Vegetarian Quinoa Moussaka

Ingredietns:

(Yield:  2 servings)

Eggplant:

• 1 small (1/2 lb) eggplant, thinly sliced into about 1/4-inch rounds
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Quinoa/Tomato Layer:

• 1/4 c quinoa
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 c tomato sauce (store-bought or homemade…if you want to make homemade, roasted tomato sauce or thick marinara sauce would be nice)
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried mint
• Pinch allspice
• Salt and pepper

Greek Béchamel: 

• 1 TB unsalted butter
• 2 TB all-purpose flour
• 3/4 c milk (low-fat or fat-free is fine)
• 1 egg yolk
• Pinch nutmeg
• Salt and Pepper
• 1-2 TB grated Kefalotiri cheese (you can use Pecorino Romano cheese if you can’t find Kefalotiri)
• 16 oz gratin dish

Method:

1. For eggplant:  Preheat broiler.  Arrange sliced eggplant in a single layer on a baking sheet; brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Broil for 3-8 minutes on each side, until the eggplant is tender and golden.
2. For quinoa/tomato layer:  Soak quinoa in cold water for 15 minutes.  Strain it through a fine mesh sieve, then thoroughly rinse it under cold running water.  Heat 2 tsp oil in a small/medium saucepan with a lid over medium to medium-low heat; add onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté another 30 seconds.  Transfer the rinsed quinoa, 1/2 c water, and a pinch of salt to the saucepan with the onion/garlic mixture.  Bring to a boil over medium heat with the lid off; once it boils, give it a stir, cover it, and turn heat down to a gentle simmer.  Cook 14 minutes, turn the heat off, and let it sit with the lid on for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.  Stir tomato sauce, oregano, mint, and a pinch of allspice into quinoa.  Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. 
3. For béchamel:  Warm the milk in a small saucepan over low heat.  In a separate small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter, then whisk in flour and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in warm milk and cook until smooth, about 1 minute; turn off heat and whisk in a pinch of nutmeg, salt, and pepper.  Slowly whisk 1/4 c of the béchamel sauce into the egg yolk, only adding a little at a time.  Add egg yolk mixture to the saucepan with the rest of the béchamel, turn the heat on low, and cook 1-2 minutes until thickened.
4. To assemble:  Preheat oven to 350F.  Arrange half of the eggplant in the bottom of a 16 oz gratin dish; spread the quinoa/tomato mixture evenly on top of the eggplant.  Arrange the remaining eggplant on top of the quinoa/tomato mixture; pour the béchamel on top and sprinkle on the grated cheese.  Bake about 35 minutes, or until light golden brown on top.