Store Cupboard Yuminess - Vegetarian Moussaka

Eating alone tonight, just the two of you or no time for fiddling with lots of ingredients.  There is no need to have toast and beans!  With just a tin of that and a jar of this and a vegetable that needs to be used up you can prepare very quickly a lovely meal.

I was very tired a few nights ago and didn’t feel like cooking; on the bench was an eggplant that was screaming at me to be used.  I had brought it at the local car boot market a well over a week ago!  I am a sucker for their lovely purple hues. I love eating them any which way.  Perhaps my favourite way of all is Moussaka.

I looked at it felt it, I couldn’t leave it any longer!  I opened my cupboard and looked.  Ah ha!  Vegetarian moussaka flashed into my consciousness, I discovered this a little while ago, very quick and sumptuous. With a tasty side salad from the garden, just what the doctor ordered.

Vegetarian Moussaka

1 tin beans (any type, I used cannelloni, I have used all sorts, a tin of mixed is very good).

Third jar of ready-made pasta sauce (one with chunky vegetables is ideal but not essential, I used plain above).

1 eggplant

1 egg

Cup plain yoghurt

Cup grated cheese

Heaped tbsp. s/r flour

Drain Beans put in casserole dish, Add pasta sauce , may need more but don’t make it too soupy.

Slice eggplant and fry in oil, use the oil very hot so it doesn’t get suck up by the eggplant. (I don’t salt eggplants as the varieties we grow today are not bitter.  It may differ in various countries)

Layer the eggplants on top of bean mix.

Beat egg in a bowl, add flour and mix well.  Pour in yoghurt and add cheese reserving some to sprinkle on top of casserole.  Mix well and pour over the eggplant layer.

Bake at 180C. for ½ hour or till golden and bubbly.  Take out of oven and let sit for 10 minutes.  Just time to make the salad!  Serve with salad and crusty bread.

Note: I have used slices of cooked potato when eggplants are expensive in Winter

My Salad

Toss together:

Buttercrunch (Tom Thumb) lettuce,

Leaves of rocket, sorrel and coriander

Chopped yellow or red capsicum

Segments of mandarins (I find if I use fruit in salads, a dressing is not missed)

Freshly ground salt and pepper

Enjoy.

Recent photos – magenta love

 The above is the start of a jumper I am crocheting , the stitch pattern based on the cal blanket I am doing. (see last post) .  Today I finished my hat from the library book, it is very nice, I kept up with my theme of magent and crochet the trim in hot pink.  The hat uses two strands, one navy and the other purple.I might do another from the book before I return it.  Will show photo next post.  

Got a couple of more books on crochet out of the library this morning and found a rabbit pattern that I will do for my grand niece, Kendal who lives in Perth WA.  Also some other lovelies that I will no doubt start in the coming weeks!!!

It has been rather humid and hot here today the after effects of the cyclone Lucy.  Luckily it missed my region but Northland and Auckland got hit quite bad.  

Have a great day!