Moussaka with eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, and meat
To prepare this delicious recipe, we start by washing the potatoes well, which we will boil with their skins on. This step is essential because the skin protects the potato and helps it retain its flavors. Once boiled, we remove the skin and cut them into uniform slices, about 1 cm thick, to ensure even cooking. While the potatoes cool slightly, we take care of the other vegetables. The eggplant and zucchini should be peeled, as the skin can be bitter and unpleasant. We cut the eggplant and zucchini into thin slices so that they fry faster and become tender.
In a pan, we add a little oil and let it heat well. Then, we add the slices of eggplant and zucchini, frying them over medium heat until they become slightly soft, making sure to turn them occasionally to prevent sticking. This step will enhance the flavor of the vegetables and give them a pleasant texture. Meanwhile, in another pan, we sauté the finely chopped onion with a little salt until it becomes translucent and aromatic. If you are using frozen vegetables, make sure to let them thaw before adding them to the pan.
Once the onion is sautéed, we add the minced meat, mixing well to break it apart. We let the mixture cook for 20-25 minutes until the meat is well cooked and its juices have evaporated. Finally, we add a tablespoon of pepper paste, which will give an intense flavor and vibrant color to our dish.
Now we are ready to assemble our delicious pie. We grease a larger baking dish with butter, then we start forming the layers. The first layer will be potatoes, followed by a generous layer of cheese, then fried eggplant and zucchini, after which we add the meat. We continue to add cheese, and then repeat the layers: potatoes, vegetables, meat, and cheese until we finish the ingredients. Make sure that the top layer consists of potatoes and cheese to achieve a golden and appetizing crust.
After we finish assembling, we place the dish in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius and let it bake for about 30-35 minutes. We observe how the dish takes on a brown color and an inviting aroma. Finally, we take the dish out of the oven and let the pie cool for a few minutes before slicing it. Enjoy each slice and relish the savory combination of vegetables, meat, and cheese!
The potatoes are boiled in their skins. Once cooked, they are peeled and sliced. The eggplants and zucchini are peeled, sliced, and lightly fried in oil in a pan until they soften a bit. In a pan, the onion is sautéed with the vegetables (I had frozen vegetables), with a little salt until they soften a bit, then we add the minced meat and let it cook for about 20-25 minutes until the meat is well cooked. Let's not forget about the pepper paste, about 1 good tablespoon. In a larger greased baking dish, we put a layer of potatoes, cheese, eggplant, zucchini, then meat, cheese, and another layer of potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, meat, and cheese on top, leaving potatoes and cheese on top. Bake in the oven for about 30-35 minutes until it turns a brown color. It is a very filling and tasty dish.
Ingredients: Ingredients: -2 large onions -700 g minced meat -2 large eggplants -1 large zucchini -300 g telemea cheese -vegetables (celery, parsley, carrots, red and green peppers) -1 kg red potatoes -pepper paste (from a jar preserved for winter) -salt -pepper
Tags: onion greenness meat carrots tomatoes potatoes pepper zucchini cheese telemea eggplant moussaka
