Northwest Wine - Online Magazine
Vegan Moussaka
If there were ever a perfect vegan entrée, moussaka has to be it. This recipe has dropped the Gruyere cheese and eggs in the Béchamel sauce and the Parmesan cheese in the topping along with any beef or lamb of course. The creaminess and the spices are silk and sass in the mouth. Makes 8 servings.
Here's what you do:
1) Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2) Cut the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Salt the slices and let them "sweat" for 10 minutes. You 'sweat' the egg plant by gently salting the eggplant slices and letting them sit in a colander in the sink or on a tray for 30 minutes, then wash the salt off. This pulls out the bitterness.
3) Cut the zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices, and set aside.
4) Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is transparent and lightly browned. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and pepper. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes.
5) Lightly oil the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Peel the potato and cut it lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Layer the potato slices in the bottom of a baking dish, and spoon one-third of the tomato sauce over them. Then layer eggplant, one-third of tomato sauce, zucchini slices, and finally the rest of the tomato sauce. Drizzle the top with olive oil.
6) Cover with a baking dish lid or foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.
7) Remove from the oven and remove the cover. Ladle Vegan Béchamel Sauce over the casserole and put back in the oven to bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the top is nicely browned. Let sit a half hour before cutting and serving. Garnish each serving with lots of chopped fresh parsley.
Vegan Béchamel Sauce
1) Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and sprinkle in flour and nutmeg, stirring constantly until lightly browned and a nutty aroma arises. Whisk in the soy milk, cornstarch mixture, and salt, stirring until the mixture begins to boil; then reduce the heat and whisk until thickened. This Béchamel Sauce makes a good topping for all sorts of steamed veggies.
Source:VegCooking.com
Wine Pairings
A big Chardonnay, a Viognier or a Pinot gris would complement this entrée quite well.
Ingredient List
Here's what you need:
1 medium eggplant
2 medium zucchinis
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced
28-oz. can crushed peeled tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 large baking potato
1 tablespoon olive oil for drizzling on top
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Vegan Béchamel Sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups soy milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch diluted in 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
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