Summer Veggie Moussaka

Making the Mousaka

1. Prepping the veggies.

   1. Eggplant prep is a step that many recipes call for. However, I have found that simply removing the talk and cutting them very thinly works well. If you want, you can also salt them and put them in a colander for about half an hour. After 30 minutes, rinse off the salt and pat dry with a towel. 
   2. Heat a thin layer of oil in a pan and fry each slice on both sides for several minutes. You want them to be lightly fried and turn a nice color. After they are fried, set aside on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. 
   3. Now, do the same thing with the zucchini! Slice thinly and then fry on both sides. Set aside on paper towels. 

   Making the Red Sauce. 

   1. Set a pan to medium-high heat and add the olive oil.
   2. Take the red onion and sauté until softened and slightly colored, about 2-3 minutes.
   3. Add the base meat or veggies and continue to sauté. After a few minutes, it should brown slightly.
   4. Add the the garlic and tomato paste and sauté until the garlic starts to soften.
   5. Add the red wine to deglaze the pan. Give the wine a few minutes to cook down.
   6. Add the canned tomatoes, sugar, cinnamon, 1 bay leaf, and salt/pepper.
   7. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes You want the mixture very thick.
   8. Take off the heat and set aside. 

    

   The Bechamel. 

   1. Warm the milk in a saucepan using medium-low heat, being careful to not burn it.
   2. Using a large pan, melt the butter slowly over medium-low heat.
   3. Add the flour to the butter, making sure to whisk continuously. It should form a paste.
   4. Once the paste is formed, add warmed milk in a steady stream while continuing to whisk. Make sure to whisk until it is not lumpy. The result should be a thick cream. 
   5. Remove the saucepan from the stove and stir in the egg yolks, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and most of the grated cheese. Make sure to whisk quickly or you risk the eggs curdling.
   6. Season to taste.

   Assembling the Moussaka

   1. Heat your oven to 350.
   2. Prep a large glass baking dish, 8x12inch by buttering the bottom and sides.
   3. Put a layer of zucchini across the bottom, using all of your slices. Add all of the red sauce, spreading it across the zucchini evenly.  
   4. On top of the red sauce add your sliced eggplants. Top the eggplant with all of the béchamel sauce and smooth out.
   5. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese.
   6. Bake the moussaka for about 60 minutes or until its crust turns light golden brown. If needed, put tinfoil on the top halfway through to keep from over-browning. 
   7. Remove the moussaka from the oven and let it cool down for 15-20 minutes. 

   Ta-Da! You made moussaka!