Recipe: Mock Moussaka

Mock Moussaka

Yield: A mess of moussaka, about three-quarters of a slow cooker full

Moussaka is usually a very beautiful layered Greek dish. This recipe lets you enjoy all the flavor of moussaka without all of the work.

About 3 pounds eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1-1/2 pounds ground beef, lamb, or turkey
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
one 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
one 6-ounce can tomato paste
1/3 cup chopped black or green olives (kalamata are delicious in this recipe)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup packed chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar

For the topping:

2 to 3 ounces feta cheese, to your taste, crumbled
3 sprigs fresh dill, chopped

To prepare the eggplant, salt both sides of each piece and place in a colander in a single layer for about 1 hour to drain. Rinse, pat dry, and set aside.

Brown the beef in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Drain off the fat and liquid and remove the meat to a bowl or plate. Using the same skillet (you needn't thoroughly clean it), cook the onion and garlic, stirring, over medium heat until softened. To make the sauce, add the rest of the ingredients, except the feta cheese and dill, and simmer until hot and slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.

Layer in the slow cooker in this order: sauce, eggplant, beef, sauce, eggplant, beef, sauce. Sprinkle the feta cheese on top and the dill on top of that. Cover, set on low, and cook for 7 to 9 hours or set on high and cook for 2 to 3 hours.

from:
Lora Brody Plugged In
by Lora Brody
William Morrow and Company, $25.00
384 pages; 1998
Recipes and photos reprinted by permission.