Food By Maria

-1 Preheat your oven to 400F and line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
-1 Cut your peeled potatoes, zucchini and eggplant and evenly coat with olive oil, seasoning and oregano. Cook potatoes till soft, eggplant till tender and golden brown and zucchini till most of it’s liquid has evaporated (around 25-30 minutes). The reason we’re pre cooking them is so there is no moisture in the baking dish for the moussaka. You want this to be a mix of perfectly crispy and creamy, not watery!
-1 To prepare your “meat” sauce all you will need in one deep pot. Start by pre-heating your olive oil and adding your onions. Cook them down on medium-low heat for around 5 minutes or until soft. Add in your garlic, salt + pepper, basil, oregano, stock paste, cinnamon and cloves and give your mixture a good stir. Cook for 3 or so more minute on medium-low heat. At this point your home should smell fabulous. Add in your lentils, black bean, tomatoes and sugar. Give it all a good stir before turning heat to low and popping on a lid and reducing for around 20 minutes. You want the sauce to reduce enough that it’s thick but not stew like! Once cooked set aside.
-1 To assemble, place a layer on potatoes on to a plate, then some zucchini, eggplant, lentil meat sauce,  fresh tomato and repeat one more time.  Garnish with fresh parsley and your choice of fixings.  I love eating this with feta and tzatziki.