Monday, January 16, 2012

Low-Carb Greek Moussaka

Serves 8, your time = 1 hour, cooking time = 30 mins.
One serving contains 25.1 protein, 11.1g carbs and 5.7g of fiber 
Moussaka is one of the most known Greek dishes and even in its original form it is relevantly low-carb. Altering it to cut out most of the carbs is quite easy and a version was even included in the Atkins cook book. My version is a hybrid of the Atkins one and an authentic Greek one I love with some personal experimentation.
I think it tastes better and has a lower carb count than Atkins!
It does take some time to cook so when I do make it I like to make 2 baking tins and freez one. This serves 8.


Ingredients:
  • 2 large eggplant
  • 1 pound ground beef (or lamb)
  • 1 cup chopped green onions
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons red wine
  • 4 tablespoons tomato puree
  • 4 tablespoons flax-seed meal
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Cheese Sauce:
  • 8 teaspoons butter
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • Pinch of ground nutmeg
Eggplant preparation:
Remove strips of peal lengthwise from the eggplant, leaving peel between the stripes. Then cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch rounds. Lay them on a chopping board on a kitchen towel or paper. Sprinkle with salt to draw out moisture, cover in another paper and another chopping board weighted down to press out some moisture. leave them like that for 30-40 mins. The salt also helps to remove bitterness of the eggplant.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Brush the eggplant with olive oil and saute in a dry pan.. eggplant will soak up oil better than mushrooms, avoid frying them in an oiled pan or your  Moussaka will end up too oily. Put to the side to cool.

Meat preparation:
In a large pan, brown the meat and onions. Add the wine, water, tomato pure and the spices. Once it has simmered for a bit add the flax-seek, this replaces the breadcrumbs and will help thicken the gravy. Put to one side.


Cheese source preparation:
Place butter in top of double broiler over hot water. Add yolks one at a time, beating contently. Add 1/4 cup of water, the cream and the parmesan cheese. Continue to beat until the source thickens.

Assembly:
Lightly grease a baking or lasagna pan, place a layer of  eggplant on the bottom. then layer the meat, top with a second layer of eggplant and finish by poring over the cheese source.
Bake in a 350-degree oven for 40 minutes or until sauce is a nice golden brown color. Serve and enjoy.