Allergy Today: Deconstructed Lamb Moussaka Recipe

Lamb has never been this good! I know that is a big claim but this is a ridiculously tasty dinner that you can make in just 30 minutes. I didn’t have time to make a full-blown cook-and-then-bake moussaka. So instead, I just chucked all the delicious ingredients into a pan, cooked a side of pasta and called dinner done!

It worked out great and you could even cook a double batch of the lamb moussaka and pop it in the freezer for a later date. Then, all you need to do is heat it and add a fresh side of pasta and some crumbled feta.
 

Dairy-Free Note: Now, I know I put feta in this dish but that is totally optional. It’s still gorgeous without it, so if you need to be dairy-free, ditch the feta and eat it as is, OR, add a little bit of vegan cheese.
 

Gluten Free | Nut Free | Dairy Free Option | Seafood Free | Fish Free | Egg Free | Soy Free
 

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes
 

INGREDIENTS

3 medium carrots, peeled and diced

½ cup finely sliced leek or onion

3 cups spinach, roughly chopped

4 cups eggplant, chopped into small cubes

Drizzle of olive oil

Season with salt and pepper

1 tbsp garlic-infused oil

500g lean lamb mince

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground coriander

400g can of plain crushed tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste
 

TO SERVE

250g gluten free pasta (this is the weight before you cook it)

2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

100g feta (optional – can sub in dairy-free cheese)
 

METHOD

1. Place a large saucepan of hot water on to boil, you’ll use this for your pasta.
2. Peel and dice the carrots. Finely chop the leek or onion, and roughly slice the spinach. Chop the eggplant/aubergine into 2cm chunks. Place the eggplant in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss until well combined.
3. Place your pasta on to cook according to packet directions, and set a timer on so you know when to check and drain it.
4. Place two fry pans over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and the eggplant to one of the pans. In the other fry pan, add the garlic-infused oil, leek/onion, lamb, and carrots.
5. Fry the eggplant for four to six minutes until golden and soft, stirring every couple of minutes, then remove from the heat and place in a bowl.
6. Fry the lamb until it has browned. Then turn down to medium heat and stir through the cumin, paprika, cinnamon and ground coriander. Allow to fry for one minute until fragrant. Then mix through the spinach, canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Season well with salt and pepper. Add the eggplant and allow to simmer for 10 minutes or until the mixture is thick. If at any point your mixture gets too dry, just add a little splash of water.
7. When the timer goes off, drain the pasta and toss with a little olive oil.
8. Taste the lamb mixture and season with salt and black pepper if needed.
9. Serve the lamb over the pasta. Sprinkle with feta or dairy-free cheese and a little bit of chopped parsley if desired.

Alana Scott is an experienced allergy-friendly and low-FODMAP cook and author of The Gut Friendly Cookbook (available from Allergy New Zealand). Her own experience with food allergy and intolerance means she understands how difficult it can be to create delicious and nutritious allergy-friendly food. Find more ideas at alittlebityummy.com

Allergy Today, March 2022