Vegetable Moussaka and a little love story...

David and I were Greek for our anniversary this year. I made Vegetable Moussaka and Greek Salad and we enjoyed our dinner after James was tucked snugly into bed. We had planned to watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but we sipped wine, talked about everything and did other important things instead. :]

There is a story behind the Greekiness so let me explain...

September 13th, 2002 fell on a Friday (Friday the 13th!) and I was 16 (about to turn 17 in January). My dad and I were planning to meet with our good friends Richard and Cathy and their young daughter, Lauren, for dinner and a movie that night. This was sort of a bi-monthly tradition, and we always had a lot of fun!

This particular Friday afternoon held a phone call from Cathy asking if we minded if they brought along a young (male) family friend of theirs since he would be finishing piano lessons with Lauren close to dinner time. She also mentioned that he was very cute and good enough of a pianist to get into Julliard. I said of course we didn't mind if he came along, the more the merrier!

Fast forward to that evening when they arrived at our house and it was love at first sight for both of us. I ran to the bathroom to (squeal like a girl) and to make sure I had deodorant on and fixed my hair and then we were off to have dinner at an Italian restaurant in Bonsall, CA, where I proceeded to eat more than I should have. (true love knows no shame)

{{Disclaimer: Okay, so obviously the whole love at first sight thing is debatable, especially among Christians, but I truly felt drawn to him like a bee is to honey and time told that it was not just the initial attraction stage, (ie, lust). Thankfully, the Lord has guided our relationship ever since that moment, through almost hell and back and for that we are thankful!}}

Then we hopped over to the Bonsall theatre to see "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" which was hilarious and surprisingly fitting. I do believe we ended with ice cream from Baskin Robbins, but that part is a blur. That was the night I met David, and believe it or not, the first "real" conversation we held in the car was exchanged in the form of an argument about music. We got married 17 long months later and the rest is history!

So on to the recipe for Vegetable Moussaka (since we don't eat no meat)!

1/2 cup +/- olive oil, for frying
1 onion, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
14 ounces canned chopped tomatoes
11 ounces canned green lentils
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (I used dried)
1 large eggplant, sliced into 1 inch slices
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese


Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, stirring frequently. Add the celery and garlic.

Then add the tomatoes and lentils (add the can juices from the lentils).

Season with parsley and salt and pepper, to taste.

Reduce the heat, cover loosely and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a little of the remaining oil in a large skillet. Add the eggplant slices in batches, sprinkle lightly with salt and fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove with a slotted metal spoon and drain on paper towels.

Layer an oven-safe baking dish with the lentil mixture and the eggplant slices.

Ending with a layer of eggplant.


Now, to make the sauce, put the butter, flour, and milk in a sauce pan over medium-low heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. (this is why there are no pictures of this part... I was whisking, constantly.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and mix in the egg. Pour the sauce over the eggplant, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for 40 minutes,



or until golden brown and bubbling.

Serve immediately, and enjoy!

To make this Greek salad, simply chop large tomatoes and cucumber, add some feta cheese and kalamata olives and sliced white onions. Mix together (to taste) red wine vinegar, olive oil, sea salt, sugar, a teensy bit of olive juice and some pepper. Shake it up and pour over the salad mix and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.


Oh, and if you haven't seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, grab a glass of wine and go watch it!

recipes from: The Vegetarian Cookbook, edited by Nicola Graimes.