Category: Casserole
GRECO – TURKISH MOUSSAKA By Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan
Moussaka is to the Ottoman Empire (think Greece and Turkey) what Lasagna is to the Italians (and Italian- Americans!). It is a slow baked, layered casserole with a rich meat sauce, sliced eggplant and a cheesy bechamel sauce. No pasta. Of course, there are many variations. In my version, I have added a layer of thinly sliced potatoes to the bottom of the dish to give the finished Moussaka a bit more structure. I didn’t invent this technique, but I encourage you to employ it as my portions of
finished Moussaka held their shape beautifully when plated. PS - This dish is a labor of love, and it will take you a bit of time to prepare. The results are well worth your efforts.(I suggest that you read through the entire recipe first and visualize the preparation and cooking steps required.)
MOUSSAKA by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan
It’s a Greek ‘lasagna’ with eggplant, no pasta and I’ll be making it for Easter Sunday Brunch. This is my first attempt at making it, so I read countless online recipes and what follows is my interpretation.
So, please don’t be offended if it’s not particularly ‘authentic...but it’s what chefs do - interpret and put our own spin on things. (insert smiley face here...)
This Moussaka is built with layers of a ground lamb & beef tomato sauce, roasted eggplant slices, sliced potatoes and all layered with a feta cream sauce. The spices are ‘Eastern’: cinnamon, allspice, cumin with a few diced dried apricots for sweetness. The sauce is like an Italian Bolognese sauce, just flavored differently. It’s a dish that will require some time in the kitchen, for which you will be amply rewarded.
FYI- I used a 9 x 12-inch baking dish. Happy Easter! Kalo Pascha!
Gratin of Potatoes with Sauerkraut by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan
This recipe began with an idea about using a new product on our produce shelves: Cleveland Kraut sauerkraut!
It’s not just any ordinary sauerkraut. No indeed! It’s colorful, flavorful, crunchy and delicious.It’s cut thicker than most other krauts and comes in a variety of intriguing flavors: whisky dill, curry, garlic and spicy to name a few. It’s a live, fermented and unpasteurized probiotic product. All those ‘good for you’ attributes, currently making nutritional headlines. I’ve made a gratin of potatoes without cream and/or cheese. I wanted the sauerkraut to not be masked by dairy fat…but I did add a bit of smoked bacon to the dish and suggest that you serve the gratin with a side of kielbasa, or other smoked pork, beef or chicken sausage. I also used Yukon Gold potatoes. They are less starchy than an Idaho potato, but more starchy than a Red Bliss potato. They work well in a gratin and because they will keep their shape when baked. Choose larger potatoes to get a better slice. And as an added time-saver, they really don’t need to be peeled before using, the skins are very thin and tender. Just wash and dry the potatoes before slicing. (It is safer to slice a dry potato, it’s less likely to slip under the knife.)
