil spray. Arrange sliced aubergine in a single layer on the baking tray, spray with cooking spray, grate some salt over, and roast in oven for 10 minutes. Turn the sliced aubergines over and roast for a further 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, Whilst the aubergine is roasting, heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat, then add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes then add the meat and cook until meat is browned, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently and breaking it up as it cooks. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute.
• Stir in the tomatoes, tomato puree, oregano, cinnamon, cumin and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes until thickened.
• Spray an ovenproof casserole dish with the cooking oil spray.
• Arrange half of the roasted aubergine slices in the bottom of the casserole dish. Spread the meat mixture over the aubergine slices and press down to flatten. Then cover the meat mixture with the remaining aubergine slices.
• Whisk the eggs and yogurt together and pour over the top of the moussaka. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake in oven for 15 - 20 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling.
• Remove from oven and allow the moussaka to slightly cool and set. Cut into 6 portions and serve.

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Lay the slices of eggplant on paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. Then in a skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil. Quickly fry the eggplant until browned. Set aside on paper towels to drain.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the ground beef, salt and pepper to taste, onions, and garlic. After the beef is browned, sprinkle in the cinnamon, nutmeg, fines herbs and parsley. Pour in the tomato sauce and wine, and mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, and then stir in beaten egg.
• To make the bechamel sauce, begin by scalding the milk in a saucepan. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Lower heat; gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly until it thickens. Season with salt, and white pepper.
• Arrange a layer of eggplant in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover eggplant with all of the meat mixture, and then sprinkle 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over the meat. Cover with remaining eggplant, and sprinkle another 1/2 cup of cheese on top. Pour the bechamel sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the nutmeg. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
• Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

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 (A LIGHTER, *DELICIOUS* VERSION) RECIPE - (4.8/5)

Steps:

• Combine the cumin, ginger, paprika, cinnamon, and cayenne in a small bowl. Blend very thoroughly. Blend the flour, 1-1/3 Tablespoon (4 teaspoons) of the spice mixture, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and pepper to taste in a shallow bowl and mix very well. Set both the flour and spice mixtures aside. Lightly grease two baking sheets and a 10-inch round, 2-inch deep casserole, preferably glass (I actually use a 9-inch square pan). Cook squash, whole in microwave: Pierce the skin in several places with a sharp knife, and cook on a paper towel, on high, for 5 to 6 minutes, and allow to stand for at least 5 minutes. Then cut into half-inch cubes and set aside. (You can save some prep time by buying pre-cubed butternut squash in the produce section. Toss with oil, salt, and pepper, then roast on a parchment-lined jellyroll pan, at 400 degrees, turning once, for about 30 minutes.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook rice. It's really tough to cook so little rice-- I use 1/2 cup long grain rice, which yield about 1-1/2 cups cooked rice. You can add extra to this recipe. Rinse the rice in 3 changes of water, then drain. Place in a small sauce pan with 7 oz of water and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to boil over high heat (cooking uncovered), then immediately reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until all the water is absorbed, about 6 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to sit, covered, for 5 minutes more. Set aside. Pour the milk into a shallow bowl. Slice the eggplant. Dip each slice into the milk, and get as much to drip off as you can; then dip each slice into the flour-spice mixture, pressing lightly to help get each slice evenly coated, and shaking off the excess. Arrange slices in a single layer on the lightly greased baking sheets, and bake until soft, about 30 minutes. There may still be traces of flour on the eggplant. Remove from oven, but keep the oven on. While the eggplant is cooking, heat 2 Tblsp olive oil in a large skillet, then stir in the onion and almonds, and cook over medium heat until the onion is soft and the almonds are toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the lamb, raise the heat slightly, and cook, stirring until the meat is browned, about 10 minutes. Pour off all but about 2 Tablespoons of the fat. Stir the remaining spice mixture into the meat, and cook 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, stock, apricots, currants, and 3 Tblsp of the chopped mint. Stir in the squash, rice, lemon juice, and 3/4 tsp salt. Remove the skillet from heat. Arrange a layer of eggplant slices on the bottom and up the sides of the casserole dish. Fill with the lamb mixture, and top with the remaining eggplant. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 1 hour. While the casserole bakes, prepare the Minted Yogurt Sauce by mixing together 1-1/4 cup yogurt, 1/4 cup chopped mint leaves, 1 Tblsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste. Stir until smooth and refrigerate until ready to serve. Remove the casserole from the oven and allow to rest, covered, for 15 minutes. Uncover and invert the moussaka onto a serving platter. Cut into wedges, and serve with the Minted Yogurt Sauce.

MOUSSAKA LIGHT

Steps:

• Slice eggplant very thinly.
• Brown ground turkey with onion and garlic.
• When brown, add tomato sauce and red wine. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
• Layer eggplant then meat mixture in 13 x 9 pan, ending with meat mixture.
• Add milk to clean saucepan and slowly stir in flour a little at a time until sauce thickens. Add feta and parmesan cheese.
• Pour white sauce over the casserole.
• Bake at 350 degrees until top starts to turn golden brown.