Monday, January 12, 2015

Mushroom Moussaka for Meatless Monday

You know what all those m's up there mean dontcha?

They mean Mmmmmmmmmm......

Another Meatless Monday here on the farm.  And speaking of farms doesn't that  make you think about the country?  And doesn't thinking about the country bring to mind animals and gardens and good ole home cooking?  And doesn't all of those things make you think about county fairs??

NO?

Well did me talking about county fairs make you think about them?  Yes?  Good!

Because now I can segue into my Meatless Monday recipe that I took from a cookbook called Blue Ribbon USA; Prizewinning Recipes from State and County Fairs.  This cookbook is a neat compilation of 4H prizewinners from each State being represented.  It's copyright is 2007.


The recipe I chose was from Rob Crook of Texas, who won best of show in the All American Casseroles contest at the State Fair.


Slice the eggplant and potatoes crosswise in 1/4" slices.
Place on an aluminum foil lined baking pan that has been sprayed with baking spray.
Season with salt and pepper and roast for 20 minutes.


While the eggplant and potatoes are roasting make the tomato/mushroom sauce.
Saute the onions and garlic, add the mushrooms and cook until softened.
Add the tomatoes and simmer for 10-15 minutes, then stir in the sugar and set aside.


Remove the eggplant and potatoes from the oven and set aside.


Spray a casserole with cooking spray.
Add 1/3 of the mushroom mixture.


Place the potatoes over the mushroom mixture.
Add 1/2 of the remaining mushroom mixture over the potatoes.


Add a layer of the eggplant, overlapping as necessary.


Add the rest of the tomato/mushroom mixture.


Make the cheese sauce by melting the butter and cooking the flour.
Whisk in the milk, bring to a boil and allow to thicken.
Stir in egg and cheese.


Pour cheese sauce over the layers.


Bake for 30-40 minutes.


Enjoy with Crusty Bread.


I made this recipe just as written except that I used pecorino/romano cheese instead of the parmesan.

Mushroom Mousasaka
By Rob Crook, winner of Best in Show, Texas State Fair

1 eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/4" slices
1 baking potato, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4" slices
salt and pepper to taste
4 T. butter, divided
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 t. sugar
1/3 c flour
2 c. milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 400*.  Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.  Place eggplant and potato slices on baking pan in a single layer.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

Melt 2 T. butter in a large skillet over med high heat.  Add onions and garlic, cook until translucent and fragrants.  Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook until softened.  Add the tomatoes, lower heat to med low and simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir in sugar and remove from heat.

In a large sauce pan, melt the remaining 2 T. of butter over med high heat.  Stir in the flour and cook until the raw smell is gone and the flour is starting to brown a bit.  Stir in the milk and cook over med heat until mixture thickens and comes to a boil.  Remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Take a bit of the milk mixture and add it to the beaten egg, incorporating with a fork.  Then whisk egg mixture into the milk mixture.  Stir in the cheese.

Spray a round casserole dish with cooking spray.  Ladle 1/3 of the tomato mixture onto the bottom of the casserole, top with potatoes.  Cover the potatoes with 1/2 of the remaining tomato mixture and top with the eggplant slices.  Make another layer of the tomato mixture and then pour the milk mixture over the top.  Bake at 350* for 30 minutes or until bubbly.  Print Recipe

2 comments:

  1. I love eggplant. That dish looks amazing. You are making me salivate....once again!

    ReplyDelete

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