Paleo Moussaka

Paleo Moussaka

Don’t be put off by the long ingredient list, it’s all stuff you probably already have in your pantry. It also seems like a lot of work, it really isn’t. If you’re really good at multitasking (who isn’t these days), you can prepare in a little over 30 minutes and then you can bake it just before dinner.

Ingredients

Makes 6 generous servings

Eggplant

2 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds), peeled and sliced into ½-inch thick rounds

olive oil

fine grain sea salt

ground black pepper

Meat sauce

1 lb / 453 gr organic ground lamb or lean beef (your choice)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 can 28 oz / 794 gr diced tomatoes

2 teaspoons tomato paste

2 handfuls fresh parsley, chopped

2 teaspoons dried oregano

½ to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (to taste)

1 tablespoon red vinegar

¼ teaspoon fine grain sea salt

A pinch of ground black pepper

Paleo bechamel sauce

¾ cup / 180 ml milk (your choice, I used almond)

2 cups / 7 oz / 200 gr cauliflower florets

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

A pinch of ground black pepper

3 free-range organic eggs

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C), place a rack in the middle.

On a baking sheet toss eggplant slices with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer and roast in the oven until soft and golden about 25 to 30 minutes.

While the eggplant is roasting make the meat sauce.

In a large saucepan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat, add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Add meat and cook, stirring to prevent sticking, until meat is browned, 5 to 7 minutes (juices should run clear). Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, oregano, cinnamon, vinegar, salt and pepper and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

In the meantime make the paleo bechamel sauce. In a saucepan add cauliflower florets, milk, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and with an immersion blender, blend until smooth (be careful not to splatter yourself!)

Add eggs, one at a time, working quickly making sure that they don’t poach. It will look like a thin white foamy liquid, that’s ok, it will work out in the end, trust me.

To assemble the moussaka, lightly grease a 8 x 12 inch baking dish (or small dutch ovens, like I did). Arrange eggplant slices to form a uniform layer. Cover the eggplant evenly with half of the meat mixture. Repeat to make a second layer.

Carefully spoon the cauliflower bechamel sauce over the meat mixture and spread evenly to the edges (try not to disturb the meat mixture as much as possible).

Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes, until the top is nicely puffed and browned.

Sprinkle with some chopped fresh parsley and serve hot.