How to Prepare Quick Greek Moussaka

Hey everyone, it’s Brad, welcome to our recipe site. Today, I’m gonna show you how to prepare a special dish, greek moussaka. One of my favorites food recipes. For mine, I will make it a little bit tasty. This will be really delicious.

Greek Moussaka recipe - A delicious taste of Greece. Greek moussaka (mousaka) is one of the most popular dishes in Greece, served in almost every tavern and prepared in every household on. The wonderful Akis Petretzikis has a fantastic moussaka recipe using baked vegetables instead of fried to make it that little bit lighter. Moussaka by Greek chef Akis Petretzikis!

Greek Moussaka is one of the most favored of current trending meals on earth. It’s enjoyed by millions every day. It is simple, it’s fast, it tastes delicious. Greek Moussaka is something that I’ve loved my whole life. They are nice and they look wonderful.

To get started with this recipe, we must first prepare a few components. You can cook greek moussaka using 30 ingredients and 18 steps. Here is how you cook that.

The ingredients needed to make Greek Moussaka:

1. Make ready Eggplant:
2. Get 2 lbs. eggplant, peeled, cut length wise into 1/2" slices
3. Make ready 1/2 cup olive oil
4. Take Beef
5. Take 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6. Take 1.5 lbs. ground beef (or lamb)
7. Get 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
8. Take 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
9. Make ready 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
10. Prepare Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
11. Make ready 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
12. Get 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
13. Prepare 3 tbs. tomato paste
14. Get 1 cup red wine
15. Get 1 (28 ounce) can) chopped tomatoes, drained
16. Get 2 tbs. fresh mint, chopped
17. Get Potatoes
18. Take 2 lbs. potatoes, peeled, cut crosswise into 1/2” slices
19. Take 1/4 cup vegetable oil
20. Make ready Béchamel Sauce:
21. Prepare 5 tbs. unsalted butter
22. Take 1/2 cup flour
23. Take 2 cups milk (warm)
24. Take 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
25. Take 3 egg yolks
26. Take 1 cup grated Romano cheese
27. Prepare 1 lemon, zested
28. Prepare 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
29. Take 1/3 cup bread crumbs
30. Prepare 1 flat leaf parsley for garnish

A rich tomato meat sauce layered with eggplant instead of pasta sheets, and topped with a thick layer of béchamel sauce, this traditional Greek recipe. This Greek Moussaka Recipe is packed with layers and layers of eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, meat, and a creamy bechamel sauce. This Moussaka is so hearty and will surely tickle your tastebuds. Being Greek born I have tried my share of moussaka recipes over the years, this is a basic easy recipe I have been making for years and still make often, it has remained a huge family favorite.

Steps to make Greek Moussaka:

1. Season the eggplant slices on both sides with salt. Cover with a paper towel to soak up the moisture. Set aside for about 20 minutes.
2. Heat a large sauce pan over medium-high heat with a small amount of olive oil. Add the beef and the spices and begin browning the meat. Break up the meat as you cook, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a large strainer and drain off the liquid.
3. Return the pan to the heat and add a bit more olive oil and then add the onions and cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the tomato paste, mix this around, and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the wine to the pan, along with the tomatoes. Bring this to a slight boil and reduce the heat to low-medium.
5. Fold the meat in and cook this stirring occasionally until this thickens a bit, about 20 minutes. Stir in the mint and season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
6. Heat some oil in a large skillet (cast iron is good) over medium heat. Working in batches, add the potato slices and fry until tender and lightly golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Add oil if necessary. Transfer to a 9x12 baking dish or casserole dish.
7. Place the eggplant slices in the same skillet (with olive oil) on medium-low heat. Sauté them lightly on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Add oil to prevent sticking or drying out. Transfer to the baking dish.
8. For the Béchamel: - Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the warm milk gradually while stirring lightly.
9. Continue to heat this and whisk slowly until thickened. This will take several minutes. Season this with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from the heat and let the sauce cool for a few minutes.
10. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, and then add the grated Romano cheese and lemon zest and mix.
11. Fold this into the sauce pan and lightly whisk until smooth. Keep the sauce pan warm over very low heat.
12. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
13. Layer the potatoes evenly on the bottom of a large baking pan (or casserole dish). Spoon a third of the meat sauce on top and sprinkle this with a light layer of Parmesan cheese.
14. Next layer the eggplant slices evenly on top and cover with the remaining meat sauce and a light sprinkling of cheese.
15. Pour the béchamel sauce over the top and spread evenly with a large spoon. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and add a light dusting of bread crumbs.
16. Place the dish on a baking sheet (drippings), and bake at 375˚until browned and bubbly, about 45 minutes.
17. Remove from oven and let cool completely. This process will allow the pan ingredients to congeal. [Sliced portions will stay intact and not slide when serving]
18. When ready to serve, reheat oven at 350˚ and warm the entire pan for 20-25 minutes. Use a spatula to make cuts for individual servings. Top each slice serving with a sprig of parsley.

This Moussaka is so hearty and will surely tickle your tastebuds. Being Greek born I have tried my share of moussaka recipes over the years, this is a basic easy recipe I have been making for years and still make often, it has remained a huge family favorite. Learn How to make Traditional Greek Moussaka. This dish is so rich and full of flavor. Layers of potatoes, eggplants, meat and béchamel sauce.

Foods That Make You Happy

A lot of us think that comfort foods are not good for us and that we have to keep away from them. Sometimes, if your comfort food is basically candy or other junk foods, this holds true. Soemtimes, comfort foods can be very nourishing and good for us to consume. Some foods actually do boost your mood when you consume them. If you are feeling a little bit down and in need of an emotional pick me up, try some of these.

Eggs, believe it or not, are fantastic for helping you battle depression. Just be sure that you don’t toss out the egg yolk. When you would like to cheer yourself up, the egg yolk is the most crucial part of the egg. Eggs, the egg yolks particularly, are high in B vitamins. The B vitamin family can be great for boosting your mood. This is because these vitamins help your neural transmitters–the parts of your brain that dictate your mood–function better. Consume an egg and feel a lot happier!

Make several trail mix of nuts or seeds. Almonds, cashews, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etcetera are all great for raising your mood. This is possible because these foods have a bunch of magnesium which raises serotonin production. Serotonin is a feel-good chemical substance that tells the brain how to feel at any given time. The higher your serotonin levels, the better you will feel. Nuts, along with elevating your mood, can be a superb protein source.

Cold water fish are great if you wish to feel happier. Cold water fish like tuna, trout and wild salmon are chock full of DHA and omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fatty acids and DHA are two things that raise the quality and the function of your brain’s grey matter. It’s true: eating a tuna fish sandwich can earnestly raise your mood.

It’s easy to fight your bad mood when you eat grains. Millet, quinoa, barley, etc are great at helping you have a happier mood. They help you feel full also which can actually help to better your mood. Feeling famished can be awful! The reason these grains elevate your mood is that they are easy for your body to digest. You digest these grains faster than other things which can help promote your blood sugar levels, which, in turn, helps make you feel more pleasant, mood wise.

Your mood can truly be helped by green tea. You were simply waiting to read that, weren’t you? Green tea is rich in an amino acid known as L-theanine. Research has proved that this amino acid promotes the production of brain waves. This helps sharpen your mental energy while simultaneously calming your body. You were already aware that green tea could help you become so much healthier. Now you know that green tea can improve your mood also!

So you see, you don’t need to stuff your face with junk food when you want to feel better! Try a few of these tips instead.