Moussaka - our Greek Meat Pie

Mousakka is a fantastic family meal and a great alternative to a cottage or shepherd’s pie but one which is equally devoured by my little ladies. Bridget calls this ‘Greek meat pie’ and her and Beatrice had it at least 7 times on our recent fortnight in Kefalonia – a firm favourite.

I favour the version which seems to be more prevalent in the Ionian Islands (Corfu, Kefalonia, Zakynthos) which has a layer of potato in a creamy white sauce enriched with egg, rather than the more well-known layer of aubergine. If you would rather include aubergine instead, just slice an aubergine into 1cm slices, and dry fry for 30 seconds before layering on top of the meat.

I use beef, which again seems to be the norm in the Ionian Islands, but again in some parts of Greece, Turkey and he Balkans this is more traditionally lamb mince, it’s totally adaptable and down to your own personal preference.

It is very much a Greek cooking method to ‘enrich’ a sauce using a beaten egg, which is done here, but please do ensure you wait until the sauce has completely cooled otherwise your hard work will be reduced to scrambled egg.

You’ll be hard pushed to find a more satisfyingly rich meat sauce than a slow cooked Greek one. Greek food often gets a bad rap in the UK, but I think it’s fantastic and my family certainly agree.If you tried and liked the Patsitsio recipe recently - this is up there with that for delivering on flavour, comfort and pleasing all of the family.

Feeds 4-5 and I serve with salad.

Moussaka - our Greek Meat Pie

Here’s how:
The meat:

• Drizzle olive oil
• 500g steak mince
• 1 red onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 heaped tsp cinnamon
• 1 heaped tsp dried oregano
• 1 pinch salt
• Black pepper to taste
• 200ml red wine (I used Chianti as we had a bottle open)
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• Handful bay leaves

The topping:

• 4-5 white potatoes (I used desiree)
• 50g butter
• 50g plain flour
• 300ml whole milk
• 50g Grana Padana or Kefalotyri if you can get hold of it
• Nutmeg

I make the white sauce first by melting the butter into a non-stick pan, then slowly adding the flour and mixing the whole time with a wooden spoon to make a roux. Now slowly add the milk, mixing in the roux the whole time, pressing it down until it takes the form of the sauce rather than a big lump. Repeat until all of the milk is added, then add the grated cheese and a little nutmeg and continue cooking and stirring the whole time for a further five minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy. Now set aside away from the heat and allow to fully cool.

For the meat sauce, add a drizzle of olive oil to a pan, and place on a medium heat.

Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic and add to the pan. After a couple of minutes, add the mince, cinnamon and oregano and season generously. (You can leave out the salt if preparing for a small baby.)

Use a wooden spoon to break down the meat so it doesn’t clump together and once browned add the flour and mix well. This will help to thicken the final meat sauce.

Now add the red wine, passata and tomato puree, stir well and cook for 30 minutes until it has reduced down to a thick and unctuous ragu.

While the meat sauce is cooking, peel the potatoes and cut into slices about 1cm thick. Give them a good rinse then pour over boiling water add a pinch of salt and cook for five minutes, then drain.

By now the white sauce should have cooled sufficiently, so beat an egg in a separate bowl and then combine with the white sauce, mix well and it should add an extra glossiness to the sauce.

Once you are satisfied with the meat sauce, remove from the heat and spoon into an oven-proof dish.

Now layer the potatoes over so all of the meat is covered.

Now spoon over the white sauce, using the back of the spoon to spread out evenly and ensure everything has a coating of the sauce. The addition of the egg means this should help the topping to ‘hold’ well so once the dish is complete and you’re ready to dish up, you should be able to slice into neat squares of moussaka.

Scatter over the remaining grated cheese and a smidge more freshly grated nutmeg and this is ready for the oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Moussaka - just out of the oven

Moussaka - a firm family favourite

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before portioning and plating up for the family. I serve with salad and this was enough for my family of four plus a generous portion for the following day’s lunch.

Here’s some of our other favourite Greek dishes:
Prawn Saganaki
Pastitsio
Briam
Gemistes
Feta & Spinach Open Tart
Greek Salad
Greek Chicken One Pot
Souvlaki
Tzatziki
Greek Yoghurt and Honey Baked Cheesecake

Skinny Stuffed Peppers

Gemistes or Stuffed Vegetables (peppers in this case) are a mid-week favourite at our house, they are quick and easy to prepare so; perfect for our busy lifestyles.

In my quest of healthier eating and losing weight, I created this 'skinny' version using cauliflower rice instead of my usual basmati, and just a little lean steak mince for some protein and iron.

This recipe makes enough mix for x4 stuffed tomatoes or peppers but if you want to make a bigger batch of the filling, it freezes well.

Each stuffed pepper contains around 250 calories and you can serve with your choice of accompaniments – here I had a side salad, 100g sweet potato fries and 30 feta for a really lovely balanced meal.

I highly recommend also preparing your own low-calorie tzatziki to accompany the gemistes too which you can do by combining 3 tbsp 0% fat natural yoghurt, 50g cucumber (grated), one minced garlic clove and a few mint leaves - 1 tbsp is around 30 calories so it's well worth the effort for a real taste of Greece. 

Skinny Stuffed Peppers

Here's how:

• 150g lean steak mince
• 1 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• X4 peppers or beef tomatoes (for stuffing)
• 100g cauliflower
• Handful fresh mint leaves 
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 pepper (any colour)
• 1 large tomato

Firstly place 10ml coconut oil into a non-stick pan and place onto a gentle heat.

Now finely dice the onion, mince the garlic and place into the pan.

Now cut the rest of the vegetables (barring the cauliflower) into small cubes, of the same sort of size and set aside for the minute.

Either blitz your cauliflower in a blender or if you prefer a slightly coarser, larger texture like myself, use a box grater and simply grate it, leaving to one side.

Once the onions have softened, add the lean steak mince and season with a pinch of black pepper and salt. Use a spatula to move the meat around and prevent it from sticking together.

Once the meat has started to brown add the oregano and cinnamon and stir and then add the tomato, pepper and courgette and allow to fry for a few more minutes.

Skinny Stuffed Peppers

At this point pop the oven on to 180 degrees and prepare the tomatoes or peppers for stuffing. If using peppers, simply slice the top off, and remove the seeds, retaining the top (stalk too) for a lid. If using the tomatoes, gently slice the tops off (also retaining) and then with a sharp knife cut out all of the flesh, leaving just the shell of the tomato behind. Then add a smidge of salt to the inside of each one and turn upside down to draw out a little of the moisture and prevent it from becoming too soggy during cooking.

Back to the meat mix, by now you will be ready to add the cauliflower rice and simply fry with all of the other filling ingredients for around 2 minutes then remove the pan from the heat.

Now finely slice the mint leaves - be generous here as these leaves will give great flavour to the finished dish. Now stir through the meat and vegetable mix.

Now place the peppers or tomatoes into an oven proof dish, and spoon in the filling till each is tightly packed full. Place the lid on top of each and of mot secure, use skewers or cocktail sticks to hold in place during cooking. Now loosely cover with foil and place into the oven for forty minutes.

Skinny Stuffed Peppers

 Allow to rest for a few minutes before serving with your choice of accompaniments. Enjoy!

Gemistes - Greek Stuffed Tomatoes

I adore Greek food and this is a dish I first tried on the island of Crete, in a lovely little village called Gouves about six or seven years ago. I've since experimented and made my own versions of 'Gemistes' (stuffed vegetables) and I think this version is the definitive one. 

It goes down well with veggies and meat-lovers alike and you could of course adapt it to include some minced beef, pork or lamb or make it slightly more indulgent by including some feta cheese which will melt and make it unctuously delicious. 



You can also use bell peppers instead, but I prefer the texture that the tomatoes take on once baked. 





This is one of the many dishes I make for 'Greek night' at my house and my girlfriends love it - it transports us to sunny holiday memories.





This makes enough for six people and is best served with some 'horta' or salad leaves and some Tzatziki.

Gemistes Greek Stuffed Tomatoes


Gemistes as part of a Greek feast




6 beef tomatoes
1 red onion
1 large clove of garlic
1 courgette
1 green pepper
1 red or yellow pepper
1 tbsp salt
Pinch of black pepper
Handful of fresh mint
Enough rice to fill the tomatoes (will depend on the size - I used about 100g dried rice here) 
Fresh vegetable stock (optional)



Firstly place the rice on to cook - preferably in some fresh vegetable stock for added flavour but in salted water is also fine.
Next carefully slice off the tops of the tomatoes, retaining the green part as it just looks nicer at the end. Use a sharp knife to gently score around the inside of the tomatoes to loosen up the inside, then scoop out the flesh with a teaspoon and discard. Add a tiny amount of salt to the inside of each tomato then turn upside down on a plate to allow some of the moisture to trickle away.
Next dice the onion, courgette and peppers and crush the garlic and add to a pan on a low heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Gently saute for about five minutes until just softened
Chop the fresh mint finely.
Once the rice is cooked, drain away any remaining water, place into a bowl and use a fork to fluff up a little. Add the mint and the sauteed vegetables, the pinch of salt and black pepper and stir thoroughly so everything is evenly distributed. 
Place the tomatoes into a baking dish or tray, the right way up now, and scoop even amounts of the rice mixture into each, right up to the top. Use a spoon to tap firmly down so the tomato is completely full of delicious rice. 
Place the lids of each tomato on top and then loosely cover the whole dish with tinfoil to protect the skins from charring. 
Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to rest for a few minutes when they come out of the oven as they will be piping hot, and then serve with your accompaniments and preferably a crisp glass of white wine or a bottle of Mythos Greek beer and allow yourself to be transported to holidays gone by.