Cool!
Mousakka.... the only caserole I know..
INGREDIENTS
3 Medium sized eggplants (unpeeled)
4-5 Medium sized (peeled)
2 Large - chopped fine
1 Can Tomato paste
1/4 Cup Red wine
1 Cup Parmesan cheese - freshly grated
1 lb. Ground beef
3 T Fresh parsley - chopped fine
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
Dried bread crumbs
White Sauce (recipe below)
PREPARATIONS
EGGPLANT: Rinse under cool water. Set aside to dry or pat dry with paper towel. Cut off ends. Slice about 1/2 inch thick rounds.
(Some people feel that eggplant has a slight bitterness; to counteract this possibility, I lay out the slices on paper towels and VERY LIGHTLY sprinkle with salt and let stand for about 15 minutes. Then LIGHTLY sprinkle with pepper.)
Fry eggplant QUICKLY in butter or cooking oil until golden brown. You want the eggplant to remain firm. Remove to a platter.
POTATOES: Peeled and sliced THIN. Keep them in a bowl of cool water to prevent browning while assembling the moussaka. Before assembling moussaka, drain potatoes thoroughly.
GROUND BEEF: In order to cut down the use of "fat", I sprinkle my skillet with a light dusting of salt and then brown the meat over medium high heat.
ONIONS: Add onions to skillet, reduce temperature, and cook for about 10 minutes.
TOMATO PASTE: Dilute the tomato paste with the wine and about 1/2 cup of water.
Add the parsley and cinnamon; salt and pepper to taste. Pour over meat and onions. Simmer over LOW heat, stirring frequently until liquid is completely reduced. Remove from heat.
WHITE SAUCE
4 T Butter
6 T Flour
2 C Hot milk (not boiled)
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 Egg yolks, well beaten
Dash of Nutmeg
SAUCE PREPARATION
In medium size bowl, beat the egg yolks with your whisk; set aside.
In medium size sauce pan over medium heat, melt 4 Tablespoons butter and blend in the flour, stirring steadily until butter is absorbed into the flour. Add salt.
When bubbling slightly, REDUCE heat to LOW; add the hot milk SLOWLY, stirring constantly. Continue cooking over low heat until smooth and thickened to medium consistency.
Remove from heat and add nutmeg.
Pour finished sauce over the beaten egg yolks SLOWLY and stir constantly. Set aside.
LIGHTLY grease (I use vegetable oil) the roasting pan. Sprinkle a layer of bread crumbs on bottom of roasting pan.
Beginning with eggplant, begin layering: eggplant, potatoes, meat. Each layer should be sprinkled lightly with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Your TOP layer should be eggplant.
POUR white sauce evenly over the top. The sauce will form a thick crust on top of the Moussaka when baked.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bread crumbs.
BAKE at 375 degrees for 1 hour, or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and let stand about 15 minutes before cutting into squares.
Easy Lasagna
8 ounces lasagna noodles
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 jar (about 16 ounces) spaghetti sauce, your favorite
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside. In a large skillet, brown beef, onion, drain well. Stir in spaghetti sauce. In a 2-quart buttered baking dish (about 11x7x2-inches), layer 1/3 of the lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the sauce and 1/3 of the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheeses. Repeat layers twice. Bake lasagna for 30 minutes, or until thoroughly heated and bubbly. Let stand for 8 to 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Serves 6 to 8.