Welcome to the realm of culinary delights, where we embark on a journey to uncover the secrets of the exquisite dish known as "Mushroom and Eggplant Moussaka." This tantalizing casserole, a symphony of flavors and textures, originates from the sun-drenched shores of the Mediterranean, where it has captivated hearts and taste buds for centuries. In this article, we will guide you through the culinary labyrinth, providing expert tips and insights to help you create a "Mushroom and Eggplant Moussaka" that will leave you and your loved ones spellbound. From selecting the finest ingredients to mastering the art of layering and baking, we will unveil the secrets to crafting a moussaka that is both visually stunning and bursting with flavor.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
EGGPLANT AND POTATO MOUSSAKA
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 1h35m
Yield 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- Place the eggplant slices in a large bowl and cover with water. Add 1/2 cup of salt and agitate gently to combine. Let stand for 20 minutes, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.
- While the eggplant is soaking, heat 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a large skillet and, working in batches, add the potato slices and cook until lightly golden on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper-lined plate to drain and repeat with any remaining potato slices. Season lightly with salt.
- Place 1 cup of the flour in a bowl and dredge the eggplant slices in the flour. Shake to remove any excess flour. Add 1/4 cup of the remaining oil to the skillet and, working in batches, fry the eggplant slices until golden on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Add more oil to the skillet as needed in 1/4 cup increments. Repeat until all eggplant has been cooked. Transfer to a paper-lined plate to drain.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet and, when melted, add the onions. Cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the ground meats, garlic, and oregano and cook, stirring to break up any lumps, until meat is browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the red wine and cook until evaporated. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, water and parsley and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost all liquid is evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and, when hot, whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring until smooth and thick. Season with salt, to taste, and whisk in the egg and egg yolk. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese and set aside, covered, while you assemble the casserole.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish and place the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the dish in an even layer. Top with half of the eggplant slices and half of the meat sauce. Spoon 3/4 cup of the bechamel sauce evenly over the meat sauce and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the cheese. Top with the remaining eggplant slices, pressing down on the layers gently with your hands to compress. Top with the remaining meat sauce and then spread the remaining bechamel sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on the top and heated throughout, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let stand for at least 40 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
MOUSSAKA WITH ROASTED MUSHROOMS
In this Balkan style Moussaka I have substituted the roasted mushroom mix for half the meat. But you can also make a vegetarian version with no meat at all. It is delicious either way, with a complex, slightly sweet Eastern Mediterranean sauce spiced with a little cinnamon, a pinch of allspice and a few cloves. Greek moussaka is topped with béchamel, which can be heavy, even gummy. But this one has a light, fluffy topping made with yogurt and eggs. There are a few steps involved here and the sauce is a long-cooking one, but you can get that started while the eggplant is roasting in the oven to speed things along or make the sauce the day before.
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Categories dinner, vegetables, main course
Time 3h
Yield Serves 8 generously
Number Of Ingredients 26
Steps:
- Heat oven to 450 degrees with racks positioned in the middle and lower third. Slice eggplants lengthwise, about 1/3 inch thick. Line 2 baking sheets with foil and brush foil with olive oil. Place slices on the foil, season to taste with salt, and brush with olive oil. Place in oven and roast until soft and browned in spots, about 20 minutes, switching the pans top to bottom after 10 minutes. When done slices will look dry on the surface but when you pierce them with a knife you should be able to see that the flesh is soft. Remove from oven and carefully fold foil up over eggplant to make a foil packet, taking care not to burn yourself. It doesn't matter if the eggplant slices pile onto each other. Crimp edges of foil so that eggplant is sealed in the packet and leave to steam inside foil for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile make the meat and tomato filling. In a large, deep skillet or casserole heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes, and add garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and raise heat to medium-high. Stir in ground beef or lamb and brown for about 3 minutes. Stir in roasted mushroom mix, tomatoes, paprika, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, sugar, bay leaf, salt and enough water to barely cover meat. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. The mixture should be thick and very fragrant. Cook uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes, until liquid in pan is just about gone. Remove bay leaf, taste and add salt and pepper, and remove from heat. Allow mixture to cooled slightly, then stir in 1 beaten egg and parsley.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 3-quart baking dish or gratin dish. Make an even layer of half the eggplant slices over the bottom, and spread all of meat sauce on top in one layer. Top with remaining eggplant. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat together eggs and yogurt, season with salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) and stir in pepper and paprika. Pour over top of moussaka, scraping out every last drop with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle grated cheese evenly over the top. Return to oven and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until puffed and golden. Serve warm.
VEGETARIAN MOUSSAKA
This recipe always gets rave reviews from vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Easy to make, but takes time. Serve with salad.
Provided by Anne Buchanan
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Greek
Time 2h
Yield 7
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Rinse and pat eggplant dry. Cook eggplant and zucchini in hot oil until lightly browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side; remove with a slotted spoon to drain on a paper towel-lined plate, reserving as much oil as possible in the skillet
- Adding more oil to skillet as needed and let it get hot. Cook potato slices in hot oil until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side; remove with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate, again reserving oil in the skillet.
- Saute onion and garlic in reserved oil until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour in vinegar, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium-low; cook until liquid is reduced in volume and thick. Stir in tomatoes, lentils, 1/2 the juice from lentils, oregano and parsley. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes.
- Layer about 1/3 of the eggplant, 1/3 of the zucchini, 1/2 the potatoes, 1/2 the onions, and 1/2 the feta into a 13x9-inch baking dish. Pour tomato mixture over vegetables; repeat layering, finishing with a layer of eggplant and zucchini.
- Cover and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
- Stir butter, flour, and milk together in a small saucepan; bring to a slow boil, whisking constantly until thick and smooth. Season with pepper and nutmeg; stir. Remove from heat, cool for 5 minutes, and stir in beaten egg.
- Pour sauce over vegetables and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for another 25 to 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 239.8 calories, Carbohydrate 25.5 g, Cholesterol 58.2 mg, Fat 11.8 g, Fiber 4.8 g, Protein 10.2 g, SaturatedFat 6.4 g, Sodium 425.7 mg, Sugar 9.3 g
MUSHROOM AND EGGPLANT MOUSSAKA
Categories Mushroom Potato Bake Sauté Vegetarian Casserole/Gratin Winter
Yield 4-6 people
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Oven 425 F 1. Line two large baking trays with heavy-duty foil and brush with oil. Put eggplant slices in a single layer on one tray and put the potato slices on the other tray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes. The veggies can be al dente. Reduce the oven to 350 F. 2. Add butter to large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 min. Increase heat to hi and add mushrooms and stir continuously and cook until soft. Add the oregano and thyme, then the tomatoes. Reduce the heat and simmer rapidly about 8 min until most of the liquid is reduced. Stir in the sugar. 3. Melt 1 1/2- 2 Tbs butter in Chef's pan. Whisk in flour and cook for about 1 min. Remove from the heat and whisk in the milk slowly. Return to the heat and cook stirring constantly until it boils and thickens. Remove from the heat and cool slightly (until the bubbles subside) and stir in the egg and parmesan cheese. 4. Oven 350 F. Grease a shallow 1.5 liter (6 cup) ovenproof dish. (I use a rectangular Corning skillet.) Spoon one-third of the mushroom mixture into the dish. Cover with potatoes and with 1/2 of the remaining mushroom mixture, then the eggplant and the remaining mushroom mixture. Pour the sauce on top and gently smooth the sauce to cover the other layers. Bake 30-35 min until the edges bubble. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
SORT OF VEGETARIAN MOUSSAKA
From Alison & Simon Holst "Very Easy Vegetarian Cookbook". Although I'm not a lover of eggplant OR mushrooms, I did enjoy this! Since I only had one small eggplant, I added in sliced zucchini (about 3 small, sliced lengthways), and because I love blue cheese, I added that to the cheddar cheese for the topping, using about half a cup of each. I'm posting the recipe as originally published, but I did enjoy my small changes! oh, also, the ingredient list separates the amounts of oil, salt, etc, I just add it as I need it! And I used the yoghurt option for the topping. As I typed, it occurred to me that a layer of thinly sliced tomatoes on top of the final eggplant layer (underneath the yoghurt topping), would probably be really nice! Try it!
Provided by Karen Elizabeth
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 50m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Slice eggplant into 1 cm thick slices, brush each side lightly with olive oil and arrange the slices on one or two baking trays. (Ditto for zucchini, although I sliced them lengthways).
- Place in the oven and bake for 15 - 20 minutes until eggplant is soft and beginning to brown slightly. Remove from oven.
- While the eggplant bakes, peel and slice the onion, heat oil in frying pan, add onion and garlic, and sautee, stirring frequently, until onion has softened.
- Stir in sliced mushrooms and cook gently until mushrooms have wilted. Add pesto, salt and pepper to taste, cook for another moment or so and remove from heat.
- Lightly oil or non-stick spray a 25x30 cm casserole dish. Arrange half the eggplant (and zucchini) slices in a layer over the bottom of the casserole dish, cover this with the mushroom mixture and finish with the remaining eggplant/zucchini slices.
- Mix the sour cream or yoghurt with the egg and salt together in a small bowl. Pour and spread this over the layered mixture, then sprinkle the top with the grated cheese.
- Bake at 200 C for 20 mins or until the top is bubbly and turning brown. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 5 - 10 minutes.
- Serving suggestion : salad and crusty bread.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 299.6, Fat 27.6, SaturatedFat 11.4, Cholesterol 91.2, Sodium 737.3, Carbohydrate 6.7, Fiber 1.3, Sugar 4.2, Protein 8.2
LENTIL AND EGGPLANT MOUSSAKA
Enjoy a Mediterranean-inspired dish from my book The Lenten Cookbook (Sophia Institute Press 2021), co-authored by Scott Hahn.
Provided by chefdavidgeisser
Categories Eggplant Recipes
Time 1h50m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch eggplant slices in the boiling water for 1 minute. Rinse slices under cold water, then drain on paper towels.
- Blanch tomatoes in the boiling water for 1 minute. Rinse in cold water, then remove skins. Cut tomatoes into quarters and remove and discard the cores. Chop tomatoes coarsely.
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add lentils and tomato paste; sauté briefly. Add vegetable broth, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add chopped tomatoes, zucchini, savory, cinnamon, and cumin. Cover, increase heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 more minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Pour 1/2 of the lentil mixture into the bottom of a large oven-proof dish. Cover with 1/2 of the eggplant slices. Pour remaining lentil mixture over top and cover with remaining eggplant slices.
- Mash feta cheese with a fork; mix with yogurt and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Spread over the eggplant layer.
- Bake in the center of the preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 509.6 calories, Carbohydrate 49.1 g, Cholesterol 225.1 mg, Fat 25.5 g, Fiber 18.8 g, Protein 26.7 g, SaturatedFat 10.1 g, Sodium 636.5 mg, Sugar 18.9 g
MUSHROOM MOUSSAKA
This is from the original Moosewood Cookbook. It's a bit of a production but it's so worth it. I make it for special occasions and potlucks.
Provided by windhorse23
Categories Vegetable
Time 1h50m
Yield 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Salt the eggplant lightly and bake on an oiled cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until tender.
- Saute the mushrooms in the 3 tbps. of butter along with the onions and garlic.
- Add the tomato paste, parsley, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, cinnamon and wine. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed.
- Add the bread crumbs, parmesan and beaten eggs. Remove from heat.
- Make a white sauce. Melt the 1/2 cup of butter over a low flame. Whisk in the flour. Then whisk in the milk. Keep whisking until thick.
- Beat in the egg yolks.
- Butter a large casserole dish. Cover the bottom with eggplant slices, then half the mushroom sauce. Add remaining eggplant and cover with remaining mushroom sauce. Top with white sauce. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and extra grated cheese if desired.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, covered with foil. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes longer.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 270.9, Fat 15.7, SaturatedFat 8.7, Cholesterol 150.7, Sodium 440, Carbohydrate 23.6, Fiber 6.6, Sugar 7.5, Protein 11.3
Tips:
- Use firm, fresh eggplants. Look for eggplants that are heavy for their size and have smooth, shiny skin.
- To remove the bitterness from eggplants, salt them and let them sit for 30 minutes before cooking.
- Don't overcrowd the pan when cooking the eggplant slices. This will prevent them from cooking evenly.
- Use a good quality tomato sauce for the moussaka. You can use a store-bought sauce or make your own.
- Layer the moussaka in a casserole dish and bake it until the top is golden brown and the vegetables are tender.
- Serve the moussaka hot or at room temperature. It can also be served chilled.
Conclusion:
Mushroom and eggplant moussaka is a delicious and versatile dish that can be served as a main course or a side dish. It's a great way to use up leftover vegetables and it's also a good source of protein and fiber. With its rich flavor and creamy texture, this moussaka is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.
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