Moussaka with onion-nut sauce (and potato)

6 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 pounds Onions; finely chopped
⅓ cup Walnuts; pieces, chopped
Olive oil spray
1 teaspoon Herbes de provence
¼ teaspoon Fennel seeds; optional
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Cinnamon; large pinch
16 ounces Eggplant; or more
8 ounces Zucchini; or less
1 pounds Tomatoes; peeled
2 Cloves garlic; minced
¼ cup Chopped parsley; or more to taste
Salt and pepper; optional
*** LOWFAT WHITE SAUCE ***; your recipe, or
2 cups Skim milk
¼ cup Nonfat dry milk powder; (or 2-cup 1%-milk)
2 tablespoons Unbleached flour
1 teaspoon Canola oil; or
Diet margarine; (2 to 3 tsp)
2 Eggs; or equivalent
½ cup Grated parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon Nutmeg; freshly grated
1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
Lemon zest; to taste
1 pounds Potatoes; thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Diet margarine; or olive oil, or unsalted butter

Directions

ONION-NUT SAUCE

VEGETABLES

TOMATO SAUCE

CREAM SAUCE

REST

MAKE THE ONION-NUT SAUCE: Chop and blend all ingredients in a food processor. Spray a medium non-stick pan. Saute the mixture over medium heat, stirring often, for about 10 to 12 minutes. Optional: allow mixture to brown for enhanced flavors. Adjust seasonings and set aside.

CUT VEGETABLES lengthwise into 3" by ¼" slices. GRILL/SEAR both sides over medium-high heat, adding olive oil spray or olive oil as needed. May be browned a few slices at a time or all at once, flipping often. Set aside when done.

TO MAKE TOMATO SAUCE: 1-cup of prepared tomato sauce (e.g., Mediterranean style) may be substituted; add garlic and parsley. BRIEFLY immerse tomatoes in boiling water; remove from water and peel, then dice them fine. Heat about ⅓ cup oil in another large pot over medium heat. Add tomatoe, parsley and garlic and saute without browning; let the vegetables cook down until soft (about 20 mins); add salt and pepper; set aside.

MAKE 2 cups low-fat thin white sauce. Beat eggs in a small bowl. Add about ¼ cup hot milk mixture into beaten eggs, then whisk egg mixture into milk mixture. Set aside. Stir Parmesan into the milk mixture, then season to taste with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and lemon juice.

ABOUT 1 hour before serving: wash the potato(es), peel, and slice very thin (2mm). Preheat oven to 350degF (180 C).

ASSEMBLE CASSEROLE: Spray a 15x9-casserole. Pouring about three streaks of cream sauce between each layer, and reserving most of the sauce for last, layer as follows: potatoes, onion sauce, tomato sauce, zucchini, and eggplant. Dot the top with your margarine, oil, or butter.

BAKE -- for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and the surface is nicely browned. Allow to stand for about 5 minutes before cutting. Makes 6 entrees. Could serve 8 to 10.

MasterCook estimate per sixth: 223 CALORIES: Carbs 30g; Protein 12.6g; Total fat 6⅘ g (26½%); Cholesterol 67 mg; Sodium 518 mg; Fiber 4⅘ g Modified from Vegetarian Cooking of the Mediterranean: From Gibraltar to Istanbul. By Cornelia Schinharl. (Barron's 0812098072: Hong Kong) McRecipe and tested 9/23/97 by patHanneman. Serve with fresh tomatoes and basil with a little lemon juice.

TIPS: When halving the recipe, make 1-¼ cup (instead of just 1 cup) of the white sauce; continue to halve the other sauce ingredients. In halving the recipe, I used a 12x8-inch pyrex pan, ½ of a whole zucchini, and about 3 long Asian eggplant, or enough to give me a solid layer on the top.

It baked in 45 minutes. If you don't like cinnamon, experiment with ground coriander seed or additional nutmeg.

With a salad, half this recipe easily serve 4. For a light lunch, half the recipe would serve 8.

"Serves 6" was the book's suggestion.

Recipe by: Schinharl: Veg Cooking of the Mediterranean / modified Posted to MC-Recipe Digest by KitPATh <phannema@...> on Mar 16, 1998

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