Comfort Sunday

I’m sorry it’s taken so long to click but I suddenly realised that I really ought to give you the Comfort Sunday recipe on a Saturday so you can gather your ingredients!  I know you can go shopping on a Sunday but for those of you who don’t want to, I shall now try and post your recipe on a Saturday!

Last week, I gave you my husband’s cheese broth recipe – today I am posting one of  John’s choice of comfort food – moussaka.  It really isn’t difficult – and you can make the meat mixture in the morning before you go out – or even the day before – and just assemble when you want it!

Moussaka – a greek lamb dish that just oozes pleasure!

• 120 grams minced lamb
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 – 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1/2 – 1 tin of tomatoes
• pinch oregano, salt and pepper
• oxo cube
• tomato sauce (SECRET ingredient – I read somewhere that a lot of well known chefs use some tomato ketchup in their recipes – and I love mine – Heinz FIERY tomato ketchup)
• 1 aubergine,sliced
• 1/2 pint white sauce made 10 grams butter, 10 grams flour, 1/2 pint milk (or you could just use a sauce mix as we are looking after ourselves today and don’t want too much worry)
• grated cheese

There is a lot said about how much oil aubergines soak up in their cooking.  Whilst this is true, I find if you roast them you can get away with a lot less than frying.  So slice the aubergine, toss in some olive oil and roast for about 20 minutes at 180oC till they are soft.  Switch the oven off and leave in until you need them.

Put some olive oil in a saucepan and add the chopped onion and garlic.  When soft, add the mince to brown.  Tip in the tin of tomatoes and oxo cube and bring to the boil.  Add the oregano if you want and a couple of squeezes of ketchup. Cook ( a bit more than a simmer but less than a boil!), stirring occasionally.  I like to cook it all down so it is still moist but with no excess liquid – nice and thick.

Take an ovenproof dish and put in the mince. Take the aubergine and lay on top in a layer.  Make the white sauce (melt the butter, add the flour and slowly add the milk, stirring all the time so it doesn’t go lumpy) and pour over.

Top with grated cheese and bake in the oven at 180oc for about 25 minutes until the top is golden and all is bubbling loveliness!  Serve with some cooked spinach and/or a nice salad and garlic bread to mop up the juices.