Moussaka

Ingredients:
5 large eggplants, about a pound and a half each
Salt, Pepper, Paprika and Oregano
10 tablespoons of Olive Oil
3 pounds ground beef (Or Soy based hamburger)
1 and a half cups chopped onion
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup grated kefalotiri (Ask for it at your local Mediterranean food store) or Parmesan cheese. Or Grated Soy cheese works just as well.
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (or crushed milk biscuits)
8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups hot milk (Water works just as well)
3 eggs, lightly beaten (Optional)
More Olive Oil for brushing eggplant

Preparation

Peel the eggplant lengthwise. Cut into 1/2 inch rounds (or 1/4 inch thick length-wise slices), sprinkle with salt (to remove bitterness) and let stand in a colander (preferably under a heavy or weighted plate) for 1/2 hour. Rinse and dry the eggplant rounds.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan and then proceed to sauté meat (or soy hamburger) and onion until brown. Add tomato paste, parsley, wine, salt, pepper, oregano, paprika and water. Simmer until liquid has been absorbed. Cool. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese (or Soy Cheese) and half the breadcrumbs.

The Sauce

Melt 6 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over low heat. Add flour and stir until well blended. Remove from heat and gradually stir in milk or water. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until sauce is thick and smooth. Add salt and pepper. Cook over very low for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Eggplant Preparation

Preheat the broiler.

Lightly brush eggplant slices with Olive oil on both sides. Place on an un-greased cookie sheet and broil until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle bottom of a 10 x 16-inch pan with remaining breadcrumbs. Place a layer of eggplant slices on the breadcrumbs to completely cover the bottom of the pan, then spread meat mixture over eggplant slices (an option here, to ensure a more cohesive bottom, is to add a layer of cheese, or soy cheese, on top of the eggplant before topping with the meat mixture). Cover meat (or Soy Hamburger) with remaining eggplant slices. Spoon sauce over eggplant; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup grated cheese (or Soy cheese). Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve warm. This particular recipe will serve up to 10 to 15 people.