Vegetarian Moussaka Recipe Healthy Vegetarian Recipes On Video
Instructions
1.If you are using dried lentils in your healthy vegan recipes, they must be fully cooked before you begin. Lentils do not need to be soaked before cooking, but if you like to it doesn't hurt to soak them for an hour. This will reduce their cooking time by about 10 minutes.
2.If they've been soaked, drain the beans, and then add enough water to cover them by 2 inches. Gently boil them with NO salt. You can add a bit of kombu (seaweed) to the cooking water while they boil for improved digestibility. Lentils will take about 30 minutes to cook.
3.If you are using canned, look for a can that does not have any salt listed in the ingredients. Some varieties are actually cooked with kombu, which is ideal. Be sure to rinse and drain the beans before using them.
4.Start by heating a large saucepan to medium and sauteeing the eggplant slices in olive oil until soft and golden on both sides. Remove them from the pan, then saute the onion in olive oil until soft. Add the garlic and cook until lightly. Saute the celery lightly next, then add the tomatoes and lentils. Season with salt & pepper, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes or so. Stir the parsley in at the end. *Note you can save some time, but add a pot to your sink of dishes, by sauteeing the eggplant in another pan while the sauce cooks instead of the same pan beforehand.
5.Meanwhile, make the sauce by warming another pot and adding the oil. Sprinkle the flour into the pot while stirring. Use just enough flour that it starts to form a ball. Allow the flour to cook lightly until it is slightly darker in color. Add the water in stages, stirring as you add to make sure the flour combines smoothly. Once you have added all the water, cover the pot and allow the sauce to cook for 10 minutes or so. The sauce is fully cooked when you can no longer feel the graininess of the flour in the sauce. Once it is cooked, season the sauce to taste.
6.Assemble the moussaka by layering the eggplant slices and lentil-tomato sauce in an ovenproof dish. End with a layer of eggplant on the top. Pour the sauce over the eggplant and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees F. I hope you enjoy this vegetarian moussaka recipe, the latest of my healthy vegetarian recipes.
