Cooking Challenge...Eggplant

Sure, eggplant is pretty to look at but how do you cook it?  The only other time I had ever cooked with eggplant, I tried my hand at eggplant parmesan...let's just say it was less than perfect!  Mark and I both gagged on it and had to go out to eat that night.  For some reason, the eggplant tasted bitter.  So, I steered completely away from the parmesan.

Looking through Recipezaar, it was a toss up between Moussaka (from Kittencalskitchen) or Ratatouille.  If the movie Ratatouille, wasn't based on an illegititmate child (and praises him for being so), then I would have made that and had a family film night.  However, it is (and I've got some other issues with the film...but not a need to discuss on my cooking post)...and so I decided to try my hand at Moussaka. 

A Facebook friend had made moussaka the previous week, so I got her recipe from All Recipes.  After comparing the two and reading several comments, I decided to go with the Recipezaar moussaka. 

A moussaka is basically a meat casserole and it was delicious!  The kids even enjoyed it.  Combined with some friends and Greek style green beans from All Recipes...and there were zero leftovers...which made Mark sad he couldn't have it for lunch the next day.  The reviews were that it was awesome and the beans were amazing.  (By the way, the beans were super easy to do)

I pretty much followed the directions...although because time was running short, I did not let the eggplant get completely browned...but they were nice and soft and good.  Even though I didn't let the eggplant "sweat,"  it still took awhile to make.  So, plan ahead (or make the meat sauce separately and freeze it...I'm sure you could freeze/make ahead some other parts of it too). One of the comments mentioned it was too salty.   I was careful about the amount of salt I used and halved it for the cheese sauce...which is called bechamel (such a cool, fancy word to say).    With simple adjustments, it tasted just right.