Wednesday, 14 May 2014

Sweet potato and aubergine moussaka #BettaRecipe

I have been a vegetarian for about 25 years and I'm always looking for new ways to change my weekly meal plans so I have a good varied diet. I spotted a competition with Betta Living for National Vegetarian Week which is from the 19th to 25th May to create a vegetarian dish and thought this was a good opportunity to try to make something new. photo finished-dish-text_zps8fd82217.jpg
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp tomato puree
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 courgette, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
400g tin of chopped tomatoes, drained
1tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
sprinkle of salt & ground black pepper

1 aubergine, sliced into thin rounds
2 medium sweet potatoes, sliced into thin rounds

1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp plain flour
500 ml of semi skimmed milk
125g of mascarpone cheese 
a few sprigs of parsley
Pinch of nutmeg

100g cheddar cheese, grated
A few cherry tomatoes, sliced
 photo fryonions_zps86b9ddbd.jpgMethod:
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and add the chopped onions and the tomato puree. Stir well to coat the onions and fry gently for a couple of minutes.
Add the crushed garlic and chopped red pepper and courgette, frying for about 5 minutes on a low heat until soft.
Add the tinned tomatoes, lemon juice, cumin and paprika. Simmer for 15-20 minutes to thicken the sauce. Season to taste.
 photo addtinnedtoms_zps01aa2785.jpg  photo sweetpotato_zps58ea835b.jpg In an oven proof dish arrange the layers of sweet potato rounds, followed by a layer of aubergine and then spoon half of the tomato filling onto it. Repeat the layers again. photo veglayers_zps08536611.jpg
To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan and then add the plain flour. It will quickly combine and become a paste. Add a quarter of the milk and whisk to create a smooth mixture. As the sauce thickens gradually add the rest of the milk and add the mascarpone cheese. Stir well and simmer on a low heat before adding the chopped parsley. Add a pinch of nutmeg and seasoning.
 photo addwhitesauce_zps254a04fd.jpgSprinkle on the grated cheese and garnish with the chopped cherry tomatoes. Place in the oven for about 45 minutes until the topping is golden. I put it under the grill to make it extra crispy. Serve with some fresh salad if you plan on cooking large cuts
 photo finisheddish_zpsfe3ffb85.jpg  photo finishedplated_zpsaf2ad41d.jpg
This is my entry into the Betta Living Vegetarian Recipe competition.

3 comments:

Lucy said...

Oooh this looks delicious!! Will definitely be trying this :) yum

rebecca beesley said...

We love moussaka - Will definitely have to give the veggie option a try too. x

Immanuel Ungke Kabuhung said...

Superdelicious recipe and fabulous photos! Cheers!

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