Meatless Monday: Moussaka

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Courtesy of Cooking Light

Personal Note: Have you ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding?? Please please please tell me you have. Remember at the begging where she was reminiscing about her childhood and how the pretty blonde girls would have their white bread sandwiches and she had to bring moussaka for lunch? Those mocking, pretty blonde girls didn’t know what they were missing (as many kids don’t know what their picky tastebuds are missing)! Moussaka is awesome! It’s tomatoey, bulgury, roasted eggplanty, spicy goodness topped with a cheesey/eggy layer. Beat that white bread with your nutritionally-void self!

Plan of Attack:

1. Roast eggplant

2. Cook bulgar layer

3. Create top layer

4. Combine together and bake

Ingredients for 4:

1 ½ Eggplant, sliced ¼”

2 Tbsp olive oil

Cooking Spray

Bulgar layer-

1 yellow onion, diced

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

½ C uncooked bulgar (found on the grain/baking aisle, could sub 4 servings cooked rice)

¼ tsp ground allspice

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

2 C veggie broth

2 tsp chopped fresh oregano

1 (14.5oz) can No-Salt-Added diced tomatoes, undrained

Salt to taste

Top Layer-

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 C milk

2 Tbsp grated Romano Cheese

½ tsp salt

1 egg

Instructions:

1. Preheat broiler to Hi
2. Sprinkle eggplant with olive oil and place on a foil-lined baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Broil 6-7 minutes on each side until browned; set aside
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
4. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 8 minutes
5. Add bulgar and brown for 3 minutes
6. Add allspice, cinnamon and cloves; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly
7. Add veggie broth, tomatoes and oregano, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes
8. While bulgar mixture thickens, melt butter in another skillet over medium heat
9. Whisk in flour, 1 Tbsp at a time, until well incorporated
10. ¼ C at a time, add in milk, whisking after each addition to remove lumps
11. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes to thicken
12. Stir in romano cheese and salt, whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to set for 5 minutes to cool, then whisk in egg until smooth again; set aside
13. Arrange ½ of eggplant slices on the bottom of a 8x8 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Top with all of bulgar mixture and evenly smooth the top. Top with remaining eggplant slices and then finally top evenly with creamy egg mixture
14. Bake for 40 minutes, remove from oven and increase temperature to 475 degrees. Return to oven for 4 minutes to brown the top.
15. Remove from oven and allow to set for 10 minutes
16. Enjoy!

P.S.- It was REALLY good cold for lunch the next day!

Nutritional Info per serving:

343 calories

13.1g total fat (4.2g saturated)

11.4g protein

47.8g carbohydrates

13.4g fiber

583mg cholesterol

Food for Life,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at at time