Veggie Moussaka
with Cheat's Garlic Bread
Ah Greece! Cradle of western civilisation. Developing place of democracy. There's no denying that some great stuff came out of Greece, not least the moussaka! It's Mimi's absolute favourite and she's created this veggie version packed with awesome aubergines and lovely lentils. It's perhaps not on the same scale as the Parthenon but a lot tastier. Enjoy!
The quantities provided above are averages only.
Boxes and ingredients are packed in facilities that handles Peanut, Nuts, Sesame, Fish, Crustaceans, Milk, Egg, Mustard, Celery, Soya, Gluten and Sulphites. Due to the war in Ukraine, it has been necessary to substitute sunflower oil with rapeseed oil in some products without a label change. The FSA have advised that allergic reactions to rapeseed oil are rare.
Ingredients
1
Aubergine
(May contain traces of: Celery)
1
Onion
1
Courgette
(May contain traces of: Celery)
1
Yellow Pepper
2
Garlic Clove
½
Oregano
20
Tomato Puree
1
Cinnamon Stick
50
Red Lentils
1
Worcester Sauce
(Contains: Cereals containing gluten)
½
Chopped Tomatoes
1
Ciabatta
(Contains: Cereals containing gluten May contain traces of: Cereals containing gluten)
40
Grated Hard Italian Style Cheese
(Contains: Milk, Egg)
½
Vegetable Stock Pot
(Contains: Celery, Sulphites)
1
Creme Fraiche
(Contains: Milk)
Utensils
Cooking Instructions and Tips
Preheat your grill to high. Cut the aubergine into 1cm thick slices. Halve, peel and chop the onion into ½cm pieces. Remove the top and bottom from the courgette and chop into ½cm chunks. Halve, then remove the core from the yellow pepper and chop into 1cm pieces. Peel and grate all but one garlic clove (or use a garlic press). Pick the oregano leaves from their stalks and finely chop (discard the stalks).
Put the aubergine slices on a baking tray in a single layer and drizzle over some oil. Season with a pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper. Grill for 8-9 mins on each side, until browned and soft. TIP: Keep an eye on them to make sure they don't burn. If they aren't soft after this time, just leave them under your grill for a little longer. Remove and set aside.
Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Put a drizzle of oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add the onion. Cook until soft, 5 mins. Add the courgette and pepper with a pinch of salt and some black pepper. Cook until soft and slightly browned, 5 mins. Add the grated garlic, oregano, tomato purée and cinnamon stick. Cook for 1 minute more.
Next, add the red lentils, Worcestershire sauce, vegetable stock pot and diced tomatoes. Refill the tin(s) a third with water and pour that in too. Add a pinch of sugar (if you have some). Simmer until the lentils are soft, 15-20 mins. If the sauce gets too dry, just add a splash of water.
Cut the ciabatta into 1cm thick slices and place them on another baking tray. Pop them under your grill for 2-3 mins on each side, then remove. Cut the remaining garlic clove in half and rub across both sides of the ciabatta slices. We call this 'cheat's garlic bread'!
When the tomato sauce is ready, remove the cinnamon stick and transfer the sauce to an ovenproof dish. Layer over the aubergine slices. Spoon on the crème fraîche and spread it out across the top. Sprinkle over the hard Italian cheese and add a grind of black pepper. Put the moussaka under your grill for 5 mins, or until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Serve in bowls with the cheat's garlic bread on the side. Enjoy!
