Moussaka and Versatile Blog Award

The first time I taste this Greek plate was in a nice restaurant in Cyprus, where I spend the summer 25 years ago. I loved it, and the moment I came back home when I still have the taste in my mouth I tried to make it. Since me and my children love the “gratin food” with cheese melting with white sauce, we all loved it. Today I felt nostalgic about Greece and her lovely food, which is, with many dishes, is similar to our Lebanese Cuisine. So, I prepare the ingredients, potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes, minced meat, went to the kitchen and prepare it. Maybe the recipe is not the traditional Greek way, but I assure you it is delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant or 2 medium size, about 500 grams
• 5 potatoes, about 500 grams
• 200 grams minced beef
• 5 tomatoes
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 clove of garlic crushed
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon seven spices
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Ingredients for the white sauce:

• 100 grams butter
• 5 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 5 cups mils
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup of grated Gruyere cheese (or any other kind you like)

Preparation:

• Heat the oven to 180C
• Peel and slice the eggplant and the potatoes
• Put the olive oil in a baking tray, place the eggplant an the potatoes in the tray and place the tray in the oven for 40 minutes, turning the vegetables in the midway of cooking. I use to fry them but I found that this way it is less oily
• In the meantime prepare the meat sauce, heat the vegetable oil in a small pot, fry the onion until nice golden color, add the meat to the onion and cook gently, add the crushed garlic, season with salt and seven spices
• Peel and dice 1 tomato and add it to the mixture of onion and meat, let it cook gently on low fire, then add to tomato paste with 1/2 cup of water, cover and let it simmer on a very low fire
• Prepare now the white sauce: in another small pot heat the butter, add the flour and mix well together, add slowly the milk stirring constantly with a whisk until it thickens, season with 1 teaspoon of salt and the nutmeg
• In an tray place one layer of eggplant, then potatoes
• Slice the remaining tomatoes and place one layer of tomatoes over the potatoes
• Place now half of the meat mixture, then half of the white sauce
• Repeat the process with one layer of eggplant, one layer of potatoes, tomatoes, the meat ssauce and the white sauce, and at the end put the grated cheese
• Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, until the cheese turn nice golden.

ET VOILA..C’EST TOUT 🙂

Also, I had another pleasant surprise few days ago being nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award by dutchgoesitalian; it was especially nice for me because I admire her blog a lot! Please check it out.