Is this the right place for food fight Friday? Not sure how this all works but thought if it’s goin down I should probably get me some. In our house we veganize any and all specialty recipes: this is our rendition of an Eggplant Moussaka; style: plant based.
This time I forwent the béchamel sauce because I’m off the flour (go ahead and say béchamel outloud, it’s a cool word). The picture was taken in a hurry because after 2.5hrs of cooking you’re prit tee starving!
First thing is first, it all starts when your husband is otherwise engaged writing a so very witty post for Steemit. Fine, you say I have extra time on my hands… let’s get to cookin then.
Slicing an Eggplant into 1/4 inch flats was easy, getting the zucchini to match was a cinch, simoulataneously simmering the lentils…equals… piece o cake!
Shaving the potatoes (peeling the po-tates) is a task I usually fain skill level mastery. I’m always picturing, in the back of my mind, one slip of the peeler and now my knuckle is hanging on by a single double helix (oxymoron, I know 🤷🏼♀️). But back to them taters…
(Am I stoned or is this picture sideways? Upside down? Nah, it’s just right).
I decided to add some pots to the layers (no, not pot smh). At this point in the game I look over to my husband, 45 minutes later, and he hasn’t moved an iota. The thought to check his pulse crosses my mind but the garlic needed-a-mincing.
Adding garlic, almond milk, sea salt and pepper to the boiled pots, I mash them with a fork (sure, a potato masher will do the trick if you fancy like that). When good and mashed set the tates aside.
Start sautéing the onion until nice and fragrant. (Oh, hi @dandays, now you’re paying attention). Here are all of the seasonings I use to make the perfect Moussaka. Mind you, I just use what’s in my pantry. No need for a grocery store trip for this meal.
Now I’m adding the garlic, the tomatoes, lentils, spices and bringing it all to a simmer.
The stony-er you are the side-way-zee-er these pictures look. Thanks for putting up with me.
Now for the fun part. Get a big glass dish and layer the bottom with grilled eggplant.
Add some layers of zucchini, potato and spread your lentil, tomates, onion mix on top. Now repeat steps 1-3, (or is it 6-8? Someone please tell me what step we’re on…).
I started running out of zucchini here so I stratigically employed my Tetris skills from childhood to pull this all together seamlessly. Here comes my favorite part though:
Topping the dish off with mashed po-tates. Traditionally you’d top this layer with the béchamel (go ahead and say it outloud: bay-sha-mel) sauce but no flour for this girl right now.
In the oven it goes while I sit and read next to my husband who is still in Steemit land.
Thirty minutes, tons of dishes and a growling stomach later, we feast!
This is the part where @dandays puts his phone down and gulfs down a massive piece of veganized Moussaka. First though, he helps me dress a plate for food fright fyday, wait a minute, frood frit feemay. That’s not it either, food fight Friday; that’s better! Thank you for checking out my post and barring with me on all the progress pics. Shout out to @jlsplatts for orchestrating and keeping this going, to @dandays for pestering me to participate and all the lovely contestants that will try their hardest but still only get second place… haha. 🤪