Name: Vegan Moussaka recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: 2-3 eggplants; 2 potatoes; 1-2 tablespoons olive oil; Salt, to taste; 1 onion, diced; 1 stick of celery, diced; 1 carrot, diced; 8-10 cup mushrooms; 5 portabello mushrooms; 3 large cloves of garlic; 2 tablespoons tomato puree; 1/2 teaspoon oregano; 1 tablespoon olive oil; Salt, to taste; Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste; Red chilli flakes, to taste; 1 teaspoon olive oil; 2 tablespoons butter; 2 tablespoons flour; 1 1/2 - 2 cups soy milk; 1/2 teaspoon mustard; 1/4 cup grated cheese; Salt, to taste; A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. (You can also use nutmeg powder instead)

This vegan Moussaka made with layers of eggplant, potato and a flavour-packed mushroom filling, topped with a luscious white sauce, is definitely a must-try.

Moussaka is a classic Greek baked dish thats typically made up of eggplant and lamb mince. Its a dish that I’ve made for years and every time I make it, I wonder why I don’t make it more often. It’s been ages since I last made it, so I decided it was time. The weather was perfect. With autumn rolling in, the days are a tiny bit cooler. And that means it’s finally ok to crank up the oven.

With the weather in my favour, now there was just one little hurdle. We no longer eat meat. I had to turn this into a really delicious Vegan Moussaka. It’s easy enough to simply sub in the lamb with TVP (textured vegetable protein) or a fake meat option from the supermarket, but we don’t really enjoy that stuff. I have used it in recipes a few times, but I much prefer using vegetables instead. So today, that’s the version I’m going to share with you.

Let’s talk about the cheese. While I do use plant based cheese in my diet, I try and keep that to a minimum. This sauce is ideally made with some cheese and I have added it to the recipe. However, the sauce is just as good even without the cheese. The flavours and textures of all the elements of the casserole work really well together and the sauce brings everything together brilliantly. So if you’re trying to restrict your intake of processed food, feel free to leave the cheese out, like I’ve done in the recipe video.

To make this recipe a little healthier and to reduce the hands on cooking time, I’ve roasted the potatoes and eggplant instead of pan frying it. This way you use less oil in the cooking process and I find that the flavours are much better.

Overall, this is a relatively easy dish to make. There are a few elements that have to be prepped and then its just a matter of layering everything and baking it off. Just allow yourself a little extra time.

Vegan Moussaka recipe

Recipe by Trisha VazCourse: Mains

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Baking Time

minutes

Total time

hour

minutes

This vegan Moussaka made with layers of eggplant, potato and a flavour-packed mushroom filling and finally topped with a luscious white sauce.

Ingredients

2-3 eggplants
2 potatoes
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, to taste
For the Mushroom filling
1 onion, diced
1 stick of celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
8-10 cup mushrooms
5 portabello mushrooms
3 large cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Red chilli flakes, to taste
For the white sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 – 2 cups soy milk
1/2 teaspoon mustard
1/4 cup grated cheese
Salt, to taste
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. (You can also use nutmeg powder instead)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 200ºC.
Peel and cut the potatoes into slices. Keep the slices on the thicker side.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the potato slices and sprinkle some salt, to taste. Toss them well and place them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet.
Slice the eggplant, drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some salt over the slices. Toss them well and place them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet.
Bake the potato and the eggplant slices for 15-20 minutes or till done. Do not overcook the vegetables.
For the Mushroom Filling –
Chop the mushrooms into a chunky dice.
Dice the onion, celery and carrots and mince the garlic.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan on medium heat.
Add the onion and saute for a couple of minutes till it starts softening.
Add the celery and carrots and let these cook off on a medium heat for about 5-8 minutes or till they have softened a bit.
Add the minced garlic and stir through.
Add some red chilli flakes, to taste, the oregano and black pepper powder. Stir through.
Add the chopped mushrooms and stir through. Let it cook off for a couple of minutes.
Add the tomato paste and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes.
Season with some salt and continue cooking for a couple of minutes.
Take the pan off the heat and set aside.
For the White Sauce –
Add the oil and butter to a pan on medium heat.
Once the butter has melted, add the flour. Stir it through and let the flour cook off for a minute or two till it develops a nutty aroma. This means that the flour has cooked off. Do not let the colour change.
Add a splash of the soy milk and stir thoroughly and then add the rest of the milk. You can use a whisk to help get rid of any lumps in the sauce.
Add some salt, to taste.
Add mustard and stir through till the mustard dissolves.
Add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Stir well.
Cook till the sauce thickens, stirring constantly.
Lastly, add the cheese (if using), stir through and take the pan off the heat.
To assemble the Moussaka –
In an 8×8 inch square baking dish, place the roasted potatoes in a layer at the bottom. Try and keep the layer even without too many gaps.
Next, layer the roasted eggplant slices over it.
Spoon the mushroom filling in an even layer over the eggplant.
Pour the sauce over the filling evenly.
Bake at 200ºC for 15-20 minutes or till the sauce is all hot and bubbly.
Take the moussaka out of the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.
Serve with a fresh garden salad and some garlic bread.
Enjoy!

Recipe Video

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Mains, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Pasta – one humble ingredient but endless ways to cook it up. It has got to be one of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen. You can serve it hot or cold, in a soup, salad or as a main. It works so well with so many different veggies, proteins and sauces. I love me some pasta and always have a couple of varieties in my pantry cupboard.

Pasta dishes can range from simple to a little more complicated. I personally, love the idea of a few simple recipes that I can use during the week. This Chicken in white sauce pasta is one such dish. With a little multi-tasking, I can serve this up in well under half and hour. Yup, you heard that right, under 30 minutes. Honestly, what takes the most time, is boiling up the pasta itself. If you don’t eat meat, you can still make this recipe, just leave out the chicken and add some mushrooms, peas or even a little spinach. A vegetarian variant turns out equally delicious.

Are you ready to check this recipe out???

Chicken in White Sauce Pasta

(Serves 4)

A single Chicken breast fillet, cut into bite sized pieces

1/4 cup green capsicum, diced

1 cup of broccoli florets

1/2 cup corn kernels

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

Salt, to taste

Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Chilli flakes, to taste

1/2 – 1 tsp Mixed herbs, or to taste

1 tsp lemon juice

1-2 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tbsp vegetable stock / water

Pasta (enough for 4 servings)

A little parsley, to garnish

A little Parmesan cheese, grated

For the white sauce –

1 tsp olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp all purpose flour

1 1/4 cup milk

1/3 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Salt, to taste

Cook your pasta according to the packet instructions. I bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Season generously with salt. Add the pasta and cook till done. Drain and reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

While the pasta is cooking, season the chicken with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Mix well.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Add the chicken and cook through, stirring occasionally, till the chicken has cooked through. Remove the chicken in a bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and quickly add the garlic.

Stir through and immediately add the green capsicum. Still through and let the capsicum cook for about a minute.

Next add the broccoli and saute well. (See note*)

Add the corn and stir through.

Season with salt, pepper, chilli flakes and mixed herbs, to taste.

Add 1-2 tbsp vegetable stock (you can also use water), stir well, cover and let the veggies steam and cook for a minute or two or till they are done to your liking. (If you are adding cooked broccoli to the pan, you can leave this step out. )

Add the cooked chicken to the pan and stir through. Set aside and cook your white sauce.

To cook the White Sauce / Bechamel Sauce –

(For detailed instructions on how to make a great white sauce, check the video above)

Add a tsp of olive oil to the pan on medium heat.

Add the butter and let it melt.

Add the flour and stir briskly, making sure the flour incorporates well with the butter and oil and that no lumps are left.

Cook this roux off for about 30 seconds to a minute or till the raw smell of the flour has gone. (Do not let it develop any color.)

Add half the milk to the pan and stir through well, making sure no lumps remain.

Add the remaining milk and whisk well.

Cook the sauce till it has thickened to your liking, whisking well.

When the sauce is done, lightly season with a little salt.

To assemble the pasta –

Add the white sauce to the chicken and veggies in the pan. Stir well. Add the cheese and mix through.

Check the sauce for seasoning and adjust, if needed.

Add the cooked pasta to the pan and stir through.

Serve your pasta in some serving plates. Finish with a light sprinkling of parsley and a grating of parmesan cheese.

*NOTE: Our broccoli is fairly tender and cooks very quickly. If your broccoli takes longer to cook, blanch or steam it before adding to the pan.

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Chicken, Mains, Recipes