Meatless Moussaka
- 2 eggplants (about 1 1/4 lbs. each)
- salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 2/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumb
- Ligthly grease a 1 1/2 cup straight-sided casserole or charlotte mold; set aside.
- Cut stems from eggplants and quarter each lengthwise.
- With a sharp knife cut pulp from skin leaving a 1/4 inch thick shell intact.
- Chop pulp, place in colander; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss. Let drain for about 30 minutes.
- Fill a Dutch oven about half full of water and heat to boiling.
- Drop in skins, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes; drain.
- When cool enough to handle, use a spoon to gently scrape remaining pulp from skins; discard, set skins aside.
- In a large skillet heat oil.
- Add mushrooms and onions; saute 5 minutes.
- Stir in tomatoes and cinnamon; reduce heat to low.
- Squeeze eggplant pulp to remove moisture and add to skillet.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.
- Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in milk and stir constantly until mixture thickens; add nutmeg.
- Stir white sauce, eggs, cheese, bread crumbs and 1/4 teaspoon salt into skillet with eggplant mixture until completely combined.
- Remove from heat; set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line casserole with skins, arranging vertically (skin sides against the mold) along bottom and up sides; overlap edges slightly.
- Spoon eggplant mixture into center;fold any overhanging skins on top of filling.
- Put casserole in baking pan on oven rack. Fill baking pan with hot water.
- Bake 1 1/2 hours.
- Remove casserole from oven; let stand 10 minutes; spoon off any drippings.
- *Can be made ahead to this point. Cover and refrigerate up to 48 hours. To reheat, put 1 inch of water in a Dutch oven; heat to boiling.Uncover mold and set into water.Heat until water simmers. Cover pan; reduce heat and cook until eggplant is heated through, about 45 minutes.).
- Invert onto serving dish; cut into wedges to serve.
eggplants, salt, olive oil, fresh mushrooms, onion, tomatoes, cinnamon, butter, flour, milk, nutmeg, eggs, parmesan cheese, fresh breadcrumb
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/meatless-moussaka-227668 (may not work)