January 29th, 2012
What’s Cooking? Greek Moussaka, Comfort Food, Recipe, One step at a time, Gluten Free
A Greek Moussaka is similar to an Italian lasagna. There are different variations of moussaka. Mine is from a recipe I got in 2004. No potatoes are used in this recipe. You can use beef or lamb. I wanted lamb but, of course, could not find it at my Giant; ground beef was then used.
I also decided not to peel the eggplants. I picked eggplants that were medium size. The flour I used was rice flour because I needed to make this recipe gluten free.
My Greek Moussaka is comfort food and great for Sunday meals.
Greek Moussaka
3 eggplants
3 cups milk
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour (rice flour if making it gluten free)
3 eggs
a few dashes of Tabasco
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons of Olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, diced
2 lbs. of either ground beef or ground lamb
8 ounces Tomato juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon oregano
3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped (More if you love mint.)
2 cups shredded mozzarella (I shredded my own to make sure it was gluten free.)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (Again, I shredded my own.)
1 cup bread crumbs (I bought gluten free ones.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice eggplants 2/3 inch thick and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
White Sauce:
Heat milk in a separate saucepan. Melt butter and mix in flour, whisk and cook for 2-3 minutes to release flour taste. Add to heated milk, stir. Set aside.
Beat eggs until frothy and add to the warm milk, stir. Heat again, but do not boil. Whisk in nutmeg and Tabasco. Remove from heat.
Red Sauce:
In a frying pan add Olive oil, garlic and onion. Saute until tender, then, add beef or lamb and cook breaking into small pieces until meat is done. Add tomato juice, cinnamon, oregano and mint. Set aside.
Dredge eggplants in flour and sear on each side in olive oil.
In a casserole dish layer eggplant slices, then meat mixture, white sauce, cheese, and bread crumbs. Repeat until dish is filled. The last layer being the eggplant topped with white sauce, cheese and bread crumbs.
Bake for 20 minutes. I decided to use my convection oven and it took about the same time. You want it to have a nice crusty top.
Slice, enjoy, add a salad or vegetable, and remember to make it your own.
Have a good one!!
Tags: Casseroles, Gluten Free, gluten free recipe, Greek Moussaka, Moussaka, Recipe, Recipes
