Potato, meat and zucchini moussaka

Name: Potato, meat and zucchini moussaka
Ingredients: 3 round zucchini (approx. 600 g); 10 medium potatoes (approx. 1.5 kg); 150 ml oil for frying; 1/2 white onion (approx. 75 g); 1 medium carrot (approx. 100 g); 15 ml oil; 500 g ground pork and beef; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; 100 ml red wine; 30 g Parmesan; 13 cherry tomatoes (approx. 260 g)

Diverse - Potato, meat and zucchini moussaka by Julia N. - Recipia

Potato, meat and zucchini moussaka is served warm for lunch, with browned layers and roasted cherry tomatoes on top. I slice the round zucchini about 5 mm thick and choose potatoes of a similar size, so the layers sit evenly and there aren’t thick slices among the thin ones. Preparation: 30 minutes. Cooking: 77 minutes. Total time: 107 minutes. Servings: 5. Approximately 690 kcal and 27 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

3 round zucchini (approx. 600 g)
10 medium potatoes (approx. 1.5 kg)
150 ml oil for frying
1/2 white onion (approx. 75 g)
1 medium carrot (approx. 100 g)
15 ml oil
500 g ground pork and beef
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
100 ml red wine
30 g Parmesan
13 cherry tomatoes (approx. 260 g)

Preparation

1. Wash the zucchini, trim the ends and slice thinly. Peel and wash the potatoes, then cut them into slices of a similar thickness. 2. Gradually heat the 150 ml of oil in a frying pan and fry the slices in batches for about 2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Turn them when the edges start to colour; allow about 32 minutes for all the slices. 3. In a separate pan, heat 15 ml of oil. Finely chop the onion and slice the carrot into rounds, then sauté them for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the ground meat, salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes, stirring, until browned. Pour in the wine and cook for 5 more minutes, until it evaporates. 4. In an ovenproof dish, arrange a double layer of potatoes, a layer of zucchini, the meat, then another layer of potatoes and one of zucchini. Sprinkle with Parmesan and top with the washed cherry tomatoes, cut in half. 5. Bake at 200 °C for 25 minutes, until the Parmesan has melted and the tomatoes are lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Notes

The moussaka keeps in the fridge in a covered dish for up to 3 days. Serve a simple green salad alongside, to add something fresh next to the browned layers. Waxy potatoes hold their shape better when you arrange the layers, while floury ones can break apart. Small, firm zucchini have less developed seeds; if you wash them, dry them before slicing. The slices can get too soft in the pan when the zucchini are very watery, so fry them in batches without crowding the pan. The potato slices take patience to brown; don’t shorten the time by cramming them all in at once. The red wine cooks with the meat; for an alcohol-free version, use 100 ml vegetable stock instead. The 13 cherry tomatoes can be replaced with 2 large tomatoes, cut in half. Parmesan contains milk; you can leave it out for a dairy-free version, but the top layer will be less browned.