THE Best Moussaka.

Contrary to what my absent blogging may lead you to believe, I have  actually been cooking quite a bit. Most of it has been un-blog-worthy or Carla's recipe tests!

See? see? Photo proof!

As far as my own recipes, this week I made a vegie stir fry with hokkien noodles.

I didn't write down a recipe, just threw in whatever vegies we had and added ginger, garlic, lemongrass, soy, sesame and chilli! Voila. It was pretty tasty, but even better the next day.

TODAAYYYYY I made the tastiest moussaka ever! Well. Possibly a little exaggerated, but it was my first moussaka attempt and it is pretty damn tasty, if I do say so myself. It's one of those recipes that seems like a lot of effort - but once you get going you can do everything as something else is going along... ya know!? Try it, it's worth it. 

Bug's First Moussaka:

2 large eggplants, 1/4 inch slices (yet again, I don't work in inches but this sounds about right!)

1 large zucchini, 1/4 inch slices

1 Tablespoon Cape Malay Seasoning*

Salt + pepper

2 cups sliced mushrooms

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 brown onion, sliced

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

3/4 cup passata 

2 tomatoes, diced

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon dried chilli flakes (i like spice :D)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

salt and pepper

1 cup blacked eyed peas, cooked

1 tin lentils

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

500-750mL soy milk (depending how thick you want it)

1/4 cup grated cheese (optional)

white pepper

salt

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup parmesan

1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

OK, GO!

Preheat oven to 200C.

Roast eggplant and zucchini with spices and oil until soft. About 20 minutes for zucchini, and 40 minutes for eggplant.

Fry mushrooms in olive oil until brown. Remove and set aside.

In a big saucepan, fry garlic and onion until softened. Add in tomato paste and passata and let reduce for 5-10 minutes. Add in the rest of the sauce ingredients (except lentils and peas), stir and season to taste. Remove from heat and add lentils and peas at the last minute so they don't over cook.

Make your bechamel by melting butter in a saucepan and adding in the flour. I use a whisk to combine and let the flour cook out a little. Make sure your pan is quite hot and add the milk a little bit at a time at first - and then all in one go. Whisk like crazy at first and then let thicken and whisk not so often. It shouldn't take any longer than 10 minutes. Add the cheese and seasoning at the end and season to taste. 

To assemble:

Lay half of the breadcrumbs on the base of your baking dish. Make a layer of eggplant, then zucchini, then mushroom. 

For the next layer pour all of the tomato bean mix and spread evenly. It will look like quite a lot but the eggplant will suck it up.

Add the rest of the breadcrumbs, top with your bechamel.

Finish with a sprinkling of parmesan, sesame seeds, salt and white pepper.

(if you would like to be awesome like me, then also top with 3 pretty eggplant flowers!)

Bake until browned, about 40 minutes.

* I got this from Oxfam. It's a spice mix of coriander, salt, cumin, pepper, fennel, chilli, mustard seed, cinnamon and turmeric! If you can't find it, just use a pinch of the first 5 spices.