Moussaka!

I haven't made a Moussaka in years! Tonight I was feeling like a bit of ethnic food (plus I had a few eggplants in the fridge that needed to be used), so I thought "Why not?"

So I did what I do sometimes, and looked up a few recipes on the internet, and took what I liked from a few, and made my own recipe! haha

INGREDIENTS:
3 large eggplants

Extra virgin olive oil spray

MINCE MIXTURE:
1 medium brown onion
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
800g lamb or beef mince
400g tin of diced tomatoes
1 tbsp mixed spices
1/2 tbsp cinammon
salt and pepper


BECHAMEL SAUCE:
75 g butter
1/3 cup of plain flour
2 cups of light milk

Half a cup of Pizza cheese.


METHOD:

Thinly slice the eggplants, and cook eggplant over medium heat with olive oil spray in a fry pan (around 2 mins each side). Transfer to plate.

Heat oil in a pan and fry onions and garlic until onions are golden brown.  Add mince, separating with a wooden spoon.  Add diced tomatoes, spices, cinammon, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, and then turn heat down and simmer for 20-30 mins.

Melt butter in a small saucepan and add flour, stirring to make a roux.  Slowly add the milk while mixing. Bring to the boil and stir on low heat for around 5 mins or until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat.

Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees.
Grease an oven-proof dish with olive oil spray. Place a third of the eggplant along the bottom of the dish.  Pour half the mince mixture over the eggplant, and spread.  Place another third of the eggplant across the mince, add another layer of mince, then a third layer of eggplant.  Pour the bechamel sauce across the top of the eggplant, then sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 40 mins or until cheese is golden brown.

Serve with salad.