Moussaka (Greek Lasagna)

I prepared this one Sunday afternoon and froze it before baking it. The other day, I knew I was going to be too busy to prepare a meal when I got home, so I took the frozen Moussaka out of the freezer and placed it in my oven on a "delay timer." I had the Moussaka finish baking about 30 minutes before dinner so it could "set"...most people cut lasagna and such too early, which will make it runny. If you like Greek food, you will love this!

EGGPLANT LAYER:
3 large eggplants
Pinch of Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Coconut oil or butter
MEAT LAYER:
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lemon, sliced in thin circles
1 handful fresh oregano leaves, chopped
2 handfuls fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb or grass fed beef
2 cups finely chopped mushrooms
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 (16-ounce) can Contadina Thick and Zesty Tomato Sauce
CHEESE SAUCE:
4 TBS Butter
1/2 cup beef broth
2 eggs, separated
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 to 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
Pinch of nutmeg

To prepare the eggplants: Cut off the stems, remove the skin with a vegetable peeler, and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Season all the pieces of eggplant with salt and pepper on both sides. Coat a large skillet with oil and heat over medium flame. Fry the eggplant in a single layer, turning once, until brown on both sides. Drain the eggplant as they cook on a paper towel-lined platter. OR Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare eggplant into 1/2 inch thick slices, lay on greased cookie sheet, sprinkle with salt and bake in oven for 15 minutes or until soft.

Meat Layer: Add a little more oil to the pan and toss in the onion, garlic, lemon slices, oregano, and parsley. Cook and stir until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the ground lamb and mushrooms (this will "lighten" the dish) stirring to break up the meat; season with salt and pepper, and toss in the cinnamon stick. Stir in the tomato sauce. Simmer until the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.

In a saucepan, combine 4 TBS butter and broth; cook over low heat. Beat egg yolks, and combine with cheese and nutmeg; add to saucepan. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into sauce.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with 1/3 of the eggplant slices; they should completely cover the bottom. Spread 1/2 of the meat sauce over the eggplant, evening it out with a spatula. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the cheese sauce. Repeat the layers again, ending with a final layer of eggplant. Cover the top with a nice even layer of Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the top is golden. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings.


NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving) =
Traditional Moussaka = 416 calories, 24g fat, 13g protein, 37g carbs, 9g fiber (28g effective carbs)
?Healthified? Moussaka = 421 calories, 23.3g fat, 37.6g protein, 16.9g carbs, 7.5g fiber (9.4g effective carbs)

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