Moussaka for the Masses

I've been on staycation this week, and seeing as I have so much time on my hands, I've been able to feed my foodie side...at least a little bit.

On a recent trip to Stop & Shop, I couldn't resist the special little rolling cart in the produce department piled high with pre-packaged, buy-me-today-please-or-I'll-go-bad-tomorrow deals. I snagged a package with a nice, fat eggplant and a little, skinny zucchini for a buck and change. SCORE!

When I got the suckers home, I scratched my head wondering what I was going to do with them -- and fast. Maybe a pasta dish? Some baba ghanoush? Some kind of funky eggplant bread? Taking stock of what I had in the fridge, I found some defrosted lean ground beef. Okay, another piece to the puzzle.

So I plugged the words eggplant, zucchini, and ground beef into Google, and it came back to me with the overwhelming response of -- moussaka. Of course! Dave and I had seen Guy Fieri chowing down on the stuff on an episode of "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" (love, love, love this show), and I've been dying to try it ever since.

For those who don't know what moussaka is, it's kind of like a Greek lasagna -- without the noodles. And with loads of creamy white sauce. Not the most figure-friendly meal (that bechamel sauce is a killer, but it makes the dish) -- but hey, everyone's got to splurge now and then. I tried my best to at least cut the fat from the recipe, and it came out really good; I'll give both the higher- and lesser-fat options, and you can choose.

Eggplant & Zucchini Moussaka

1 large eggplant (or 2-3 small)
1-2 small zucchinis
1 pound lean ground beef
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
2 onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced (I cheated and used 1/4 tsp of the jarred stuff)
3/4 tsp garam masala* (if you don't have garam masala, use 1/4 tsp each of cinnamon and nutmeg)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup red wine
1 egg, beaten

For the sauce:
4 cups milk (I used soy milk; lowfat or skim milk would also work)
1/2 cup butter (try the Smart Balance Butter Blend Sticks to cut the fat content)
6 tbsp flour (I used Trader Joe's 100% White Whole Wheat)
salt to taste
black pepper, to taste

1-1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp garam masala (or nutmeg, your choice)

1. Cut the ends off the eggplant and zucchini (skins on), and slice lengthwise (1/4-1/2 inch thick for eggplant, 1/4 inch thick for zucchini). Place in single layer on a baking sheet, spray with canola (or olive oil) spray, and brown under the broiler, about 10-15 minutes.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef with the salt, pepper, onions, and garlic. Once meat is brown, add garam masala and Italian seasoning. Pour in tomato sauce and wine, and mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, then stir in beaten egg.

3. Make the bechamel sauce. Heat milk (you could heat it in a pot on the stove, but I microwaved it for a couple of minutes in the glass measuring bowl to save on cleanup). Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Lower heat, and gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly until it thickens. (IMPORTANT: Do not let the flour mixture cook too much before adding the milk; the longer it cooks, the browner and "nuttier" it gets, and no longer will be a "white" sauce.) Season with salt and pepper.

4. Arrange a layer of half the eggplant and zucchini in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover with all of the meat mixture, and then sprinkle 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over the meat. Cover with the remaining eggplant and zucchini, sprinkle another 1/2 cup of cheese on top. Pour the bechamel sauce over the top, sprinkle with garam masala (or nutmeg) and the remaining cheese.

5. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

* A note on garam masala. I discovered this blend of spices about six years ago, when I had to hunt it down for a recipe for Moroccan Lentil Soup (another awesome recipe; I make it all the time in the fall/winter). While it's generally an Indian/South Asian ingredient (consisting of, at a minimum, cumin, cloves, coriander, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and sometimes nutmeg), its flavor lends a nice twist to Mediterranean cooking. At the time, I lived in Queens and was able to find a huge container of it at my local Associated grocery store. You may need to check a specialty foods or higher-end grocery store if you don't live in one of the five boroughs. Or, you could try an online store like Penzeys (excellent quality, though a bit pricey) or The Spice House (they also have some locations in the Midwest; I love the Chicago store!).

In the case of this recipe, since cinnamon and nutmeg are generally the big spice players in moussaka, I decided to try the garam masala. I'm not a huge fan of nutmeg, but its flavor mellows out among the others in the blend. I highly recommend trying it!