It's All Greek to Me: Moussaka

I've never had moussaka, the lamb and eggplant dish sometimes referred to as Greek lasagna.

I don't care for eggplant.

Alas, I've never cooked eggplant.

But here we are.....making moussaka!  We were trying to come up with a surprise for Sue, and knowing how much she likes this dish and how unlikely she'd be to make it for herself, we decided to give it a try.

I found this recipe by Bobby Flay that got good reviews: the reviewers made it as stated with much success.  Many steps, but easy enough.  Sounded good to me.

My only stumbling block? The eggplant!

I couldn't in good conscience cook them in the 1 1/2 C oil the recipe called for, so I tried using just a couple of tablespoons per batch (it took 3 batches to do all the eggplant).  They seemed very soggy when I was done, even after draining on paper towels for a while afterwards.

The lamb mixture smelled amazing, and the bechamel was silky smooth.  Two layers out of three aren't bad....right??!!

Once it was in the oven, I went looking for tips. Too late for this time, but would be helpful in the next attempt, I thought.  I found this advice and that. I found many posts that said that olive oil isn't the right oil for frying eggplant, given its low smoking temperature, and that eggplant should be cut lengthwise not crosswise. Some said to peel, some said not. Others insisted it be salted and rinced, others made no mention of that.

So, I was no better off after my research than I was when I'd slid my casserole into the oven.  All I could do was flip back and forth between the Pats and the Yankess, sip a glass of wine, and wait with baited breath for the buzzer to go off.

The verdict?  Success!  It was really tasty. There are some big flavors in this dish...lemon, oregano, lamb.  But they all go so well together. We served it with a salad and garlic bread. It was a little more greasy than I would prefer, but my post-cooking research today will come in handy when next - and there will be a next time! - I make it.

Ingredients
Lamb:
1/4 C Greek olive oil, divided
1 lb. ground lamb
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground allspice
1/8 t cayenne
Salt and pepper
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 T tomato paste
1 C red wine
1 28-oz. can plum tomatoes, pureed until smooth with their juices
1/4C chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1 T Italian seasoning
1 T honey

Eggplant:
about 1 C olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/4 in. thick slices

Bechamel sauce:
6 T unsalted butter
1/2 C flour
2 1/2 C milk
1 bay leaf
1/8 t grated nutmeg
3 egg yolks
1/2 C soft goat cheese
1 lemon, zested
1 C grated Parmesan

Method:

Lamb:

1. Heat 1 T oil in a large sauce pan over high heat. Add the lamb and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until browned - about 5 minutes.
2. Transfer the lamb to a large strainer set over a bowl and drain; discard any liquid left in the pan.
3. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining 3 T olive oil and heat. Add the onions and the bell pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the jalepeno, garlic, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cayenne, and salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
6. Return the lamb to the pan, add the wine, and cook, stirring occassionally, until almost complete evaporated, about 5 minutes.
7. Add the tomato puree and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes.
8. Stir in the parsley and Italian seasoning, season with salt and pepper and  honey - stir well. Remove from the heat.

Eggplant:

1. Heat 2 T oil in 12-in. skillet over medium high heat.
2. Season the eggplant slices with salt and pepper.
3. Working in batches, add the eggplant slices to the pan and fry until tender and lightly golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the eggplant slices to paper towels.

Bechamel:

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until pale and smooth, 2 minutes.
3. Still whisking constantly, add the milk and bay leaf and cook until thickened.
4. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and discard bay leaf.
5. Let the sauce cool for 5 minutes.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, goat cheese, and lemon zest.
7. Whisk the egg and cheese mixture into the bechamel until smooth.

Assembly & Baking:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Butter a 3Q baking dish or casserole dish.
3. Put half the eggplant slices in the dish and cover with half the meat sauce.
4. Top the sauce with the remaining eggplant and then the remaining meat sauce.
5. Pour the bechamel over the top of the meat sauce and spread evenly with a rubber spatula.
6. Sprinkle Parmasan evenly over the top, place the dish on a baking sheet, and bake until browned and bubbly, 45 to 50 minutes.
7. Top with more chopped parsely, if desired.
8. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Lazy Day Lasagna

Lasagna is one of my favorite meals. So much so that when I was a little girl, I always picked lasagna for my birthday dinner. My dad's birthday was just four days before mine, so we often celebrated our birthday dinner  together with lasagna and carrot cake, a memory I am so grateful for.

I never really learned how my mom made her lasagna, but do remember it involved cottage cheese....which sounds unappealing, but the end result was amazing. 

My brother Eric makes the best lasagna now, and any time I make it myself, his is the recipe I try to replicate.

While it's not difficult to make, lasagna takes some time. I am so thankful Sue found this recipe and to now have it my own recipe collection. Quick, easy, and really really good.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 1/2 (26 oz. each) jars marinara sauce
3 (13. oz.) packages frozen ravioli
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
8 oz. grated mozzarella
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Spread a thin layer of sauce in a 9-by-13 in. baking pan.
3. Arrange ravioli in a single layer, then add half the spinach, half the marinara, and half the mozzarella.
4. Repeat layers. Top with Parmesan cheese.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
6. Uncover and cook an additional 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and pasta is cooked.
7. Place under broiler for 2 minutes to brown cheese.
8. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

My blogger friend Kim recently posted a similar recipe, hers made in a crock pot.  That's even easier - can't wait to try that, too!

Thyme Flies

Hard to believe it's been over a year since my very first blog post. I had had a food blog in mind for a long time, and had known for months that when I finally did it, it would be called Thyme Well Spent.


When I finally decided to give it a go, I sat down one Sunday morning and was surprised to find how easy it was to create a blog. Certainly, I was at no loss for material, given how much we like to go out, eat out, and cook in.

What I grossly underestimated was how hard it would be to come home after eight to 10 hours of sitting in front of a computer at work and finding the motivation to blog in the evening. I also had no idea how much fun it would be to read my friends' and family's comments, nor did I have any inclination that my most frequent commenter would be our friend Jim.

I'm way, way behind on posting. It's been over a month since my last message, and there are a number of recipes, restaurants, plays, and weather disasters worthy of writing about. I'll start with a terrific Crock Pot Jambalaya and promise to get caught up before too much more time goes by.

Thank you for reading - and for commenting!!

Crock Pot Jambalaya

• 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 lb. andouille sausage, diced
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, reserved 
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cups cooked rice

Method:

1. In a slow cooker, combine chicken, sausage, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and celery. Stir in oregano, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce, bay leaves, and thyme.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours.
3. Add in reserved chicken stock as necessary, to reach the consistency you desire.
4. Discard bay leaves and spoon mixture over cooked rice.

I started with this recipe, but because we had no shrimp on hand, upped the amount of chicken and sausage. I also drained the tomatoes a little, fearing it would be too thin. Next time, I would drain even more liquid, as it was a little more soup-y than we'd like. The flavor was perfect, though!

White Chicken Enchiladas - Day Two Recipe

I'm way behind on posting some really great recipes, and what better day to get caught up but on a windy, rainy Sunday.  And wait until you see what we have planned for our Sunday Funday meal this afternoon....!

I told you last month about these delicious White Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce. They were super easy and so tasty that I was determined not to let the extra chicken filling go to waste.

So, the next night, I made these Chicken Enchilada Panini for dinner. Using those 100 calorie sandwich thins and my woefully under appreciated George Foreman Grill, a half a cup of the filling and a little extra shredded cheese as the "glue,"  I had a quick, satisfying dinner. I might even make extra filling next time so I can make these panini again!

Grilled Oysters with Crispy Pancetta-Tomato-Basil Mignonette

With the exception of scallops and mussels, I'm not a huge fan of shell fish. I don't care for clams - even when prepared with cream and potatoes - and oysters are just generally unappealing.

Then we saw Bobby Flay prepare this recipe on Food Network and it sounded sooo good to me.  And it was!  It will easily become a beach staple...easy and delicious.

Ingredients
1/2 inch thick piece pancetta, finely diced
1/2 C red wine vinegar
2 T finely diced shallot
1/2 t coarsely ground black peppercorns
8 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
Kosher salt
24 oysters, soaked in water and scrubbed well, shucked
Fresh parsley leaves, for garnish
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Method

1. Cook the pancetta in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until crisp and the fat has rendered. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
2. While the pancetta cooks, combine the vinegar, shallots, peppercorns, basil, tomatoes and season with salt.
3. Grill the shucked oysters over direct medium-high heat until the juices start to bubble and the edges of the oysters curl, 2 - 4 minutes.
4. Remove oysters from grill and top each with some of the mignonette, a few cubes of pancetta and some parsley leaves. Drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil.

A couple of notes, as always....
The original recipe calls for grilling these over charcoal; we used the gas grill.
We had never shucked oysters before, but the instructions in the original recipe were easy to follow (and only required one band-aid!)