| Per .2's request:
Moussaka
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Serves 10-11
As a Main Course
This is a classic dish of Greece. The origins are probably Turkish,
though the white sauce used on top is certainly Greek. In any case,
it is a very old and beloved eggplant dish to be found in every taverna
in Athens.
2 medium eggplants, about 1 cup freshly grated
1 pound each, sliced 1/4 inch Parmesan or Romano cheese
thick
1/2 tablespoon salt 1/2 cup olive oil
MEAT SAUCE: TOPPING:
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2 yellow onions, peeled and 1/3 cup butter
chopped 1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 quart milk
2.5 pounds lean ground beef or 1 teaspoon salt
lamb 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups Greek Tomato Sauce (below) 1/2 cup freshly grated
Cinnamon to taste (optional) Parmesan or Romano cheese
6 eggs. beaten
Extra cheese for garnish
Slice the eggplants and sprinkle with salt. Place in a colander to
drain for 1/2 hour.
Prepare the meat sauce by heating a large SilverStone frying pan or
porcelain-lined stove-top casserole and add the onions and 2 table-
spoons olive oil. Saute' until the meat begins to brown. Add the
salt and Greek Tomato Sauce and simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered.
Taste for optional cinnamon and stir in the cheese. Set aside.
Rince the eggplant slices and pat dry with paper towels. Pour the
1/2 cup olive oil onto a large baking sheet and dip the slices in it,
coating both sides. Arrange the slices on the sheet and bake at 425 F.
for 30 minutes, turning once during this time. The slices will be
tender.
Prepare the topping by melting the butter in a small frying pan and
stirring in the flour, making a roux. Cook for a few moments. Heat
the milk in a saucepan and stir in the butter-flour mixture, using a
wire whip. Stir over medium heat until it thickens. Stir in the
salt, nutmeg, and cheese. Stir 1 cup of the hot sauce into the
beaten eggs, using the wire whip. Stir this mixture back into the
saucepan and stir the whole over medium heat until it is thick and
rich.
THE CONSTRUCTION:
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Arrange 1/2 of the eggplant in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking
pan and top with the meat mixture. Place the remaining eggplant
slices on the meat and pour the topping over the whole. Sprinkle
the cheese for garnish on top and bake at 350 F. for 1 hour.
Cut into squares at serving time.
Greek Tomato Sauce
------------------
Makes about 6
cups of sauce
This wonderful sauce is basic to the Greek kitchen. It is used with
vegetables, fish, meats, shellfish, and even with rice. The cinnamon
and allspice certainly point to the Middle Eastern or Turkish influence
on Greek cooking. Make a batch of this and have it in the refrigerator
at all times and you will always be ready for Greek cooking.
3 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons whole oregano
1 yellow onion, peeled and 1 cup dry red wine
coarsely chopped 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 clove garlic, chopped fine 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 very ripe tomatoes, cored and Pinch of ground allspice
coarsely chopped (about 4.5 cups) salt and freshly ground
2 tablespoons chopped parsley black pepper to taste
Heat a large SilverStone-lined pan and add the olive oil. Saute'
the onion and garlic until clear. Add the tomatoes, parsley, and
oregano. Simmer, covered, until the tomatoes are very tender, about
25 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook an additional 20
minutes.
NOTE: The sauce will keep well in the refrigerator for several days.
Use it for any foods mentioned in the explanation to this recipe.
* * * * *
Whew! Done! I'm available just about any time for dinner when you
are serving Moussaka. Aside from electronic mail, my home number is
201.852.8838.
Yassou! Bill
|
| Here's an *excellent* recipe for moussaka that is significantly reduced
in fat, sodium, and calories. It freezes well, it can easily be made
the day before you plan to serve it, and any leftovers reheat
beautifully. I actuallly prefer this version to the classic moussaka.
Taken without permission from _Cooking Light_ Magazine, the "Make
it Light" column by Elizabeth J. Taliaferro.
Moussaka Yield: 6 servings.
-------- 296 cals/serving
12.1 grams fat/serving
273 mg sodium/serving
2 large unpeeled eggplant (about 2 lbs), cut into 1/4" slices
Vegetable cooking spray
3/4 t garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1 lb ground chuck
1/2 C chopped onion
1 C Chablis or other dry white wine
1 8-oz can no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 T minced fresh parsley
1/2 t black pepper
1/4 t salt
1/8 t ground nutmeg
1 12-oz can *evaporated skimmed* milk
1/2 C low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 C all-purpose flour
1/8 t white pepper (black pepper is also fine)
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet coated
with cooking spray. Coat top surface of eggplant with cooking spray,
and sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 min.
or until lightly browned. Set aside.
Combine ground chuck and onion in a large nonstick skillet; cook
over med. heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain off as
much excess fat as possible. Add wine and next 5 ingredients.
Cook 15 min, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Combine milk and chicken broth; set aside. Combine flour and white
pepper in a saucepan; gradually add milk mixture, stirring with a wire
whisk until smooth. Place over medium heat and stir frequently, cooking
10 min. or until sauce thickens.
Arrange 1/3 of eggplant in bottom of 12x8x2" baking dish. Top with 1/3
of meat mixture. Spread 1/3 white sauce over meat, and top with 1/3 of
cheese. Repeat procedure with remaining eggplant, meat, white sauce,
and cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min. or until moussaka is thoroughly
heated. Let moussaka sit 5-10 min before serving.
COOKING NOTES:
- Because I dislike eggplant peel, I start with 2-1/2 lbs. of
eggplant, and peel it before baking.
- I use 2 packets of Herb-Ox low-sodium chicken bouillion in 1/2 C
hot water.
|
| The recipe in -.2 sounded better than -.1 but I didn't want all the
fat, so I made a "lower fat" (by no means low fat) version by
eliminating all the olive oil in Jeff Smith's recipe. This is
easily done. Instead of oil to saute the onions, use a little oil
spray, saute for just a little while, then add the meat, and the fat
from the meat will provide more than enough to saute the onions. Also,
instead of his tomato sauce, I used Hunt's Light (no fat!) with
cinnamon added. Maybe not as authentic as it could be, but much
healthier. Also, no need to dip the eggplant in oil before baking -
spray them with veg oil, and that's plenty. the only place in the
recipe that you can't cut back on the oil is the butter for the roux -
if you don't use enough butter the roux won't work.
Of course, even after that, there's still about 8 oz of parmesan cheese
and 6 eggs. Not for the weak of heart or artery.
Diana
|