Moussaka it to Me

I love, love moussaka. Not only does it taste good, but it's also fun to say: moussaka... mooooouuusaakkkkaaa. It's been said that moussaka can be any layered dish with vegetables and meat, and certainly there are many different Greek and Italian variations with similar sounding names. Traditionally moussaka is prepared with eggplant and bechamel (a white sauce) and seasoned with cloves and cinnamon, but it's not uncommon to see it made with zucchini and potatoes. I wouldn't call my moussaka traditional (I'm not Greek), but I think it still deserves some notice.

ingredients:

1-2 medium eggplants peeled and cubed

2-3 summer squash or zucchini sliced thinly

2 medium onions diced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

4 cups seasoned mashed potatoes (I'm talking the real thing here people not the crap you buy in a box)

2 cups grated colby jack cheese

1 cup bread crumbs

2.5 pounds of ground lamb or beef

.5 cup of chicken stock (or beef stock if you are using ground beef)

1 large tomato sliced

2 cloves garlic minced

a good amount of olive oil

seasoning salt

fresh pepper



preheat oven to 350

Wash the eggplant and zucchini, then place in a large bowl or tray. Next sprinkle liberally with salt and let them sit for 30 to 45 minutes, this will remove any bitterness and it will help absorb some of the natural juices. Place the eggplant and zucchini in a large, deep baking pan and then douse lightly with olive oil. Put the pan under a broiler until the eggplant and zucchini turn light brown and become soft. remove from heat and let cool.

Preheat a frying pan or skillet over medium heat. As soon as the pan becomes hot add 2-3 tbs of olive oil and brown the meat, add the onions and mushrooms and continue to cook until onions have caramelized and the mushrooms are soft. Season with salt and pepper. Next add the stock and let simmer, then add the bread crumbs and let simmer until most of the liquid has absorbed. remove from heat.

Now then... about the mashed potatoes. You can make them fresh or you can use left overs. It is important that they be warm and soft. If you have left over mashed potatoes put them in a pot with a little milk and butter and stir over low heat until they become warm and pliable. Speaking of leftovers, you could also use left over ground beef from a taco night and/or meat sauce from spaghetti night. Just add it to the onions and mushrooms as they are sauteing. Nobody will ever know...

Next comes the fun part (it's all fun, but this part is especially fun), the layering. Go back to that huge baking pan of yours. Take the meat mixture and spread it evenly over the eggplant and zucchini. Next take the mashed potatoes and spread over the top of the meat and zucchini. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 30 min. sprinkle cheese over the top and bake for an additional 10-15 min. Remove from heat and let cool for 20 min (if you can wait that long). Garnish with fresh tomato and enjoy.