Moussaka, a layered eggplant casserole, is traditional fare at every Greek taverna. The dish has hundreds of variations. Usually, slices of eggplant and sometimes potatoes are sautéed and layered with a spiced ground meat.
Helpful Hints:
You can use grated Parmesan cheese instead of feta cheese.
You can find minced garlic in the produce section of the market.
Use a stove-to-oven casserole dish. Or use a regular skillet if the handle can go in the oven.
Countdown:
Preheat broiler.
Start potatoes and eggplant.
Make meat.
Complete dish and place under broiler.
Moussaka
Makes 2 servings. Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
Olive oil spray
½ pound red potatoes, washed and cut into ½-inch cubes (about ½ cups)
1 pound eggplant, washed and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 ounces lean ground beef (95% fat-free)*
3 tablespoons tomato paste (no-salt-added)**
½ cup water
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup nonfat, plain yogurt
1 ounce crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese (¼ cup)
Preheat broiler. Heat a stove-to-oven casserole dish or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray with olive oil spray. Add potatoes and eggplant, cover with a lid and sauté 10 minutes, turning the vegetables several times. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add the onion and garlic and ground beef. Sauté 2 minutes breaking up the beef with a spoon. Mix tomato paste and water together and add to meat. Blend well. Add cinnamon and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and spoon yogurt evenly over the meat and vegetables. Sprinkle feta cheese on top. Place under broiler for 5 minutes. Watch to make sure the cheese doesn’t burn. It will become bubbly and a little brown. Remove and serve.
Per serving: 405 calories, 76 calories from fat, 8.4 g fat, 3.4 g saturated fat, 2.9 g monounsaturated fat, 62 mg cholesterol, 32.2 g protein, 55.3 g carbohydrates, 12.3 g dietary fiber, 25.4 g sugars, 341 mg sodium, 1,950 mg potassium, 469 mg phosphorus
