Ah Greece! Cradle of western civilisation. Developing place of democracy. There's no denying that some great stuff came out of Greece, not least the moussaka! It's Mimi's absolute favourite and she's created this veggie version packed with awesome aubergines and lovely lentils. It's perhaps not on the same scale as the Parthenon but it's a lot tastier. Enjoy!
Boxes and ingredients are packed in facilities that handles Peanut, Nuts, Sesame, Fish, Crustaceans, Milk, Egg, Mustard, Celery, Soya, Gluten and Sulphites. Due to the war in Ukraine, it has been necessary to substitute sunflower oil with rapeseed oil in some products without a label change. The FSA have advised that allergic reactions to rapeseed oil are rare.
1
Dried Oregano
7.5
Worcester Sauce
(Contains Cereals containing gluten)
1
Ciabatta
50
Red Split Lentils
1
Onion
1
Aubergine
(May contain Celery)
1
Finely Chopped Tomatoes
15
Tomato Puree
2
Garlic Clove
1
Bell Pepper
(May contain Celery)
75
Creme Fraiche
(Contains Milk)
1
Vegetable Stock Powder
40
Grated Hard Italian Style Cheese
(Contains Milk, Egg)
1
Ground Cinnamon
2
Olive Oil
7500
Water
Trim the aubergine and slice into 1cm thick rounds. Halve, peel and chop the onion into small pieces. Halve the pepper and discard the core and seeds. Chop into small pieces. Peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press).
Preheat your grill to high. Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add the onion and pepper and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until soft and golden, 6-7 mins. Add the oregano, tomato purée, ground cinnamon (see ingredients for amount) and half the garlic. Cook for 1 minute more.
Next, stir in the red lentils, Worcester sauce, vegetable stock powder and chopped tomatoes. Add the water (see ingredients for amount) and a pinch of sugar (if you have some). Stir, bring to the boil, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the lentils are soft (but still have a slight bite to them), 20-25 mins. If the sauce gets too dry, just add a splash of water.
Meanwhile, lay the aubergine slices on a baking tray in a single layer and drizzle over a good glug of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill until browned and soft, about 8-9 mins on each side. Tip: Keep an eye on them to make sure they don't burn. If they aren't soft after this time, just leave them under your grill for another 2-3 mins. Remove and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the remaining garlic with the olive oil (see ingredients for amount). Cut the ciabatta in half (as though making a sandwich) and smear the garlic oil over the cut side. When the tomato sauce is ready, transfer the sauce to an ovenproof dish. Layer over the aubergine slices. dollop over the crème fraîche and then spread it out evenly across the top.
Sprinkle the Hard Italian cheese over the moussaka and season with pepper. Grill until the cheese is golden and bubbling, about 5-6 mins. Remove from the grill, pop the garlic bread under the grill and toast until golden, 2-3 mins. Serve the moussaka in bowls with the cheat's garlic bread on the side. Enjoy!