I Entered In The Inside Jersey Best Home Chef Competition!

Hey! I know it has been absolute ages since I have updated, unfortunately life has been insane. BUT I just entered my Garden Veggie Moussaka in the Inside Jersey Best Home Chef Contest! I thought I would share the recipe with all of you, because this dish is absolutely amazing, delicious, healthy, fat free, and a perfect way to use your summer garden veggies! Sadly, I didn't take any pictures, but if I get chosen as a finalist, I will certainly photograph the dish I cook for the judges! So please, enjoy the deliciousness that is Garden Veggie Moussaka, and wish me luck!

Experience the joy of the summer harvest with my garden vegetable moussaka. I made this dish almost excusively with local produce, fresh herbs, and lots of love.

Prep time: About 45 minutes

Bake time: 1 hour

You will need:

3 3quart saucepans (2 if using canned lentils)

1 grill pan (or access to a grill)

1 electric beater

1 lasagna pan

foil

3 cups cooked lentils

½ cup veggie stock

1 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 handful fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, sage- if not fresh 1/2tsp of each will do)

3 stalks celery, diced

2 small or 1 large bell pepper- green or yellow

1 cup crimini mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1 medium zuchinni, diced

5 carrots, chopped

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 large eggplant, thinly sliced by hand or mandolin

6 medium red potatoes, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350.

Cook lentils according to package in one of the saucepans. Or, if you're using canned lentils, rinse, drain, and set aside. In one of the saucepans, over medium heat, sautee the garlic and onions in ¼ cup veggie stock until the become clear. Add the herbs, allow to sit for a minute, then begin to add all the other veggies except for the potatoes and eggplant. Add the remainder of the veggie stock, allow to simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the carrots become tender. Once they are tender, remove from heat, set aside, and add lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste. While the veggies simmer, in the other saucepan, bring the potatoes to a boil, and cook until tender. Personally, I like the skins on my potatoes, but that is up to you. While the veggies and potatoes are cooking, put the grill pan on medium high heat and place the thinly sliced eggplant around the pan in only one layer so that they are touching sides, but not overlapping. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side, or until the eggplant is soft with a slight crisp to it. You might have to cook the eggplant in batches. You can also grill the eggplant, or fry it, but I found grilling or grill pan preserves the flavor and the health of the eggplant. Once the eggplant is done, you can place on a plate and set aside. Once the potatoes are done, you have 2 choices. If you'd like a slighty chunkier, heartier dish, drain the potatoes and leave them chopped. If you'd like something a little more “traditional”, or as traditional as a non-meat moussaka can be, drain the potatoes (save about ¼ cup of the water) and use the electric beaters to mash the potatoes to your desired consistancy. Use the saved potato water to make them a little creamier, or add more vegetable stock if you have some extra.

Now that everything is cooked, you're ready to ensamble!

Mix the lentils and veggies.

In the lasagna pan, start with a layer of eggplant, placing the slices in a smiliar fashion to when cooking them. You can leave a little space between each slice. After the eggplant layer, add a layer of lentils and veggies. Another eggplant layer, another lentil veggie layer, until you have about a half inch of space left in the pan, or run out of veggies. Top with your potatoes. Cover the pan in foil, and place in the oven. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and allow dish to continue cooking for another 30 minutes, or until the potatoes have a nice crust to them. You can enjoy this dish either right away, or save it and enjoy another day. All the flavors of the garden, harmoniously dancing in your mouth. And I promise, you won't miss the meat.