Protein Heaven

I had two great discoveries yesterday: workout videos that play instantly on Netflix and Vegetable Moussaka. First, I love Netflix. When you're between movies, you can get instant movies. The pickings are slim but it's nice to be able to watch something on computer screen with no hassle and no wait. It's even better when you think, "Hey, I feel like working out but it's too hot to go running and I can't get to the gym since my car is in the shop. I'll look on Netflix for work-out videos!" You check the Sports and Fitness genre and voila! I did kickboxing. It was fun and felt like a great workout. Good times.

It's also very fun when you discover a new recipe to add to your repertoire. At first when I saw this, I couldn't stop thinking about how I had no clue what "moussaka" really was. That problem was somewhat solved by looking it up on Wikipedia. Yeah... I was still a little confused but up for an adventure! I'm normally really intimidated by eggplant and try to avoid it, but it was great here. If you have some spare time, give this one a go. The left-overs will last for quite a while in the average 20-something's apartment fridge. This recipe takes a good deal of time and assembly but it's pretty easy. It also earned the "4 Stars: Make This Often!" award. It's really flavorful and chock full of protein. It's not the prettiest dish, but it's certainly tasty.


Vegetable Moussaka

• 1 pound eggplant, sliced


• 1/2 cup whole green lentils


• 2 cups vegetable broth


• 1 bay leaf


• 3 tablespoons olive oil


• 1 onion, sliced


• 1 garlic clove, crushed


• 8 oz sliced mushrooms


• 2 cups chickpeas (soak the dry beans for about 6 hours and then boil them before using in this recipe)


• 2 cups diced tomatoes


• 2 tablespoons tomato paste


• 2 tsp dried herbes de Provence


• 1 1/4 cup plain yogurt 3 eggs 1/2 cup aged Cheddar, grated

1. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and place in colander. Cover. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the bitter juices to be extracted.



2. Meanwhile, place the green lentils, broth, and bay leaf in a saucepan. Cover, bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes, until lentils are tender but not mushy. Drain.



3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Stir in lentils, mushrooms, chickpeas, tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, and 3 tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occassionally.



4. Preheat the oven to 350. Rinse the eggplant slices, drain and pat dry. Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan and cook the slices in batches for 3-4 minutes, turning once so both sides are browned.



5. Season the lentil mixture with salt and pepper. Arrange a layer of eggplant slices in the bottom of a casserole dish, then spoon the lentil mixture on top.



6. Beat the yogurt, eggs, and a bit of salt and pepper together and pour the mixture over the vegetables. Sprinkle generously with the grated Cheddar. Bake for 45 minutes until the topping is golden brown and bubbling. Serve immediately, garnished with the flat-leaf parsley.