VEGAN MOUSSAKA WITH ZUCCHINI AND EGGPLANT

This vegan moussaka is hearty, hunger-relieving, and so filling. It's the perfect meal when you need to satisfy your hunger, which will fill your belly but won't interfere with your treatment. For an even more filling effect, try combining the dish with a green salad.

Potatoes create an easy, sustainable form of glucose that helps stabilize the adrenal glands, fuels the nervous system, restores glycogen in the brain, and is antiviral and antibacterial.

Eggplant dilutes dirty blood full of fat and poisons, which can help stop blood clots from forming in our veins and eases the heart, allowing it to not be overworked while pumping.

Zucchini soothes the walls of the intestinal tract, pushing out pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi and allowing better absorption of nutrients that can be sent to the liver.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium-sized eggplants, cut into slices about 1 cm thick;
• 1 large zucchini, cut into slices about 1 cm thick;
• 3 medium-sized tomatoes, cut into slices about 1 cm thick.

Potato layer:

• 3 kg of potatoes, cut into large pieces;
• 1 tbsp. onion powder;
• 1 tsp garlic powder.

Tomato sauce:

• 3 ½ cups finely chopped mushrooms*;
• ½ cup diced onion;
• ½ cup finely chopped dried tomatoes (without oil and salt);
• ⅓ cup finely chopped celery stalks;
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped;
• 1 ½ cups diced or pureed canned tomatoes , or 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes;
• 1 tsp fresh thyme or ½ tsp. dried _
• 1 tsp fresh oregano or ½ tsp. dried _
• ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes;
• ¼ to ½ tsp. sea ​​salt (optional).

Method of preparation:

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Arrange half the eggplant slices and all the zucchini slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Remove and set aside.

While the eggplant and zucchini are roasting, add about 2 inches of water to a medium saucepan and place a steamer basket. Add the potatoes, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes until tender. Remove the potatoes and place them in a large bowl along with the onion powder and garlic powder. Mash them until smooth. Set aside.

To prepare the sauce, place a large ceramic nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, sun-dried tomatoes , celery stalks and garlic. Cook for 5-8 minutes until the mushrooms are soft and browned. Add the tomatoes , thyme, oregano and red pepper flakes. Add sea salt as desired, if using. Reduce the heat and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.

In a medium-sized baking dish, arrange a layer of half the baked zucchini and eggplant slices on the bottom, overlapping them slightly. Top with half of the mashed potatoes, spreading it evenly, followed by half of the tomato sauce. Repeat with another layer of eggplant and zucchini slices, followed by the remaining tomato sauce, and finish with the remaining mashed potatoes on top. Arrange the remaining raw eggplant slices and tomato slices on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes until lightly browned on top. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into portions.

* For the mushrooms – wash and rinse thoroughly in warm to hot water before slicing. Do not use sticky or rotting mushrooms. This is a sign of oxidation and aging.

Advices:

Although high-quality sea or Himalayan rock salt is an option to include in this recipe, the recipe is more healing without salt. Over time, you may wish to reduce or eliminate salt.

Portion for 4-6 people.