Recipe - Moussaka (Lamb And Eggplant Casserole)

4 7 to 8" eggplants, washed
1 tablespoon Salt
2 tablespoon Olive oil
2 pound Lean ground lamb
Vegetable oil
2/3 cup Finely chopped onion
8 ounce Sliced mushrooms, drained
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Dried rosemary leaves
One half teaspoon Dried thyme leaves
1 Clove garlic, peeled
and crushed
2/3 cup Beef stock or broth
1 One half teaspoon Cornstarch
3 tablespoon Tomato paste,
(save remainder for sauce)
3 Eggs, slightly beaten
Tomato sauce for Moussaka
(recipe)

1. Remove green caps from eggplants and slice eggplants in half lengthwise.
Make deep slashes in eggplant pulp, but do not cut through skins. Sprinkle
eggplant halves with the 1 tablespoon salt and allow to stand at room
temperature One half hour. 2. Squeeze moisture out of eggplant halves and brush
cut sur faces with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat 4 eggplant halves
at a time in Microwave Oven 7 minutes or until pulp is tender. Repeat with
remaining eggplant halves. 3. Scoop pulp out of eggplant, being careful not
to rip skins. Set skins aside. Chop eggplant pulp coarsely. Place pulp in a
mediumsized, heatresistant, nonmetallic bowl and heat, un covered, in
Microwave Oven 4 minutes or until tender. Stir occasionally. 4. In a large
heatresistant, nonmetallic bowl, crumble the lamb. Heat, uncovered, in
Microwave Oven 5 minutes stirring frequently to break up pieces until meat
is no longer pink. 5. Liberally oil a deep, 2quart, heatresistant,
nonmetallic casserole. Line casserole with the reserved eggplant skins.
Arrange skins with the purple sides toward the outside and wide ends of
eggplant skins at the top of the casserole. 6. Drain the lamb juices and
discard. Add chopped eggplant, onion, mushrooms, the 1 teaspoon salt,
thyme, rosemary and garlic to the cooked lamb. Stir to combine well. Heat,
uncovered, in Microwave Oven 5 minutes or until onion is tender. 7. In a
small heatresistant, nonmetallic bowl combine beef stock and cornstarch
until smooth. Heat, uncovered, in Microwave Oven 1 minute or until
thickened and clear; stir occasionally. 8. Add thickened beef stock with
remaining ingredients, except tomato sauce, to lamb mixture. Pour
lambeggplant mixture into eggplantskinlined casserole. 9. Fold eggplant
skins over filling. Heat, covered with a plate, 9 minutes or until a knife
inserted in the center of the mixture comes out clean. 10. Invert onto
platter for serving. Serve with tomato sauce.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini