VEGETARIAN MUSHROOM MOUSSAKA
INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 C Olive Oil (extra-virgin) plus about 3/4 C for greasing & brushing
- 4 Eggplants (small) (about 1 lb each) (peeled)
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Onion (medium) (finely chopped)
- 1 lb Cremini mushrooms (stemmed & cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
- 6 Garlic cloves, minced or pushed through a press
- 1 T Oregano (dried)
- 1 t Cinnamon (ground)
- 1/4 t Allspice (ground)
- 1 can Tomatoes (28 oz) (crushed)
For the Bechamel Sauce
- 6 T Margarine OR unsalted butter
- 1/2 C Flour (All-purpose)
- 3 C Milk OR Almond Milk
- 1C Parmesan cheese (finely grated)
- Kosher salt & black pepper (freshly ground)
- 3 Egg yolks
DIRECTIONS
- 1. To make the base & sauce, pre-heat the oven to 400°F & generously grease two
large rimmed baking sheets with about 3 T of olive oil each. - 2. Slice 3 of the eggplants into 1/2 inch thick rounds.
- 3. Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the sheets, brush the tops generously
with more oil & season with salt & pepper. - 4. Bake, flipping the eggplant pieces once, until softened & lightly browned 20 to 25 minutes.
- 5. Remove from the oven & set aside & lower the oven temperature to 350 F.
- 6. Meanwhile, chop the remaining eggplant into 1/2 inch cubes.
- 7. Heat the 1/4 C of oil in a large sauté pan set over medium heat.
- 8. Add the onions & a pinch of salt & cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent
(5 to 7 minutes.) - 9. Add the chopped eggplant & mushroom & turn the heat to medium-high & cook,
stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender & the liquid has cooked off
for 10 to 15 minutes. - 10. Stir in the garlic, oregano, cinnamon & allspice & cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- 11. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, 1 t salt & 1/2 t pepper.
- 12. Turn the heat to medium & simmer until slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
- 13. Taste & add more salt & pepper, if desired.
- 14.To make the béchamel melt the butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat.
- 15. Add the flour & whisk until fully combined, then slowly whisk in the milk.
- 16. Simmer, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a
spoon 5 to 10 minutes - 17. Whisk in about half of the Parmesan, 1 t salt, & a generous amount of pepper.
- 18. In a separate small bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. .
- 19. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle about 1/2 C of the hot béchamel into the yolks.
- 20. Turn the heat under the saucepan to medium-low & slowly whisk the tempered egg
mixture back into the béchamel & remove from the heat. - 21. To assemble the moussaka, grease the bottom of a 9-by-13 inch baking dish.
- 22. Layer half of the eggplant slices in the bottom of the baking dish & cover with half
of the sauce. - 23. Layer the remaining eggplant slices into the dish & cover with the remaining sauce.
- 24. Evenly pour the béchamel over the top, smoothing with a rubber spatula.
- 25. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan & bake until bubbling & golden brown on top,
20 to 25 minute. - 26. Remove from the oven & let stand for a few minutes before serving.
NOTE
Store leftovers covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days.
♦♦♦♦♦
♦♦♦♦♦
Copyright © 2012 -2018 KosherWoman.com
All rights reserved