Moussaka

Ingredients:

• Ground meat (beef or mixed) – 0.5 kg
• Hard cheese – 300 g
• Eggplants – 3 small
• Zucchini – 2 small
• Potatoes – 0.5 kg
• Tomatoes – 3-4 pcs.
• Onions – 2 pcs.
• Carrots – 2 small
• Garlic – 2-3 cloves (or 1 head of young garlic)
• Tomato paste – 1 tbsp
• Olive oil (or other vegetable oil)
• Salt
• Ground pepper
• Fresh parsley and dill

For the Sauce:

• Butter – 100 g
• Flour – 100 g
• Milk – 300 ml
• Eggs – 2 pcs.
• Salt
• Dried Mediterranean herbs

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Potatoes:

   • Boil the potatoes in their skins until partially cooked. Let them cool, then peel them.

2. Prepare the Vegetables:

   • Peel and chop the carrots, onions, and garlic. Sauté them in vegetable oil.
   • Add the ground meat, salt, and pepper. Cook the meat with the vegetables, stirring, until the meat breaks into small pieces.
   • Add tomato paste and mix well.

3. Prepare the Eggplants and Zucchini:

   • You can peel the eggplants and zucchini, but if they are young and small, it's better to leave the skins on to retain more vitamins.
   • Slice the eggplants and zucchini lengthwise into 0.5 cm thick strips, and fry them in vegetable oil. To remove excess oil, place them on a plate lined with paper towels. You can salt the zucchini and eggplants in the skillet or later when layering them in the baking dish.
   • Slice the potatoes and tomatoes into rounds.

4. Prepare the Sauce:

   • Melt the butter with flour in a skillet. Add milk and stir.
   • Separately beat the eggs and add them to the sauce. Salt and season with spices. Make sure there are no lumps. You can strain the sauce through a metal sieve if needed.

5. Assemble the Moussaka:

   • Take a baking dish with high sides. I lined it with parchment paper, which makes it easier to lift the cooked moussaka out of the dish later.
   • Layer the potato slices, then season with salt and pepper.
   • Grate 1/4 of the cheese over the potatoes.

6. Layer the Meat and Vegetables:

   • Next, add half of the meat mixture.
   • Place the eggplant slices on top, followed by another layer of grated cheese.
   • Add the zucchini slices, followed by more grated cheese.
   • Add the remaining meat mixture and cover it with tomato slices.

7. Bake:

   • Pour the prepared sauce over everything. Grate the remaining cheese on top.
   • Place the dish in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) for 25-30 minutes.

8. Serve:

   • Once the moussaka is ready, sprinkle it with chopped fresh herbs, cut it into pieces, and serve.