Vegetarian Moussaka Recipe

Here's the recipe I promised. Set aside an hour to assemble the casserole, or spread the work over 2 days. Moussaka is Greece's answer to lasagna. Normally, a restaurant serving of this gorgeous casserole is 1000 or more calories and contains enough fat to make Caligula jealous. In this version, we have eliminated meat to reduce the saturated fat and used low fat substitutes when possible. Look for TVP at bulk food stores and try to purchase the non-GMO version of this soy protein. Non fat cottage cheese is often sold under the Western brand name and is a great substitute for ricotta in most recipes.

There are five steps to preparing moussaka.
1. Make the meat sauce (can be done a day or so in advance)
2. prepare the veggies
3. make the cheese sauce
4. assembly
and 5. baking

Meat Sauce:
In a scant amount of olive oil, saute 2 cups chopped onions. Add 3 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp chili powder and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Stir until very fragrant. Add 2 cups crushed, canned tomatoes, 1 cup vegetable broth, 2 tbsp oregano, 2 tsp mint leaves, 2 tsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp brown sugar and season with salt & pepper to taste. Add 2 cups TVP (texturized vegetable protein) and simmer sauce for at least 20 minutes until TVP is fluffed and looks like ground beef in the sauce.

Vegetables:
Slice a good sized eggplant into 1/4" thick rounds (you'll need about 12 - 14). Slice 2 zucchini lengthwise into 1/4" thick slices. Slice 4 medium sized, red, unpeeled potatoes into 1/4" thick slices. Steam the potatoes about 10 - 15 minutes until tender, but not mushy. Grill or broil the other vegetables until just cooked (better colour is achieved if these veggies are tossed in olive oil first but this does add calories). Set aside.

Cheese Sauce:
In a large microwaveable bowl, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add 2 tablespoons flour and mix thoroughly. Whisk in 1 can evaporated milk (I use fat free), pinch of nutmeg and salt/pepper to taste. When thoroughly blended, return to microwave for about 4 - 5 minutes, stirring half way into the time. Sauce should be bubbling and thickened by then. Whisk in 1/2 cup light feta cheese and 1 cup non fat cottage cheese until smooth again. Whip in 2 eggs, slowly to thicken sauce further. Make the cheese sauce just before you are ready to bake.

Assembling & Baking:
Grease a 13" x 9" pan. Layer potatoes in bottom, overlapping if necessary. Spread half the meat sauce over. Layer the zucchini next, then the feta, then the eggplant. Pour over remaining meat sauce. Pour cheese sauce over all. Bake, uncovered for 40 minutes at 375 degrees. Assembly can be completed up to 6 hours prior to baking. Moussaka is best if you let it rest for 30 minutes after baking as the layers will set better. Enjoy!

Note to vegans: Cheese sauce can be altered to suit vegan or lactose free diets. Use olive oil instead of butter, unflavoured soy milk instead of evaporated milk. Omit cheese & eggs, substituting 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes for parmesan and adding a vegetable boullion cube for additional flavour. Omit feta from assembly, subbing some grated rice milk cheese in mozzerella flavour if you still want that salty bite.