Paleo Moussaka

I was told when I posted my paleo lasagna recipe that it looked like moussaka. I’m ashamed to say, I had no idea what moussaka was….so I looked it up and it sounded amazing so decided to make a paleo moussaka. I suppose this recipe is more primal as I’ve added kerrygold cheese to top it off! And I must say, it’s delish! 

Since I’ve never tried moussaka, I have to frame of reference and can’t compare it to anything. I just know that this taste good! I love eggplant so I figured it would be good, even if it didn’t taste like the real thing.

Eggplant is nutritious, aside from being tasty. It is high in fiber and has many vitamins. I used to eat eggplant all the time when I was a vegetarian (yep…..vegetarian for 5 years!) but since I became a carnivore again, eggplant didn’t appear in my kitchen quite as often. I’m trying to use it in various recipes to get it back into my diet and when I saw that moussaka was made with eggplant, it was a must to recreate.

There are many steps to this recipe – but don’t run! It’s worth it!! It can also be made as a ‘make ahead’ meal as it sets up really nicely after a few hours. So I think the next time I make this, I’ll make on Saturday or Sunday and have it ready to go for a rushed week night meal.  You can also prep the meat and slice up veggies ahead of time and assemble the day of. It is definitely going to be a meal I make often 🙂

Paleo Moussaka

2015-03-09 18:43:41

Write a review

Save Recipe

Print

Ingredients

1. 3 eggplants
2. 3 medium sized sweet potatoes
3. 8 cups water
4. 1/2 cup salt
5. 1 cup kerrygold cheese, grated
6. 1/4 cup olive oil

Meat Mixture

1. 2 lbs. grass-fed ground beef
2. 1 onion, diced
3. 4 cloves garlic, minced
4. 1/4 cup tomato paste
5. 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
6. 1 tsp cinnamon
7. 1 tsp allspice
8. 1 tbsp dried oregano
9. Salt & Pepper to taste

Sauce

1. 4 cups almond milk
2. 1/2 cup brown butter, ghee or unsalted butter
3. 1/2 cup almond flour
4. 2 tbsp arrowroot flour
5. 4 egg yolks
6. 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Instructions

1. Brown the ground beef in a large pan, adding chopped onions about 1/2 way through browning.
2. Season with salt & pepper - add the garlic, cinnamon, allspice, oregano and tomato paste. Mix well.
3. Add the balsamic vinegar & bring to simmer. Let it simmer on low for 15 minutes.
4. Turn broiler on.
5. While meat is simmering, slice eggplants in 1/4 inch rounds and add to a big pot of 8 cups water & 1/2 cup salt to brine. Let them sit in the brine for 15 minutes. Lay eggplant slices on paper towels to dry a bit.
6. Peel and slice potatoes into 1/4 inch rounds and boil them in salted water for about 7 minutes. You don't want them too crunchy but they should be somewhat under cooked. Drain.
7. Lay the eggplant slices on a piece of parchment paper and brush olive oil on each side of slice.
8. Put under broiler for 4 minutes and turn over for another 3-4 minutes.
9. Turn oven to 350 degrees.
10. Warm the almond milk in pot, bringing to a simmer.
11. Add your butter or ghee and combine.
12. Whisk egg yolks in a separate bowl - temper the yolks by slowly adding some of the milk/butter mixture to the yolks....whisking as you add so you don't cook the yolks. Then add the egg mixture to the pot of milk/butter, combining.
13. Add the almond flour and (slowly adding) arrowroot flour & nutmeg.....whisking continuously to avoid lumps,
14. In a large baking dish, lay the potato rounds, slightly over lapping to cover the bottom of the dish.
15. Using 1/2 of the eggplant slices, layer on top of potatoes.
16. Pour the meat mixture to cover all of the eggplant/potatoes. Take the remaining eggplant & layer over the meat mixture.
17. Top with 1/2 the grated cheese - and slowly pour the sauce over top. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
18. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Let it set at least 15 minutes before slicing into it.

By Cocos Paleo Kitchen

Cocos Paleo Kitchen https://www.cocospaleokitchen.com/