Moussaka

We clean up our Greek lasagna by topping it with low-fat béchamel, and the meat-and-potato dish doesn't lose an ounce of comfort. Prepare the sliced potatoes, eggplant and red sauce a day or two in advance and refrigerate to save time!

Photo: Yvonne Duivenvoorden

By Diane Welland MS, RD

Serves: 8
Hands-on time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Total time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs white potatoes, peeled, left whole
• 12 oz ground beef, 95% lean
• 1/2 onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups tomato purée
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1 large eggplant (1 1/4 lb), peeled and cut into 1/3-inch slices
• 1 cup low-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup evaporated skim milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp low-fat Parmesan cheese, shredded

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Fill a large 4-qt pot halfway with water (2 qt), cover and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, until firm but not fully cooked. Strain and set potatoes aside to cool.
2. While potatoes are cooking, brown beef with onion and garlic in a small 2-qt pot over medium heat, breaking up beef into little pieces, for about 4 to 5 minutes, until vegetables are soft and beef is no longer pink. Pour in tomato purée and 1 cup water. Mix in cinnamon, pepper, oregano and bay leaf. Lower heat to simmer (medium low) and cook, covered, for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cover 2 cookie sheets with aluminum foil and mist with cooking spray. Lay eggplant slices on sheet and lightly mist again with cooking spray. Bake in oven for about 8 minutes. While eggplant cooks, slice cooled potatoes into 1/4-inch slices. Remove eggplant, transfer to plate, raise oven to 475°F, re-spray foil and lay potato slices on cookie sheets. Lightly mist potatoes with cooking spray and bake in oven for 8 minutes. Remove. Lower oven to 350°F.
4. Make béchamel: In a separate bowl, mix sour cream, milk and egg until blended; mixture should be thick.
5. Spray a 12 x 9-inch glass casserole dish with cooking spray. Arrange 1 layer of potatoes in dish, top with layer of eggplant, then pour all of beef mixture over top. Top again with a layer of potatoes and then eggplant. Finish with béchamel. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake in oven for 45 minutes, until set and lightly brown. If not brown, raise temperature to 400°F and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Nutrients per 11-oz serving (4 x 3-inch piece): Calories: 240, Total Fat: 6 g, Sat. Fat: 3 g, Carbs: 32 g,Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 7 g, Protein: 15 g, Sodium: 250 mg, Cholesterol: 40 mg

 Nutritional Bonus: Roasted, grilled or steamed, eggplant contains virtually no fat, is low in calories (only about 20 per 1-cup serving) and is a good source of fiber, potassium, folate and copper
.