Guest Post from Jessica of Jess Does Paleo - Paleo Moussaka
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Yield: 5 servings
Ingredients
  • Sweet Potato and Eggplant Layers:
  • japanese sweet potatoes - 2, peeled
  • eggplant - 1 large or 2 small, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
  • fat of choice - 1-2 tablespoons, melted
  • Meat Layer:
  • ground beef - 1 pound
  • onion - 1 medium, chopped
  • garlic - 3 cloves, minced
  • beef broth or water - ½ cup
  • crushed tomatoes - 1 cup
  • currents - ¼ cup, soaked
  • ground cinnamon - ¼ teaspoon
  • ground allspice - ¼ teaspoon
  • ground ginger - ¼ teaspoon
  • ground nutmeg - ¼ teaspoon
  • ground coriander - ¼ teaspoon
  • fresh parsley - ¼ cup chopped
  • cayenne pepper - ⅛ teaspoon
  • cauliflower - 1 head, cut into florets
  • ghee or grassfed butter - 2-3 tablepoons
  • ground nutmeg - ½ teaspoon
  • salt - ¼ teaspoon
  • ¼ cup beef broth or water - if necessary
Instructions
  1. You can follow these directions in order more or less. Once you have the eggplant and potatoes cooking, you can brown the meat. Once the meat is simmering, you should be ready to start the “Bechamel” layer. It looks a little scary, but it’s just a series of simple cooking techniques.
  2. Note: You don’t want a lot of liquid in the baking dish, so make sure to allow the eggplant to “sweat” for the required time and also to simmer the liquid out of the meat mixture! It will still taste delicious regardless, but it will be a bit messier to serve. Sweet Potato and Eggplant Layers:
  3. Place eggplant slices on a double layer of paper towels (or in a colander) and salt both sides liberally. Let them “sweat” for at least 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. This is an important step – you don’t want soggy moussaka!
  4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. When the eggplant is done “sweating”, wipe the water off with a paper towel and then season with salt and pepper. Bake on a greased baking sheet for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through. When eggplant is done roasting, turn oven down to 350 degrees.
  5. While the eggplant is in the oven, bring a large pot to a boil and boil the peeled sweet potatoes until fork tender (15-20 minutes depending on the size)
  6. When potatoes are done, drain and set aside until cooled. Fill with water again and bring to a boil for the cauliflower.
  7. Meat Layer:
  8. While preparing the eggplant, place the currants in a bowl of warm water to soak until ready to use.
  9. Bring a pan to medium heat and brown the ground beef for a couple of minutes before adding onion and garlic into the pan. Sautee until fully browned.
  10. Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, coriander, cayenne, parsley, and currants (drained).
  11. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated.
  12. “Béchamel” Layer:
  13. After draining the potatoes, fill the same pot with water and bring to a boil. Add cauliflower florets and boil for 10 minutes or until soft.
  14. Drain the cauliflower and put florets into a food processor.
  15. Add ghee, nutmeg, and salt to food processor and puree until smooth. If the mixture is too thick and won’t process all the florets, add ¼ cup beef broth or water. Adjust fat and spices to taste.
  16. To Assemble:
  17. Slice boiled sweet potatoes into ¼ inch rounds and layer on the bottom of an 8x8 pan.
  18. Layer half of the meat mixture on top of the potatoes.
  19. Layer the eggplant slices on top of the meat.
  20. Put the remaining meat mixture on top of the eggplant.
  21. Pour the “béchamel” sauce on top and smooth with a spoon or spatula.
  22. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
  23. Increase heat to broil for 5 minutes or until the top layer is browned. Garnish with extra parsley.
  24. Serves 4. You can double the recipe for a 9x13 pan.
Recipe by Create Delicious at https://createdelicious.com/guest-post-from-jessica-of-jess-does-paleo-paleo-moussaka/