Meatless Monday: Vegetarian Moussaka

Vegetarian Moussaka P Serves: 16

Roasted eggplant layered with a creamy vegetarian meat sauce is satisfying and delicious for vegetarians and meat lovers alike. Serve with steamed rice and a salad and you have a wonderful meal. Add to that-it freezes well; so you can make a large pan of it, cut it into portions and freeze until needed.
Ingredients
2 medium eggplants
Olive oil/olive oil spray
28-32 ounces of veggie meat
1 large onion
3 garlic cloves
½ cup olive oil
One 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes-drained
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¾ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 eggs
½ cup unflavored bread crumbs
Equipment
Large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
Large skillet
12x10x3 inch baking pan
Directions

1. Spray parchment paper with olive oil or brush olive oil on it. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to: 400 F.
3. Peel eggplants and slice them lengthwise into ¼ inch slices. Arrange them in a single layer on parchment. (Use two cookies sheets or repeat process with second batch of eggplant slices.) Spray or brush them with olive oil. Bake eggplant in oven for about 10 minutes or until soft. Set aside.
4. Peel and chop onion and garlic.
5. Pour oil into skillet and heat over medium flame. Add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are translucent. Break up veggie meat and mix thoroughly into onions. Add drained tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir well. Add parsley. Stir again. Taste season with salt and pepper. The sauce should be thick and creamy with very little liquid.
6. Spray baking dish with olive oil. Arrange one half of the eggplant slices on the bottom making sure that there are no empty spaces between them. Spoon half the meat sauce on top. Make sure the top is smooth. Cover sauce with remaining eggplant slices. Spoon the rest of the sauce on top-smoothing it over again.
7. Preheat oven to: 350 F.
8. Beat eggs in a small bowl.
9. Sprinkle a layer of bread crumbs over the meat sauce. Spread the beaten eggs over the top. Sprinkle remaining bread crumbs over the eggs. Place in oven and bake 45 minutes or until browned and a little liquid can be seen coming over the edges. Cool15 minutes before cutting and eating. Alternatively,  Cool completely and refrigerate overnight. The Moussaka will be much easier to cut into neat portions when it is cold. You can reheat it for 20-30 minutes at 350 F. before serving.