Authentic Greek Moussaka

I love Moussaka!  I haven’t made it for many years.  So, when I saw this recipe come up in Google the other day – I just HAD to make it.  When I told my son what we were having for dinner, I called it Greek Lasagna.  My hope was that he wouldn’t ask a lot of questions.  He ate it – but wasn’t thrilled with the texture of the eggplant.  My husband and I, however, devoured it and enjoyed the left overs for lunch the next couple of days.  The eggplant really absorbs all of the flavors of the meat sauce and Béchamel, which was delightful.  This is definitely comfort food for me.  Not going to lie, there’s a lot of moving parts to this recipe.  It’s a bit time consuming.  But, the payoff is SO worth it.  Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

 

For the Eggplant: 

3 medium eggplants (I used two larger eggplants)

Salt and Olive Oil

 

For the Meat Sauce: 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef or lamb (I used lamb)

1 can (14 ounces) crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup red wine (optional)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Salt and pepper to taste

 

For the Béchamel Sauce: 

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups whole milk

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Salt and white pepper to taste

2 egg yolks, beaten

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

Directions:

 

Prepare the Eggplant: 

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice the eggplants into 1/4-inch rounds, place on a baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt. Allow them to sit for about 20 minutes to draw out bitterness, then rinse and pat dry. 

Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil and bake until golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. 

Note: I prepared the eggplant earlier in the day and set it aside, covering it with wax paper.  It was all ready to go when it came time to put the Moussaka together.

 

Make the Meat Sauce: 

While the eggplant is baking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cooking until they begin to soften. Add the ground meat and cook until browned. 

Stir in the crushed tomatoes, wine, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and pepper. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes. 

Note: You could prepare the meat sauce earlier in the day, or even the day before if that timing works better for you. 

Make the Béchamel Sauce: 

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, then bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, whisking frequently, until the sauce thickens. 

Season with nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Allow the sauce to cool for a few minutes, then whisk in the beaten egg yolks and Parmesan cheese. (I chose to temper the eggs by adding a spoon of the hot milk mixture to the eggs – one at a time – whisking in between each spoon of the hot milk.) 

Assemble the Moussaka: 

Lower the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). In a 9x13-inch baking dish, layer half of the eggplant slices, then top with the meat sauce. 

Layer the remaining eggplant slices on top. Pour the béchamel sauce over the top layer, spreading it evenly with a spatula. 

Bake the Moussaka: 

Bake the moussaka in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly. Let it cool for about 15-20 minutes before cutting into it. This helps it hold its shape when serving. 

Enjoy your delicious, homemade Greek Moussaka!

Click HERE for printable recipe. 

Pizza Cupcakes

I found the inspiration for this recipe on Mandy's Recipe Box Blog.  I’m posting the recipe as Mandy wrote it.  But, this is one of those recipes that you can make your own by choosing whatever pizza toppings you like.  I used pepperoni, cheese and a little bit of onion.  And I scattered some green onion tops over them after they came out of the oven. Also, if you don’t have pizza sauce – you can substitute your favorite pasta sauce in the jar.  I like Classico Tomato & Basil – or Trader Joe’s Marinara Sauce.

Ingredients:

1 can refrigerated Pillsbury Seamless Dough Sheets

½ cup pizza sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

½ tsp garlic powder

pizza toppings of your choice - pepperoni, ham, sausage, peppers, onions, mushrooms, pineapple, peppers etc.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Spray or grease a muffin pan and set aside.

Unroll dough sheet and cut into 8 equal squares. Press into muffin cups.

Sprinkle some cheese into each dough cup. Add 1 Tbsp. pizza sauce followed by remaining cheese and the toppings of your choice. Sprinkle garlic powder over toppings.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Carefully remove from pan.  Using a fork helps with this.

Serve. 

Click HERE for printable recipe

Mexican Lasagna (With Homemade Enchilada Sauce)

This turned out really great!  I used a couple of different recipes as my inspiration, along with my traditional lasagna making skills, to come up with this dish.  The flavors really compliment each other and this is a lot easier than making traditional enchiladas – and Italian Lasagna, for that matter.  As an added bonus – the homemade enchilada sauce recipe is to die for!  So easy to make and so much more flavorful than the canned version.  That said, if you’re in a rush – you could used canned enchilada sauce too.  Whatever works best for you. Cheers!

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 1/4 pounds 93% lean ground beef or ground turkey

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, chopped (about 1 cup)

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced or grated

1 (7-ounce) can diced green chiles – mild or medium depending upon your liking

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

18 (6-inch) yellow corn tortillas

2 cups coarsely grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 8 ounces)

2 cups coarsely grated mild cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)

Or – you could use 4 cups of a Mexican Cheese mixture or even Pepper Jack if you want to add a little extra zing

Homemade Enchilada Sauce (Recipe Follows)

To serve: Sour cream, Avocado or Guacamole, Cilantro and Salsa if you’d like.

Directions:

I start by making the Enchilada Sauce so it’s ready to use had a chance to cool down.  (Recipe follows)

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan or cast iron frying pan on medium high heat. Add the ground meat, breaking it up as you add it.

Season with the salt, chili powder, cayenne, cumin, and coriander. Increase the heat to high. Continue cooking until the meat is cooked through.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pan to a bowl. Set aside.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the empty pan used to cook the meat and set over medium heat. Add the onions and chopped bell peppers. Cook until onions have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, green chilies and oregano.  Cook for an additional minute or two.  Add the meat back to the pan and mix well.  Turn off burner.

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Assemble the casserole in a 9 x 13 baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Assembly instructions: Put a small amount of enchilada sauce in the dish to give a base for the lasagna.  Just enough to lightly cover the bottom of the dish.

I cut 2 tortillas in half so they fit in the dish better.  Placing the cut edge of the tortilla on the perimeter edge of the casserole dish.  Then place 2 whole tortillas over those to cover the bottom of the dish.

Place half the meat mixture evenly over the tortillas.  Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over the meat.  Add another layer of tortillas exactly like the first layer.  Pour about half of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas.

Place the last half of the meat mixture over the tortillas and sauce.  Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over that.  Add the last layer of tortillas.  Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas.  Top with the last third of the cheese.

Bake casserole on the middle rack in the oven at for 35 minutes, until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is completely melted and bubbling.

Let the casserole stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Serve with sour cream, chopped avocado and/or guacamole and chopped cilantro.  Could also use salsa if you’d like.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

I found this recipe on the Cookie and Katie website.  You can view it HERE

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons flour (whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and gluten-free flour blends all work!)

1 tablespoon ground chili powder (scale back if you’re sensitive to spice or using particularly spicy chili powder)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon salt, to taste

Pinch of cinnamon (optional but recommended)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups vegetable broth (I have used chicken broth on occasion and it turns out just as well.  Just depends on whether or not you want to keep it vegetarian/vegan)

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

This sauce comes together quickly once you get started, so measure the dry ingredients (the flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt and optional cinnamon) into a small bowl and place it near the stove. Place the tomato paste and broth near the stove as well.

In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, warm the oil until it’s hot enough that a light sprinkle of the flour/spice mixture sizzles on contact. This might take a couple of minutes, so be patient and don’t step away from the stove!

Once it’s ready, pour in the flour and spice mixture. While whisking constantly, cook until fragrant and slightly deepened in color, about 1 minute. Whisk the tomato paste into the mixture, then slowly pour in the broth while whisking constantly to remove any lumps.

Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, whisking often, for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit and a spoon encounters some resistance as you stir it. (The sauce will thicken some more as it cools.)

Remove from heat, then whisk in the vinegar and season to taste with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Add more salt, if necessary. Go forth and make enchiladas! (Or in this case – Mexican Lasagna!)s

Click HERE for printable recipe.

Apple Fritter Cake

My favorite donut is an Apple Fritter.  The sweet delicious apples folded into the doughy goodness is so warm and comforting.  While perusing the internet for recipes one day, I came across this recipe for Apple Fritter Cake – which is a soft apple filled cake, with a crispy sugar glaze! Your favorite old fashioned doughnut in cake form!

Ingredients:

For Filling:

2 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored and cut into bite-sized chunks) 

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

small pinch freshly grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons water

Plus

1/2 cup brown sugar (I used a 1/4 cup each of dark and light)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For Cake:

1/3 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup greek yogurt (you could use plain yogurt as well or sour cream)

For Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Make your filling by combining apples, sugar, water, cinnamon and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Cook on low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened and the apples are a bit soft. Set aside to cool. 

In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together until well combined and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9×13 baking dish. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add applesauce and vanilla and mix till combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift the dry ingredients together. Add the dry ingredients to the batter in three parts alternating with the yogurt in two parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat until just combined.

Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan. Spoon the cooled apple mixture over the batter carefully and spread as evenly as possible. Sprinkle 2/3 of brown sugar cinnamon mixture over apples and cover with the rest of the batter. Sprinkle the rest of the brown sugar cinnamon mixture over the top.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the glaze. In a bowl, mix the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until the glaze is desired consistency. 

When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately but carefully pour onto hot cake. Try to pour as evenly as possible. You might have to pick up the cake and tilt it to spread the glaze evenly. I even poured some out that pooled at the corners and repoured that over the top. Let the cake sit for a while for the glaze to set before serving.

Click HERE for printable recipe.

Individual Pavlova with Whipped Cream & Fresh Fruit

I needed a sweet treat for a dinner I attended recently.  One of our girlfriends is gluten intolerant, so I wanted to find a dessert that would work for all of us.  Pavlova with whipped cream and fresh fruit came to mind.  So, to the internet I ran – and found this recipe here: The Foodie Affair.  It came together quite easily. The sweet meringue combined with the rich whipped cream and fresh fruit was a hit with the girls.  I will be making these again!

Ingredients:

5 Egg Whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter

pinch of salt

1 cup granulated sugar superfine (blend regular sugar if you don’t have superfine)

Whipped Cream Filing

1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-3 cups assorted fruits (I used strawberries, blueberries and kiwi)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. For same size nests, draw 3 inch circles on the parchment paper and turn the paper upside down.

Pavlova Nests:

Beat the egg whites at medium speed until foamy. Add salt and cream of tarter, and beat at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add sugar one tablespoon at a time and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Put meringue in a pastry bag with a decorator tip (recommend Wilton 1M). Outline the nests and fill the bottoms with meringue. Build up the nests with two rows of meringue.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the nests are dry to the touch. Turn off the oven and leave the nests in the oven for 2 hours to continue to dry out.

Whipped Cream Filling:

Beat the heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract on high speed until soft peaks form. Pipe the filling into the nests.

Top with fruit and enjoy right away.

Note: I didn’t get fancy by piping the meringue or whipped cream filling.  I simply used a scoop to ensure equal sized meringues.  Then, I used a spoon to create the nest.  For the whipped cream filling, I used a spoon to fill the next and then placed the fruit on top of that.  Although not showing the picture, ultimately I placed a dollop of whipped cream on top of the fruit as well.

The nests can be made and stored in airtight containers for several days before serving. The whipped cream filling can be made a day before filling the nests. Assemble right before enjoying, so the whipped cream does not soften the meringue nests.

Click HERE for printable recipe.