Cold moussaka with kalamata feta sauce {GF, Veg}

My dear friend Einav (of the vegetarian biryani and okra fame) still speaks with envy of the time she sat with friends in Greece, on the shores of the Mediterranean sea, and watched them digging into their moussaka.

Layered with thinly sliced potatoes, fried eggplant that has become silky soft, and a rich, opulent bechamel sauce that pooled everywhere, this dish was the stuff of dreams - except it was laden with spiced ground beef. And like myself, Einav does not eat meat. So on that day on the beach of Kos, moussaka was just beyond her reach.

But with this vegetarian, lightened up cold moussaka with kalamata-feta sauce, she won't have to be jealous anymore. If you want a more traditional moussaka recipe, try my gluten-free vegetarian moussaka adaptation.

Moussaka has a turbulent history in the Middle East. Claimed by Greeks, the Balkans, the Lebanese and the Egyptians, it has also made appearances in Claudia Roden's game-changing Book of Middle Eastern Food and other seismic works exploring the region's cuisine. Though it looks a little bit different each time, the basic premise is such: eggplant, potatoes/meat, and sauce. Oh yeah, and it usually comes out of the oven warm.

But in the Palestinian kitchen, the dish of choice is cold moussaka. Taken from Levantine recipes, the moussaka of my country is usually served cold, on hot summer days, eggplant and potatoes interspersed with tomatoes and covered in delicious sauce that ranges from tomato to bechamel.

And that's exactly the moussaka I chose to make for a recent recipe with Litehouse's new OPA line of sauces. With 53 per cent calories less than traditional mayonnaise sauce, and about a bazillion per cent less than in bechamel, the kalamata feta sauce I tried was tangy, interspersed with delicious bites of olive and tomato, and rich in all the right ways. I have been ladling it on everything from corn on the cob to a simple heirloom tomato salad, but my favourite way to eat it has been in this cold moussaka.

To get the recipe and cold moussaka with kalamata feta sauce and to see more photos, head on down to the Food Blogggers of Canada website, where you can also find more mouth-watering recipes, advice for bloggers, and information about their upcoming bloggers' conference - where you just might meet me!

Disclaimer: I have received payment and the products for this recipe from Litehouse, but all opinions expressed here are my own. I am proud to work with companies whose products I truly love. To find out more about working with me, check out my about page, or email me to request a media kit.

Recipe

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Cold Moussaka With Kalamata and Feta

Ksenia Prints

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Greek

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 large Yukon Gold potatoes sliced into thin pieces
• 2 large eggplants sliced into ½-inch pieces
• 6 beefsteak tomatoes sliced into thin pieces
• 1 jar OPA by Litehouse Kalamata Feta Dressing Or 1 cup Greek yogurt, diluted with 2 TBs water and mixed with 2 TBS each of finely chopped kalamata olives and ¼ cup feta.
• 6 tsps Litehouse freeze-dried oregano
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Fresh oregano for garnish

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 425℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and drizzle it with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Spread oil evenly.
• Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer, and bake for 15 minutes on one side.
• Add 2 tablespoons more oil to the sheet, turn slices over and cook an additional 12 minutes on the other side.
• Repeat until all eggplant is baked and golden-brown in parts.
• Lower oven temperature to 375℉.
• On a large baking sheet, layer eggplant slices, potato slices and tomato slices. Sprinkle with salt, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, and 2 tablespoons of OPA by Litehouse Kalamata Feta Dressing. Repeat until you run out of vegetables.
• Mix 3 teaspoons dried oregano with 1 teaspoon of water, and let hydrate for a couple of minutes.
• On the last layer, pour ¼ cup of OPA by Litehouse Kalamata Feta dressing and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with rehydrated oregano, salt and pepper.
• Cover and bake at 375℉ for 45 minutes, until potatoes have cooked through (test with fork). Let cool for 4 hours, or overnight.
• Serve cold kalamata feta moussaka drizzled generously with more Kalamata Feta Dressing, and topped with fresh oregano.

Notes

If you cannot get the OPA by Litehouse dressing, feel free to make your own using 1 cup Greek yogurt, diluted with 2 TBs water and mixed with 2 TBS each of finely chopped kalamata olives and ¼ cup feta.

 

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