Moussaka recipe without eggplant?!
Moussaka recipe without eggplant?
any reallllly good moussaka recipe without eggplant or meat please.
Answers:
Try zucchini and for a meat substitude, I used TVP textured vegetable protein, you can find at bulk food store or at health foods store, some grocery stores have it there organic and health food sections.
I am a former chef in Canada, and in my catering days used this method when having to have a vegetarian option for funtions. You can make the base sauce as you would with meat, only when you saute your onions add the TVP, then cook slightly to brown, then you spices and tomato products.
I roasted my potoatos, slice them and toss them in oil and seasoning, grill the zucchini, then layer it as in regular Moussaka, as for the sauce ( I add a touch of cinnimon), if your not in to dairy, you can make a veggie bechemel with a roux, veggie stock and blend it with silken tofu.
If you will use a touch of dairy, I used a bit of parmesan cheese and mixed in a few breadcrumbs with melted margarine, this helps with browning and make a firmer crust, jusrt sprinkle it on before you bake it, but again as it is not a meat dish, your only need is to heat it through, so do not overcooked it, 45-50 minutes.
try allrecipes.com
however, moussaka is an eggplant dish traditionally.
MOUSSAKA
Contrary to common belief, MOUSSAKA means "casserole" and not Eggplant which moussaka(s) is identified with. The word for "eggplant" in Greek is MELITZA'NA -- so the recipe could/should be titled "Moussaka Melitza'na." So much for today's Greek lesson. *s*
This recipe is for Eggplant and Potato (patA'tes) Moussaka. You can leave out the potatoes if you choose; this will make for a less substantive dish and you can add rice as a side dish. You can also substitute zucchini in place of the eggplant.
This dish is excellent for a buffet and not as difficult to make as it may seem. You can also prepare this a day ahead and after it is baked, store it in the refrigerator and reheat at about 300 degrees, covered with foil.
YOUR TOOLS
along with a medium size square or rectangular roasting pan.
Temp: 375 degrees
1 Hour
SERVES: 6-8
INGREDIENTS
3 Medium sized eggplants (unpeeled) or 6 zuchinni
4-5 Potatoes Medium sized (peeled)
2 Large onions - chopped fine
1 Can Tomato paste
1/4 Cup Red wine
1 Cup Parmesan cheese - freshly grated
1 lb. Ground beef or Lamb or NO MEAT
3 T Fresh parsley - chopped fine
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
Dried bread crumbs
White Sauce (recipe below)
PREPARATIONS
EGGPLANT or ZUCHINNI: Rinse under cool water. Set aside to dry or pat dry with paper towel. Cut off ends. Slice about 1/2 inch thick rounds.
(Some people feel that eggplant has a slight bitterness; to counteract this possibility, I lay out the slices on paper towels and VERY LIGHTLY sprinkle with salt and let stand for about 15 minutes. Then LIGHTLY sprinkle with pepper.)
Fry eggplant QUICKLY in butter or cooking oil until golden brown. You want the eggplant to remain firm. Remove to a platter.
POTATOES: Peeled and sliced THIN. Keep them in a bowl of cool water to prevent browning while assembling the moussaka. Before assembling moussaka, drain potatoes thoroughly.
GROUND BEEFor LAMB: In order to cut down the use of "fat", I sprinkle my skillet with a light dusting of salt and then brown the meat over medium high heat.
ONIONS: Add onions to skillet, reduce temperature, and cook for about 10 minutes.
TOMATO PASTE: Dilute the tomato paste with the wine and about 1/2 cup of water.
Add the parsley and cinnamon; salt and pepper to taste. Pour over meat and onions. Simmer over LOW heat, stirring frequently until liquid is completely reduced. Remove from heat.
WHITE SAUCE
4 T Butter
6 T Flour
2 C Hot milk (not boiled)
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 Egg yolks, well beaten
Dash of Nutmeg
SAUCE PREPARATION
In medium size bowl, beat the egg yolks with your whisk; set aside.
In medium size sauce pan over medium heat, melt 4 Tablespoons butter and blend in the flour, stirring steadily until butter is absorbed into the flour. Add salt.
When bubbling slightly, REDUCE heat to LOW; add the hot milk SLOWLY, stirring constantly. Continue cooking over low heat until smooth and thickened to medium consistency.
Remove from heat and add nutmeg.
Pour finished sauce over the beaten egg yolks SLOWLY and stir constantly. Set aside.
LIGHTLY grease (I use vegetable oil) the roasting pan. Sprinkle a layer of bread crumbs on bottom of roasting pan.
Beginning with eggplant or zuchinni, begin layering: eggplant or zuchinni, potatoes, meat. Each layer should be sprinkled lightly with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Your TOP layer should be eggplant or zuchinni.
POUR white sauce evenly over the top. The sauce will form a thick crust on top of the Moussaka when baked.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bread crumbs.
BAKE at 375 degrees for 1 hour, or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and let stand about 15 minutes before cutting into squares.
You can practically make a moussaka with only potatoes and zucchini or mushrooms or beans topped with a bechamel, but it isn't real moussaka anymore and will loose its typical taste.
wineduchess, I have no idea how you came up with the word "casserole" and in which language you found its roots.
The word moussaka comes from the Arabic "chilled" and although it is a typically Greek dish, it exists all over the Middle East.
In Greece it is associated with eggplants and I have never heard anyone call it "moussaka melitzana".
replace the eggplant with pumpkin zuchini capsicum and feta cheese