Vegetarian Moussaka with Bulgur

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

2. 2

   Place the eggplant slices on a foil or parchment-covered baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush the eggplant with oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the eggplant is brown and soft.

3. 3

   Turn your oven off while preparing the sauces.

4. 4

5. 5

   Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and sauté for 1 minute. Add the bulgur to the pan, toast, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook off thoroughly. Add the spices; cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the stock, oregano, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes until thickened and the mixture has the consistency of porridge. Stir occasionally.

6. 6

7. 7

   While the bulgur mixture is simmering, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Gradually pour in the milk, stirring, with a whisk. Bring to a simmer; simmer for 5 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the cheese and salt. Remove the mixture from the heat. Cool slightly for 2 minutes. Whisk in the egg.

8. 8

9. 9

   Preheat oven to 350ºF.

10. 10

    Coat an 11x7-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange half of the eggplant in the dish and cover evenly with the bulgur sauce. Arrange the remaining eggplant on top of the bulgar and cover with the béchamel sauce. Bake for 40 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 475ºF. Bake for an additional 10 minutes until the top is golden brown.

11. 11

    Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.