Food Blog Pretense, Ep. 2: Vegan Moussaka

On Hawthorne in Portland there is a Lebanese restaurant situated in a big old craftsman house. It is relatively new and called TarBoush. I feel bad bringing people there because all I can say is "Well, I eat the moussaka, and it is ridiculously delicious. Are other things good? Ummm...probably?" Luckily it seems the other dishes match up. Eggplant is one of my favorite veggies, but I'm ordinarily banned from moussaka due to the cheesy bechamel sauce. It usually contains meat too. At TarBoush, though, they do it "right," by my standards. The eggplants define the dish, and it includes chickpeas in the thick tomato sauce.


So this weekend, aside from consuming two huge kebab sandwiches, too much sesame chocolate, and more pastry than usual, I also successfully copied that non-purist moussaka and was incredibly pleased. Erin and Kelli got on the train around 4, taking two giant apples from the crate in the garage, and I was left to myself in the kitchen. I was tired, but hungry and had been dreaming about this moussaka since I bought the shiny purple gems at the market last week. Never worry about not having everything you need for a recipe. Impromptu cooking is a life skill, especially for young people in new kitchens. I was pleasantly surprised by the light cinnamon flavor and the perfectly mushy nature of the baked eggplant. The simple bechamel sauce even made the house smell like cheese, according to Katia : ) I will definitely make this again!

The eggplants, laying out to sweat.

Vegan Moussaka (haphazardly oversimplified from avalonwine.com)

1 medium eggplant
2 medium zucchinis

2 medium potatoes (or 4 little ones)

One can or 1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced
28-oz. can crushed peeled tomatoes (I used the 16oz can + a couple of fresh heirlooms)
1 teaspoon dried oregano (oops)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used about a teaspoon or more)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (oops)
2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
 

 For the Bechamel:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (I threw in a bit of cumin and lots of pepper, just because)
2 cups soy milk (I used oat milk, which was a bit thicker)
1 tablespoon cornstarch diluted in 1/2 cup water (or two tbsp more flour)
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 

(some nutritional yeast, if you've got it, would make it a bit "cheezier"). 
 
VEGGIES: Heat over to 375 F. Slice the eggplant lengthwise and salt both sides of each thin slice. Leave them to sweat while you cut the zucchini and potato lengthwise into slices. After about 15 minutes of sweating, wash the eggplant with water, and toss all three veggies in olive oil and pile into a casserole dish. Place the dish in the oven, rearranging the veggies about so often as you make the tomato sauce.

 TOMATO SAUCE: While the veggies are softening in the oven, make this simple sauce. Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is transparent and lightly browned. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, cinnamon (a necessity), allspice (or whichever spices you choose to use), salt, pepper, and chickpeas. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes. After making this sauce, take the veggies out of the oven. Layer half of veggies in the dish, pour half the sauce over them, and do the same with the rest. Now put this casserole in the oven for 45 minutes, or as long as it takes for the eggplant to completely soften. It may take longer. Check at 30 mins and if the top is burning, cover with foil. 

BECHAMEL SAUCE: Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and sprinkle in flour and nutmeg (and nutritional yeast, if you want), stirring constantly. Whisk in the milk and salt and pepper, stirring until the mixture begins to boil. Then reduce the heat and whisk until thickened. Take the casserole out of the oven and pour the Bechamel over it. Return to the oven for 15 minutes. 

New goal: Learn to take better pictures of food.

  

Serve with white rice or grains of any kind (couscous, quinoa, ect.). 

This other recipe for vegan moussaka, which is originally from Veganomicon, a great vegan cookbook by IsaChandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero of Post Punk Kitchen and Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World,  might be a more legitimate copy of the original Greek dish, but has a much longer ingredient list.  Maybe I'll try it someday in a land of cheaper tofu.