Lentil is so nutritious
and fun to cook
Eggplant Moussaka
Lentil Soup
1 lb. dried lentils, washed and
drained
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 cup sliced celery
2 sweet red peppers, chopped or 1 tsp. sweet paprika powder
8 cups water
3 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt to taste
several whole black pepper corns
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. tomato paste
In a large pot, bring to boil the lentils, onions, carrots, celery,
peppers, water, oil, and seasonings.
Simmer covered on very low heat for 45 minutes (until lentils and vegetables are tender).
Add tomato paste and adjust salt. Boil for a couple minutes more.
Serve with whole grain bread, fried bacon and pickled cucumbers.
And a beer!
Eggplant Moussaka
500 g (1/2 lb.) ground pork or / and
beef meat
3 medium eggplants
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 sweet red peppers, finely chopped or 1 tsp. sweet paprika powder
olive or sunflower oil
1 tsp. salt to taste
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. tomato paste or 4 tomatoes
3 eggs
Cut eggplants into finger thick slices, salt and let rest for 15 minutes.
Fry lightly, on very low heat, onion, ground meat, red peppers, black pepper tossing all
the time. Do not overfry. Let it cool.
Blend two eggs and mix with the meat.
Squeeze each eggplant slice, dry with a cloth. Fry eggplant slices in half a cup oil
in a heavy skillet at very high heat (no more than 2 minutes or until light brown). Let
them cool.
Sprinkle a baking dish with olive oil. Arrange a layer of thinly sliced tomatoes or tomato
paste, then a layer of eggplant, than a layer of meat. Do this until all eggplant
and meat are used. The last layer must be tomato. Bake for half an hour. Blend an egg,
pour over moussaka and bake a little longer until it starts to brown.
You can serve it immediately but it is also
delicious when cool.
