Moussaka...It's what's for dinner!

As my friend, Alisha, can tell you, I cook Greek food a lot! And that's because this family of four loves most anything Greek! And who's not going to cook what is not only sure to please the masses but also falls under the "pretty heathy" category that I strive for!?
Well, tonight, I attempted a classic, Eggplant Moussaka. I found the recipe in my favorite magazine, Cooking Light, and it is so yummy and, although it takes a while to prepare, is relatively easy.
I will admit that when I first read over the recipe, I was a little intimidated by the mentioning of béchamel sauce. Turns out, that is nothing more than a fancy cheese sauce...I know, I know I sound like the true southerner that I am with that comment. :)
Anyway, the dish is delish! And the wheat bulgur is a great substitute for ground meat to make it both vegetarian and lower in calories! I promise, even you meat lovers out there will love it and you won't even miss the beef. So, without further ado, here is the recipe:


1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. Brush eggplant slices with 1 Tbsp of oil. Place eggplant in foil lined cooking sheet coated with cooking spray; broil 6 inches from heat for 5 minutes on each side or until crowned. Set eggplant aside.
3. Heat large skillet over med/high heat. Add remaining 1 Tbsp oil to pan. Add chopped onion; sauté 8 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add bulgur; cook 3 minutes or until lightly toasted. Add allspice, cinnamon, and cloves; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vegetable broth, oregano, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until thickened.
4. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to med/low, and simmer 5 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in cheese and salt. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add egg, stirring well with whisk.
5. Preheat oven to 350.
6. Arrange half of eggplant on bottom of 7x11 ceramic baking dish, coated with cooking spray. Spread bulgur mixture evenly over eggplant. Arrange remaining eggplant on top of bulgur mixture. Top with milk mixture. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, and remove from oven. Raise oven temp to 475 and return to oven for 4 minutes or until top is browner. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

And on a side note, this is my first test at posting a blog with my new I-phone app! Wahoo! Someone's getting fancy! ;)
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