Casserole

Moussaka

December 3, 2016
Recipes, Non-Vegetarian
Moussaka, Greek, Non-Vegetarian, Casserole

Moussaka #

A good moussaka is a joy to behold — cinnamon-spiced lamb mingling with aubergines and topped with a delicious creamy béchamel-style sauce.

Moussaka is an eggplant- or potato-based dish, often including ground meat, with regional variations found across countries of the former Ottoman Empire.

  • In Turkey, it’s sautéed and served warm or at room temperature.
  • In Arabic countries, it’s often eaten cold.
  • In the Balkans, it’s layered and served hot, with a top layer of creamy custard or béchamel.

Ingredients #

Base #

  • 2 aubergines / brinjals (cut into 1cm/½in slices)
  • 1 tbsp sea salt
  • 750g lamb mince
  • 1 onion (finely chopped)
  • 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1½ tsp dried mint
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 400g canned chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 7 tbsp olive oil
  • 500g potatoes (peeled and sliced into 1cm/½in slices)
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

White Sauce #

  • 125g ricotta
  • 25g finely grated parmesan
  • 125g Greek yogurt
  • 3 eggs
  • Freshly grated nutmeg (to taste)
  • Salt and black pepper (to taste)

Recipe #

  1. Place aubergine slices in a colander, sprinkle with salt and set aside for 10 minutes.
  2. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a frying pan.
  3. Add onions, garlic, oregano, mint, bay leaves, and cinnamon. Cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Add lamb mince. Cook for 10 minutes, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon.
  5. Stir in flour, season with salt and black pepper.
  6. Add tomatoes and purée, bring to simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Set aside.
  7. Rinse aubergines under cold water, pat dry with a tea towel.
  8. Heat 3 tbsp oil and fry aubergines 2–3 minutes each side. Drain on kitchen paper.
  9. Boil potatoes for 5 minutes. Drain and cool.
  10. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
  11. In a baking dish, layer one-third meat sauce, followed by potatoes and aubergines.
  12. Repeat layers two more times, ending with aubergines on top.
  13. For the white sauce, beat together ricotta, half the parmesan, yogurt, eggs, and nutmeg.
  14. Season with salt and pepper.
  15. Pour over layered dish and spread evenly.
  16. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan.
  17. Bake for 45 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Serve hot. Best enjoyed with crusty bread and a fresh green salad.

Mediterranean Chicken Casserole

July 5, 2018
Main-Course, Mediterranean
Chicken, Casserole, Mediterranean, Baking

It’s a simple dish, but packed with flavour and incredibly straightforward to cook. There’s something in this casserole for everyone — the Mediterranean influences like apricots, olives, Ras-el-Hanout and Greek yoghurt come together to create a dish that’s hearty, comforting, and full of oomph.

Ingredients #

  • Chicken – 1 medium or 8 leg pieces
  • Lemon – 1
  • Olive oil
  • Ginger paste – 1 tsp
  • Onion – 2 medium
  • Greek yoghurt – 1 cup
  • Olives (pitted) – 5–7
  • Garlic cloves – 5
  • Small potatoes – 4
  • Cherry tomatoes – 5
  • Dried apricots – 5
  • Almonds – 7–8
  • Cinnamon stick – 1
  • Ras-el-Hanout – 3 tsp
  • Paprika – 1 tsp
  • Salt – to taste

Recipe #

  1. Marinate the chicken in lemon juice for 5–7 hours.
  2. Soften the apricots by microwaving them in half a cup of water.
  3. Lightly fry the chicken in 2 tbsp olive oil with the cinnamon stick and ginger paste.
  4. Rub some olive oil on the sides of your ovenproof dish.
  5. Transfer the chicken to the oven dish.
  6. Fry the onions and add to the dish.
  7. Add the remaining ingredients: Greek yoghurt, garlic cloves, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, apricots (with water), almonds, ras-el-hanout, paprika, and salt.
  8. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 1 hour.
  9. Check if the chicken is cooked through. If not, return to the oven for another 15 minutes.
  10. Finally, remove the foil and grill for 5–7 minutes to crisp up the top.

Serve warm with couscous, crusty bread, or simply as is — it’s rich, warming and full of character.

Pumpkin Casserole

November 26, 2017
Recipes, Non-Vegetarian
Pumpkin, Meat, Casserole, Baking

“Remember that it is a one-off dish, I am not sure if I will make it again but it was definitely unique.”

Pumpkin Casserole #

When you grow pumpkins on your allotment and end up with too many, you inevitably start searching for creative ideas. After giving a few to friends and leaving some in the hen run for the chickens to feed on, I was still left with a good number.