Eggplant moussaka for a hearty lunch: a recipe from Svitlana Fus

In the fall, the best lunch will be light vegetable and fish dishes that are very healthy and easy to prepare. You can use absolutely any to your liking, from tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, eggplant, cabbage, broccoli, and peppers to artichokes, celery, and delicious pumpkin.

Nutritionist Svitlana Fus shared a recipe on Facebook for a delicious dish – moussaka with eggplant, meat, and sauce – that is very satisfying, light, and spicy, and you can prepare it in just 40 minutes.

Ingredients:

• eggplant - 400 g
• potatoes - 450 g
• minced beef - 300 g
• onion - 1 pc.
• garlic - 1 clove.
• oil - 2 tbsp.
• tomatoes in their own juice - 400 ml
• mozzarella and any hard cheese - 100 g each
• milk - 50 ml
• dry thyme or oregano - 1/2 tsp.
• fresh herbs - to taste

Method of preparation:

Wash the eggplants, cut them into thin slices, sprinkle them generously with salt, and leave for 15-20 minutes.

After that, put them on a plate, sprinkle with oil, and microwave for a few minutes or put them on a baking sheet, add a little oil, and send them for 10-15 minutes at 190-200 C.

Peel the potatoes, boil and mash them into a thick puree, add milk, and season well with salt.

Pour the oil into a saucepan, chop the garlic, and add it along with the thyme, mix well and heat for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, mash well with a fork, and heat for another 10 minutes to thicken the sauce. Season the sauce with salt and thyme.

Dice the onion and fry well, add the minced meat, mash well, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Add the thick tomato sauce to the minced meat, mix, and simmer together for 1 minute.

Take a mold and assemble the moussaka: put mashed potatoes on the bottom, then a layer of minced meat with tomatoes, eggplant on top, minced meat again, and mashed potatoes at the very end. Sprinkle with cheese and put in the oven for 25 minutes, cover with foil for 15 minutes, then remove and put back in the oven to brown the top.

You can eat the finished dish hot, but you can also eat it cold, the taste will not be worse.