Vegetables • Yogurt • Meat • Garlic • Oregano • Cloves
Serves 6 to 8
I can’t think of another dish that embodies the healthy yet flavorful recipes of Wild Mediterranean better than moussaka. It features that sweet spot—a 3:1 ratio of veggies to protein (maybe even 5:1!)—and cooks together in one dish. The dish can be heavy, though, so I took all the goodness of this classic and made it more biome-friendly.
A few things to note: This dish is traditionally made with lamb, but you can substitute turkey or bison. When purchasing the tomatoes, look for those canned without citric acid and packaged, ideally, in Tetra Pak boxes, or in BPA-free cans.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large eggplants, sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds
6 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
For the Meat Mixture:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground lean lamb or beef
1 pound chopped plum tomatoes, canned or fresh (seeded, if using fresh)
1½ teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
1½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
For the Yogurt Topping:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup almond meal or all-purpose flour
1½ cups 2% Greek yogurt
3 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving, if desired
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Liberally grease 2 large baking sheets with olive oil.
Arrange the eggplant and zucchini slices on the sheets. Drizzle them lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle them with the salt.
Bake the zucchini and eggplant for 10 minutes. Then, using tongs or a spatula, flip them over and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the oven and place them on paper towels to soak up any excess oil or moisture.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with olive oil.
Meanwhile, prepare the meat mixture: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper and sauté until the pepper is soft, another 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the ground meat and cook, breaking the meat into fine pieces with your spoon, until cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain off any excess fat. Mix in the tomatoes, parsley, oregano, thyme, pepper, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes (if using). Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, then remove the mixture from the heat.
Spread the zucchini slices to cover the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Spread half of the meat mixture over the zucchini. Next, layer on half of the eggplant, making sure to cover the entire pan. Spread the remaining meat mixture over the eggplant. Complete the layering with the remaining eggplant. Set aside.
To make the yogurt topping: In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, almond meal, and yogurt and mix well until combined. Whisk in the eggs and mix until the ingredients form a sauce-like consistency.
Spread the yogurt mixture over the eggplant layer and sprinkle with the cheese.
Bake until golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes. Let the dish rest for 20 minutes before serving. If desired, top the moussaka with additional cheese before serving.