Vegetarian Moussaka

Sometimes I get overly ambitious and attempt to make a "weekend dinner" (you know, one that takes forever to prepare) on, say, a Wednesday night. Fortunately, Joe is more or less all right with eating dinner at 9:00.

This moussaka was probably worth the wait. If you've never had moussaka, it's kind of like the Greek version of eggplant parmesan, though it traditionally has ground meat (often lamb) spread throughout the layers and is topped with a white bechamel-style sauce. Of course, this version is vegetarian, with bulgur standing in for the meat.

Like eggplant parm, moussaka can easily be made healthier by leaving the eggplant slices naked (no breading), making the bechamel with low-fat milk, and going easy on the cheese. Not only is this better for you, but it also really lets the delicious flavor of the eggplant and Greek spices shine through.

Vegetarian Moussaka
From Cooking Light

• 3 peeled eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup uncooked bulgur
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 cups organic vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 14-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh Romano cheese (you can sub Parmesan)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preheat broiler to high. Brush eggplant slices with 1 tablespoon oil. Place half of eggplant on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; broil 5 inches from heat for 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure with remaining eggplant. Set eggplant aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chopped onion to pan; saute 8 minutes. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Add bulgur; cook 3 minutes or until bulgur is lightly toasted, stirring frequently. Add ground allspice, cinnamon, and cloves; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vegetable broth, oregano, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk until well blended. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with the whisk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese and a pinch of salt. Remove from heat, and cool slightly. Add egg, stirring well with the whisk.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Arrange half of eggplant in an 11x7 (I used 13x9) inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread the bulgur mixture evenly over eggplant; arrange remaining eggplant over bulgur. Top with milk mixture. Bake for 40 minutes, and remove from oven. Incerase oven temperature to 475 F. Return dish to oven for 4-5 minutes or until the top is browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Greek-Style Spaghetti Squash

When I was in college, we sometimes were served spaghetti squash in big trays in the Adams House dining hall. It was usually plain or accompanied by a lackluster marinara sauce. Oh, and it was dry. And unseasoned. I wasn't really that into it, so I never really thought about making it at home until I saw a big bin full of beautiful yellow spaghetti squashes at the grocery store last week.

I'm glad I decided to give it a chance, because I loved this recipe. It's so healthy, easy to make, and delicious. You just have the squash going in the microwave while you make the quick sauce on the stovetop. The whole thing can be done, start to finish, in 15 minutes. And it's waaayyy better than that stuff you get in the dining hall.

Greek-Style Spaghetti Squash

• One large spaghetti squash
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup scallions, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• One 14-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
• 1/4 cup feta cheese

Pierce squash with a fork in several places; place on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high, turning squash over every 3 minutes, until tender, about 12 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add scallions and garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes, chickpeas, oregano, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Increase heat to high and bring to a slow boil. Using a fork, scrape strands of squash into skillet with tomato-chickpea mixture. Cook, stirring, until squash strands are well coated; remove from heat and top with mint and feta.