Dead simple recipes: Lassaka
Or, a lasagne-like moussaka. Delicious, and low-carb, too, if you mind about such things; this has also been called "marry me -food". This recipe is adapted from a similar one I spotted a few years ago on, hilariously, a weight-loss site that was heavily focussed on no-fat, no-joy cooking. Go figure.
For one large oven pan you'll need:
2 big, handsome eggplants; sliced
500 grams (1 pound / 17 ounces, I think) of ground meat - pork, beef, whatever
2 tablespoons pureed tomato
250 grams (0.5 pound) bacon; chopped
1 big yellow onion; chopped
3 garlic cloves, or to taste; chopped
-also broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini if wanted
200 milliliters (7 ounces) cream
about 5 generous handfuls of grated cheese
spices to taste
First, set the oven to heat to 200 Celsius (390 F). Slice up the aubergines, either into discs or strips, and set a baking sheet on the baking pan. Sprinkle salt on the sheet, then lay the aubergine disks there, and sprinkle more salt on them - it's okay if the discs overlap a bit, or you can cook them in two batches, if you like, too. Put the baking pan into the oven so the aubergine bakes and shrinks a bit while the oven heats up.
Second, brown the ground meat in its own juices. Let the onions, garlic, and optional chopped up veggies sauté in the same pan as you do, and keep cooking the mix until the veggies are at least tender. Add the tomato paste and season as you wish, and set aside to cool a bit.
Third, heat the cream and add some two to three handfuls of shredded cheese. Season, but don't add salt. Black and green pepper, however, are excellent here.
By this time your oven should be heated and your aubergines baked. Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle some (olive) oil onto the baking sheet, then lay out the first layer of aubergine disks. It doesn't have to be a very dense layer. Then add a layer of the beef-and-veg mix, and pour the cheese sauce on. Add another layer of aubergine, and then top it with the chopped uncooked bacon and more shredded cheese.
Shove the pan back into the oven, and leave it there until you can't take it anymore - about 30 minutes should do it, although you can't really overcook this dish and it's even better the next day, in my opinion. Let it sit for about 15 minutes before digging in - some crisp salad with a vinaigrette on the side goes marvellously with this dish. As do kaipiroskas.
This was first posted here.
Talk back, or see what others have had to say... (
slips of tongue)
For one large oven pan you'll need:
2 big, handsome eggplants; sliced
500 grams (1 pound / 17 ounces, I think) of ground meat - pork, beef, whatever
2 tablespoons pureed tomato
250 grams (0.5 pound) bacon; chopped
1 big yellow onion; chopped
3 garlic cloves, or to taste; chopped
-also broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini if wanted
200 milliliters (7 ounces) cream
about 5 generous handfuls of grated cheese
spices to taste
First, set the oven to heat to 200 Celsius (390 F). Slice up the aubergines, either into discs or strips, and set a baking sheet on the baking pan. Sprinkle salt on the sheet, then lay the aubergine disks there, and sprinkle more salt on them - it's okay if the discs overlap a bit, or you can cook them in two batches, if you like, too. Put the baking pan into the oven so the aubergine bakes and shrinks a bit while the oven heats up.
Second, brown the ground meat in its own juices. Let the onions, garlic, and optional chopped up veggies sauté in the same pan as you do, and keep cooking the mix until the veggies are at least tender. Add the tomato paste and season as you wish, and set aside to cool a bit.
Third, heat the cream and add some two to three handfuls of shredded cheese. Season, but don't add salt. Black and green pepper, however, are excellent here.
By this time your oven should be heated and your aubergines baked. Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle some (olive) oil onto the baking sheet, then lay out the first layer of aubergine disks. It doesn't have to be a very dense layer. Then add a layer of the beef-and-veg mix, and pour the cheese sauce on. Add another layer of aubergine, and then top it with the chopped uncooked bacon and more shredded cheese.
Shove the pan back into the oven, and leave it there until you can't take it anymore - about 30 minutes should do it, although you can't really overcook this dish and it's even better the next day, in my opinion. Let it sit for about 15 minutes before digging in - some crisp salad with a vinaigrette on the side goes marvellously with this dish. As do kaipiroskas.
This was first posted here.
Talk back, or see what others have had to say... (
slips of tongue)