Something a Little Different

Many of you out there are probably like me, raised on meat & potatoes -with a few carrots, turnip & frozen peas/carrots for a change. Where I grew up there weren't a lot of options for different vegetables, or perhaps it was just my house... either way I had never ate eggplant until recently and had no idea what moussakka was; only that the girl in 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' had to eat 'moose kaka'.

In an attempt to force myself to try new things I usually buy whatever veggies are onsale at my local grocery & then look for a recipe to cook them. For this one I went to my fave chef Ricardo and found this recipe (see below for full recipe). As with all his episodes he provides you with an entire meal, so I also made the Red Lentil Soup & the Firm Yogurt with Honey - we were out of honey so I used strawberries (it woulda been better with honey).

I have to say I LOVED IT!! Not only is the funky yogurt bechemel sauce good for covering food for picky eaters, the soup & leftover moussaka was great pureed for my baby girl!

If your going to try something new I suggest this!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

Moussaka
1 large eggplant, cut into 1-cm (1/2-inch slices)
2/3 cup olive oil
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground ginger
1/2 cup white wine
1 can diced tomatoes (14oz)
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper

Yogurt Béchamel
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup plain yogurt (4% MF or lighter)
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 egg yolk
1 pinch ground nutmeg

Directions
Moussaka
1.In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the eggplant, several slices at a time, using 125 ml (1/2 cup) of the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside on a plate.
2.In the same skillet in the remaining oil, brown the meat and onion with the garlic and spices, breaking the meat up with a fork or wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine. Bring to a boil and reduce until nearly all the wine has evaporated. Add the tomatoes and parsley. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Add 60 ml (1/4 cup) of breadcrumbs, stirring well to combine. Adjust the seasoning. Set aside.
Yogurt Béchamel
1.In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Dust with the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the yogurt and bring to a boil while stirring. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, egg and nutmeg. Adjust the seasoning. Set aside.
2.With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
Assembly
1.With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
2.Butter a baking dish about 18 x 28-cm (7 x 11-inch) in size or able to hold about 2 litres (8 cups). Sprinkle 30 ml (2 tablespoons) breadcrumbs on the bottom. Lay half of the eggplant slices on the bottom. Top with the meat mixture. Cover with the remaining eggplant slices. Spread the béchamel over the eggplant. Sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs. Bake until the béchamel turns gold-coloured, about 30 minutes.