Vegetarian Moussaka

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes

Servings: 8

 

Ingredients:

One eggplant, thinly sliced

1 tsp. salt, or more as needed

1 tbsp. olive oil, or more as needed

One large zucchini, thinly sliced

Two potatoes, thinly sliced

One onion, sliced

One clove of garlic, chopped

1 tbsp. white vinegar

1 (14.5 oz.) can of whole peeled tomatoes, chopped

½ (14.5 oz.) can of lentils, drained with liquid reserved

tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp. dried oregano ground black pepper to taste

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Sauce:

One ¼ cups milk

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 ½ tbsp. butter

One pinch of ground nutmeg and ground black pepper to taste

One large egg, beaten

Topping:

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

Directions:

Slices of eggplant should be salted and left for 30 minutes. Rinse, then use paper towels to pat dry. The oven should be preheated to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Over medium-high heat, warm up the olive oil in a big skillet.

Cook zucchini and eggplant for three minutes on each side in heated oil until just faintly browned. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a dish lined with paper towels to drain while keeping as much fat in the skillet as possible.

If more oil is required, heat it in the skillet. Slices of potato should be cooked in heated oil for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Once more, reserving fat in the skillet, remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on a plate lined with paper towels. For 5 to 7 minutes, softly brown the onion and garlic in the reserved oil.

Add vinegar, boil, lower heat to medium-low, and continue cooking until the liquid has thickened and reduced in volume.

Add the tomatoes, lentils, parsley, oregano, and half of the lentil juice. Add salt and black pepper to taste. For 15 minutes, simmer with the lid on and the heat is medium-low.

In a 9×13-inch baking dish, arrange roughly 1/3 of the potatoes, 1/3 of the feta, 1/3 of the zucchini, and 1/3 of the eggplant.

Relayer the vegetables, finishing with a layer of eggplant and zucchini, and then pour half of the tomato mixture over them. For 25 minutes, bake the dish with a cover in a preheated oven.

Make the sauce in the interim: In a small saucepan, combine the milk, flour, and butter; over low heat, stir continuously until thick and smooth.

Add nutmeg and black pepper for seasoning. Let cool off the heat for five minutes, then stir in the beaten egg. Vegetables should be covered in sauce, then Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the top is gently browned.

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