Vegetarian Moussaka

This is a dish most traditionally made with ground lamb, beef, or a combination of the two, but tonight, I made a hearty vegetarian version for a work lunch I'm cooking for this week.  Hope everyone enjoys it!

Ingredients

2 large eggplants
3 cups of kale leaves (in place of the meat)
16 ounces of feta cheese 

Herb garnish

3 tablespoons each of chopped fresh basil, flat leaf parsley, oregano, and mint.  Mix together thoroughly. 

Tomato sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 medium onion, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/3 of the herb mixture
2 cans of crushed tomatoes (San Marzanos are best)

In a small sauce pot, saute the onions and garlic over medium heat until translucent.  Then add the tomatoes, pepper and herbs.   Stir, bring to a low boil, cover the pot, turn the heat to low and simmer for an hour.

While the sauce is simmering, slice two large eggplants either into 1/4 inch circles or slices (don't bother peeling them, unless you really don't like eggplant peel).  Saute the eggplant in a pan that's coated with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle the eggplant with the tiniest bit of kosher salt, so the moisture comes out of the eggplant while cooking and it doesn't burn.  Cook over medium heat on each side for about 5 minutes.

Then cut up about 3 cups of kale into small pieces and crumble 16 ounces of feta into small chunks.

Bechamel sauce

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan and then whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour.   Let this cook for about 2 minutes, whisking gently so it doesn't burn.  Then slowly whisk in 1 cup of milk, add a pinch of pepper, and a few gratings of fresh nutmeg (go easy on the nutmeg, a little goes a long way).  Continue to whisk over low heat for about 5-7 minutes until it gets thick  and then take it off the heat and let it cool and set a bit.

Now you're ready to assemble the moussaka.

Take a baking dish and line the bottom with 2 ladles full of sauce.  Then put a layer of eggplant down, and half of the kale.  Sprinkle this with 1/3 of the feta cheese and about a tablespoon of her herb mixture over the kale and then drizzle a ladle of sauce over this layer.   Using a spoon, drizzle some bechamel sauce over this layer, just enough to make sure there's a taste of it in every bite.   Repeat another layer of eggplant, kale, feta, herbs and sauces.  Cover with one more layer of eggplant, and cover the eggplant generously with sauce.   Then sprinkle another tablespoon of herbs, drizzle the top with bechamel, and sprinkle the remaining feta over the tops.

You can cover this loosely with foil and keep in the fridge for a few days before cooking, or cook right away.

Cook covered in a 350 degree oven for an hour, taking the foil off for the last 10 minutes.  Let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving, and then use a large spoon or spatula to serve.

Enjoy!