Vegetarian Moussaka With Ricotta Topping Recipes

QUICK MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter a 4-quart ovenproof dish. On a baking sheet, toss eggplant with 6 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer, and roast in the oven until soft and golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer eggplant to prepared dish, spreading in an even layer.
• In a large saucepan, warm remaining tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and ground meat; cook, stirring to prevent sticking, until meat is browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in drained tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, oregano, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Simmer, crushing tomatoes with the edge of a spoon, 15 minutes. Spread the mixture evenly over the eggplant.
• Heat broiler. In a small bowl, mix ricotta, feta, egg, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and a pinch of salt. Pour mixture over the casserole, and spread evenly to the edges. Broil until topping is browned in spots, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot.

MOUSSAKA: EGGPLANT CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Salt the eggplant. Spread the eggplant slices in one layer and sprinkle with salt. Let set for 30 minutes to "sweat out" its bitterness.
• Turn the broiler of your oven on.
• Prepare a large sheet pan or two and brush with extra virgin olive oil. Pat the eggplant slices dry, removing excess salt, and assemble in one layer on the prepared pan. Brush generously with olive oil.
• Place the sheet pan about 6 inches away from the broiler. Broil the eggplant briefly, turning over so that both sides are softened and golden brown (do not worry if parts of the eggplant are slightly charred, but watch carefully so it doesn't burn). Remove from the oven and set aside.
• Prepare the meat sauce. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet. Cook the onions on medium heat until they turn slightly golden brown, stirring regularly (about 5 minutes). Now add the ground lamb. Cook the lamb until fully browned, tossing regularly. Drain the lamb from any excess fat and return to the skillet. Add the dried oregano, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, and hot paprika. Stir to coat the meat with the spices. Add the wine and boil for 1 minute to reduce. Stir in the canned tomatoes, sugar, and broth. Simmer over medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 degrees F and work on the bechamel.
• Make the bechamel. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook until golden (if needed, added a little more olive oil). Gradually add the warmed milk, whisking continuously. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the nutmeg. In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of the hot bechamel mixture with the 2 eggs. Then return all to the pan and stir into the bechamel mixture. Continue to stir or whisk the mixture bringing to a gentle boil for just 2 more minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove from the heat and allow to cool and thicken a little more. (You should have a creamy, thick and smooth bechamel sauce.)
• Assemble the moussaka. When ready, lightly oil a 9 ½" x 13" oven-safe baking dish. Layer half the eggplant slices on the bottom. Add the meat sauce and spread well. Add the remaining eggplant slices. Pour the bechamel on top and spread to cover all the eggplant, then sprinkle with the bread crumbs.
• Bake. Bake the moussaka casserole on the center rack of the heated oven for 45 minutes. If you need to, transfer the baking pan to the top rack and broil briefly so that the top of the moussaka gains a nice golden brown color (watch carefully).
• Remove from the heat and let the casserole sit for 10 minutes before cutting through into squares to serve. Enjoy!

VEGETARIAN MOUSSAKA WITH RICOTTA TOPPING

Steps:

• Begin by preparing the aubergines: to do this cut them into ½ inch (1 cm) dice leaving the skins on. Place them in a colander, sprinkling with salt between each layer, then put a small plate with a heavy weight on top - this will draw out any excess juices. Meanwhile, pour the stock into a saucepan together with the Puy lentils (but no salt), cover and simmer for 15 minutes before adding the green lentils. Cover again and cook for a further 15 minutes, by which time most of the liquid will have been absorbed and the lentils will be soft. While they're cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large solid frying pan and fry the onions until they're soft and tinged brown at the edges (about 5 minutes), then add the chopped pepper and soften and brown that too for about another 4 minutes. Next add the garlic, cook for 1 minute more, then transfer the whole lot to a plate. Next transfer the aubergines to a clean tea cloth to squeeze them dry, then add a further 2 tablespoons of oil to the frying pan, turn the heat up to high and toss the aubergines in it so they get evenly cooked. When they're starting to brown a little, add the drained tomatoes and the onion and pepper mixture to the pan. In a bowl mix the wine, tomato purée and cinnamon together, then pour it over the vegetables. Add the lentils and the chopped parsley, season well and let everything simmer gently while you make the topping. All you do is place the milk, flour, butter and nutmeg in a saucepan and, using a balloon whisk, whisk until it comes to simmering point and becomes a smooth glossy sauce. Season with salt and pepper, remove it from the heat and let it cool a little before whisking in the ricotta followed by the beaten egg. Finally, transfer the vegetable and lentil mixture to the dish and spoon the cheese sauce over the top, using the back of a spoon to take it right up to the edges. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and transfer the dish to the pre-heated oven and bake on the middle shelf for 1 hour. Then allow the moussaka to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

MOUSSAKA WITH ROASTED AUBERGINES AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• First of all you need to prepare the aubergines to get rid of their high water content and concentrate their flavour. To do this, remove the stalks and, leaving the skins on, cut them into approximately 1½ inch (4 cm) chunks. Then place them in a colander and sprinkle them with about 1 level dessertspoon of salt. Now put a plate on top of them and weigh it down with something heavy, then put another plate underneath to catch the juices. Leave them like this for 1 hour. Then, shortly before the end of this time, pre-heat the oven to its highest setting. When the hour is up, squeeze out any of the excess juice from the aubergines with your hands and dry them as thoroughly as you can in a clean cloth. Next, spread them out on the baking sheet, drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over them and toss them around to get a good coating. Now pop the baking sheet in the oven and roast the aubergines for 30 minutes or until they are tinged brown at the edges. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in your largest frying pan and fry the onions and garlic gently for about 5 minutes. After that, turn the heat up high, add the minced lamb and brown it for a few minutes, turning it and keeping it on the move. Now cook the whole lot, stirring all the time, for 2-3 minutes. Then reduce the heat and, in a small bowl, mix the mint, parsley, cinnamon, tomato purée and red wine. When they're thoroughly combined, pour them over the meat, season well and cook the whole lot very gently for about 20 minutes, stirring from time to time so it doesn't catch on the base of the pan. Now remove the aubergines from the oven and reduce the temperature to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C). It's a good idea to leave the oven door open to cool it down a bit. Next, make the topping by placing the milk, flour, butter, nutmeg and bay leaf in a saucepan. Using a balloon whisk, whisk over a medium heat until everything comes up to simmering point and the sauce becomes smooth and glossy. Now turn the heat down to its lowest setting and let the sauce cook gently for 5 minutes. Then taste and season, discarding the bay leaf, remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool a little before whisking in the ricotta and egg. Give it a good whisk to blend everything thoroughly. Finally, combine the roasted aubergines with the meat mixture and transfer it all to the baking dish. Then pour the topping over, sprinkle the surface with the Parmesan and bake on the centre shelf of the oven for 50 minutes, by which time the top will be golden brown. Let it stand for 10 minutes to settle, then serve with brown rice and a Greek-style salad of cucumber, tomatoes, olives and crumbled Feta cheese dressed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice.

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• First make the tomato sauce: peel and mince onions. Saute onions in 2 Tbsp oil and 2 Tbsp butter, over moderate heat, until they are soft and lightly colored (about 8 minutes). Add mush- rooms and saute. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, parsley, seasonings and sugar.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, and the mixture is quite thick. Remove skillet from heat and let it cool completely.
• Start seasoning the eggplants: peel eggplants and slice vertically, 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle lightly with salt and let sit for 30 minutes.
• Now make the Bechamel Sauce. NOTE: The Bechamel-egg-ricotta mixture will overflow all but the largest (professional size) food processors. Use a mixer or blend by hand.Place the milk in a saucepan, and heat it just until tiny bubbles appear along the edges. Remove and set aside.
• Melt the butter in 3-quart saucepan over very low heat until foamy, being careful not to brown. Slowly add the 6 Tbsp flour, stirring constantly until smooth (3-4 minutes), and still being careful not to let it brown.
• Add the milk slowly, whipping with a wire whisk. When the mixture is thick and smooth, remove it from the heat and stir in seasonings.
• Stir ricotta cheese until it is smooth and creamy. Gently fold it into the Bechamel sauce. Stir in beaten eggs until thoroughly incorporated.
• Back to the eggplant: Rinse well with cold water; squeeze gently and pat dry. Dredge the eggplant in 1 1/2 cups flour, and saute each in olive oil until it is brown on both sides.
• Remove and discard any excess oil that has risen to the top of the tomato mixture. Lightly grease a 16x10 baking pan that is at least 3 inches deep, and sprinkle the bottom with a few breadcrumbs.
• Place a layer of eggplant in the pan, following with a layer of tomato mixture. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and grated cheese. Repeat as many times as you have eggplant to last. Pour the Bechamel-ricotta sauce over the top and bake at 300 deg. F for one hour, or until a golden-brown crust has formed on top.
• Remove moussaka from oven and let it stand undisturbed 20-30 minutes; the delay allows the layers to fuse.

MOUSSAKA WITH HALLOUMI AND RICOTTA CHEESE TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350°F.
• Slice the eggplant into 1cm slices. Brush with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes until soft.
• Chop the onion finely and fry until soft. Add the garlic and mince. Brown the mince. Add the tomatoes, basil (shredded) and some seasoning. Simmer to reduce the tomatoes to a thick sauce.
• To make the topping, grate the halloumi cheese into a bowl. Add the ricotta, flour and the egg yolks. Add a little milk if the mixture is too thick.
• Beat the egg whites until they reach the soft peak stage (not stiff peaks). Season the egg and cheese mixture and then fold in the egg white, being careful not to knock all the air out of the egg white.
• To assemble the dish, put half the meat mixture in an ovenproof dish. Add a layer of eggplant, the rest of the meat and another layer of eggplant. Pour the egg and cheese topping over the top and bake until the topping is risen and golden (about 20 to 30 minutes).
• This can also be made with beef mince or brown lentils and carrots for a vegetarian version.

VEGETARIAN MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Place the eggplant slices in a wide, flat dish and salt them generously on both sides. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes, and as long as half an hour, so the salt can draw the bitterness out of the eggplant. Meanwhile, in a large skillet on medium heat, warm the tomato sauce and add the "beef," oregano, basil, and nutmeg. Cook together for about 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to mingle. Remove from heat and set aside. When the eggplant has sat for long enough, rinse the slices off with cold water. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Saute the eggplant slices in olive oil over medium heat until beginning to soften but not yet cooked through, turning once, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and pat off any excess oil with a paper towel. Meanwhile, mix together the ricotta, eggs, and salt and pepper. When ready, lightly grease only the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and line the bottom with the eggplant slices, allowing the slices to overlap slightly. Spoon the "meat" sauce evenly over the top. Spread the cheese mixture evenly on top, then sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake in oven for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese topping is firm and golden. Cool and serve.