INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

First make the tomato sauce:  peel and mince onions. Saute onions in
about 2 T oil and about 2 T butter, over moderate heat, until they  are
soft and lightly colored (about 8 minutes). Add mushrooms and  saute.
Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, parsley, seasonings and  sugar.
Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, for 30-45 minutes, stirring
occasionally.  Most of the liquid should be evaporated, and the
mixture quite thick. Remove skillet from heat and let it cool
completely.  Start seasoning the eggplants:  peel eggplants and slice
vertically,  about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle lightly with salt
and let sit  for  Now make the Bechamel Sauce:  Place the milk in a
saucepan and heat  it just until tiny bubbles appear along the edges.
Remove and set  aside.  Melt one cube butter in a 3-quart saucepan over
very low heat until  foamy, being careful not to brown. Slowly add the
6 T flour, stirring  constantly until smooth (3-4 minutes), and still
being careful not to  let it brown. Add the milk slowly, whipping with
a wire whisk. When  the mixture is thick and smooth, remove it from the
heat and stir in  seasonings. Cool sauce slightly.  Back to the
eggplant:  Rinse well with cold water; squeeze gently and  pat dry.
Dredge the eggplant in about 1 1/2 cups flour and saute in  olive oil.
Put it all together:  Stir ricotta cheese until it is smooth and
creamy. Gently fold it into the Bechamel sauce. Stir in beaten eggs
until thoroughly incorporated.  Remove and discard any excess oil that
has risen to the top of the  tomato mixture.  Lightly grease a 16x10
baking pan and sprinkle the bottom with a few  bread crumbs.  Place a
layer of eggplant in the pan, following with a  layer of tomato
mixture. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and grated  cheese. Repeat as many
times as you have eggplant to last.  Pour the Bechamel-ricotta sauce
over the top and bake at 300 degrees  F. for one hour, or until a
golden-brown crust has formed on top.  Remove moussaka from oven and
let it stand undisturbed 20-30 minutes;  the delay allows the layers to
fuse.  NOTES    Vegetarian version of the Greek classic -- This recipe
is not for  the faint-hearted.  It's very good and it takes a lot of
work. Don't  waste it on someone who would be just as satisfied with
steak and  salad! : Difficulty:  moderate.  : Time:  1 1/2 hours to
prepare, 1 hour to bake, 20-30 minutes to set  and cool.  Some can be
done ahead of time.  : Precision:  Approximate measurement OK for
eggplant, tomato mixture.  :  : Moira Mallison (tektronix!moiram)  :
Organization:  Tektronix, Inc.  Beaverton, Or  : Copyright (C) 1986
USENET Community Trust  From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at
www.synapse.com/~gemini

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Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
----------------------------------------------
Calories: 422
Calories From Fat: 226
Total Fat: 25.7g
Cholesterol: 119.1mg
Sodium: 853.7mg
Potassium: 758.1mg
Carbohydrates: 29.2g
Fiber: 5.4g
Sugar: 12.1g
Protein: 20.1g