Veggie Packed Moussaka
Recipe
Cook: 1hr 15 min
Prep 10 min
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants, cut into 5mm slices
- 1 brown onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 400 g mushrooms, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, grated
- 500g packet extra lean beef or ostrich mince
- 700 g tomato passata
- 2 tsp oregano, dried
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon Worcester sauce
- 40 g butter
- 40 g plain flour
- 500 ml milk
- 1 egg
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celcius.
2. Season the eggplants with salt and pepper and cover with a paper towel. Allow the eggplants to sit for 10 mins to ‘sweat’ out the bitterness. Lay on a baking tray and bake for 10 mins until softened.
3. Meanwhile make the filling.
- Heat 1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan and then add in the onion, garlic, carrots, and mushrooms.
- Cook for 5mins until it begins to soften then add in the mince, passata, oregano, Worcester sauce, and cinnamon.
- Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for 10 mins.
4. To make the white sauce…
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and then whisk in the flour.
- Slowly whisk in the milk to form a smooth sauce.
- Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for 5 mins. Stir through the egg and season with salt and pepper.
5. Layer the eggplant and mushroom mixture in a large casserole dish, it should create about three layers.Then top with white sauce. Bake in the oven for 40-45 mins or until golden.
Notes
- For a vegetarian option, you can substitute the mince for lentils. 1 cup of lentils (400g tin) has the same amount of protein as 100g of raw mince.
- For a gluten-free option swop the plain flour for a glutenfree flour
- for a dairy-free option swop the milk for soy or nut-based milk