Moussaka – Greek Lasagna

One of the dishes that we truly enjoyed while we were staying in Europe was Moussaka. Although we went to Athens, Greece, it was in Frankfurt that we ended up trying Moussaka for the first time. Most of the staff at our favorite restaurant were actually Greek and although it was a French Bistro, they sometimes put something Greek as their special of the day. We are not typically big fans of eggplant, but this is one recipe that makes us forget that it is even in there. We are attempting to recreate some of our favorite meals from our time in Europe and this is one of our first attempts. We modified a recipe that we found on the internet and the biggest difference is that it didn’t put sauce on top of the moussaka. It may not be quite as good as what the Greek chef at the restaurant made, but it was really delicious. Because it is just the two of us, this is a smaller recipe, but you can easily increase the amounts to make a larger batch.

The Original Moussaka from Frankfurt

INGREDIENTS

  • 2/3 lb Ground Lamb
  • 1 Large Eggplant
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/3 Medium Red Onion – chopped
  • 2/3 Clove of Fresh Garlic – minced
  • 1 tsp Dried Oregano
  • 1/8 Lemon – sliced into thin rings
  • 1 Small Handful of Fresh Parsley – chopped
  • 1/8 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 8 oz Crushed Tomatoes
  • 3 oz Feta Cheese Crumbles
  • 1/3 cup Fresh Parmesan – grated
  • 1/3 cup Bread Crumbs
  • Salt and Pepper
Right out of the Oven
Our Finished Product

INSTRUCTIONS

Cut the stem off of the eggplant and peel the skin with a vegetable peeler. Cut the eggplant lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices (You should have 6 slices). Salt and pepper both sides of the eggplant slices. Heat about 2 ounces of olive oil in a large skillet and heat to medium-high heat. Cook the eggplant slices in the skillet until golden brown, about 3 – 4 minutes per side. You will likely need to do this in a couple of batches as you don’t want to crowd the slices in the pan or they won’t fry properly. Remove the slices from the skillet and let them rest on a paper towel to drain. Add some more oil to the pan and add the onion, lemon, garlic, oregano and parsley. Cook for about 3 minutes on medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add the ground lamb, making sure to break the meat up, and season with salt and pepper. Add the cinnamon, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes and continue to cook until the lamb is brown and the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat.

Sliced Eggplant
The Meat Mixture

Pre-heat an oven to 350 degrees. Select a casserole dish that is about the size of two of the eggplant slices laying side by side. Spray the bottom of the small casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and layer two of the eggplant slices on the bottom, trying to cover as much of the bottom of the dish as possible, but ensuring that there are no gaps between the eggplant slices. Add half of the meat mixture, then half of the feta cheese, and finally half of the parmesan cheese. Layer two more eggplant slices and repeat layering the meat and cheese. Place the final two slices on top and sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes and the bread crumbs have turned golden brown.

Fried Eggplant
Ready for the Oven

The Agora of Athens

Walking the Agora of Athens

Obviously the highlight of any visit to Athens, Greece, probably starts with the Acropolis, but there is so much more to see in this wonderful city. For us, our second favorite location was the Agora of Athens with the Temple of Hephaestus. The agora was a gathering place for the people of ancient Greece and contains many different structures. It is truly a fascinating place to walk and imagine yourself discussing philosophy or the benefits of a democratic society. When you go to the Acropolis, you can buy a bundled ticket that includes other attractions, including the agora, which makes it well worth the extra money as it will save you money in the long run.

Temple of Hephaestus from the Distance
The Ruins of the Agora
Approaching the Temple of Hephaestus
Artifacts at the Museum

The Temple of Hephaestus, which sits high upon a hill looking over the agora, is one of the best preserved ancient temples in all of Greece. One of the reasons that it is so well preserved is that it had been in continual use for more than two thousand years, even serving as a Greek Orthodox church until the early 1800’s. Hephaestus was the god of metal working, craftsmanship, and fire, perhaps a fitting choice for it to have remained in almost its original condition.

Looking Up at the Temple Hephaestus
Preserved Reliefs above the Columns
Up Close and Personal
We are on Our Way to the Temple

There are so many fascinating ruins to see as you walk through the agora including several statues such as the remaining torso of a statue of Roman Emperor Hadrian. The ancient roads can still be detected as you walk among the ancient ruins. There is also the Museum of the Agora on the grounds, which displays some interesting pieces that have been unearthed during the excavation of the site.

Roman Emperor Hadrian
Fascinating Museum Artifact
Statue Column
Back of the Temple

Some people may feel that they have had their fill of ancient ruins and temples after visiting the Acropolis, but we feel that it is well worth taking the time to visit the other sights that Athens has to offer. At least during our visit, there were less tourists at places like the agora and it made walking among those ruins that much more enjoyable. We found the Agora of Athens to be an almost magical place with so much history and so many artifacts that it can a little overwhelming.

So Much to See
The Temple above the Agora
Ancient Wall
Building Walls
Row of Statues

What a Long Strange Trip it Has Been

Now that our European adventure is over (for now), we thought that we would take the time to trace our steps and truly acknowledge how many wonderful places we were able to visit. In chronological order, here was our trip in a snapshot, it certainly makes our heads spin.

    1. Frankfurt, Germany – It may have been our home, but it was still a wonderful city and we have a lot of incredible memories of our time there.

      Old Town Frankfurt
    2. Kassel, Germany – It was the first place that we visited once we found an apartment and is the home of the Brother’s Grimm Museum and is part of the Fairy Tale Road.

      Lowenbrau Castle
    3. Heidelberg, Germany – Truly one of the idyllic cities that we visited while in Germany.

      Heidelberg Castle
    4. Koblenz, Germany – One of the most amazing train rides that we have ever taken and an amazing city on the Rhine.

      Suburbs of Koblenz
    5. Hochheim, Germany – A truly small hamlet experience.
    6. Vienna, Austria – Our first trip outside of Germany and truly a center for the arts.
    7. Cologne, Germany – Amazing Dom and a wonderful old-world city. We had been told that it was a place that we had to visit while we were in Germany and we would definitely agree.
    8. Wurzburg, Germany – Another small town experience that we had been hoping for and one of the best of Christmas Markets that we had visited.

      Statue in Wurzburg
    9. Strasbourg, France – Wine, medieval villages, and some of the friendliest people that we had the opportunity to meet, and that is saying a lot.
    10. Prague, Czech Republic – One of the places in Europe that everyone should visit at some point in time. We were there over Christmas and it was spectacular.

      View of Prague Castle
    11. Athens, Greece – There are few places in the world as historically important as Athens.

      Amazing History
    12. Bucharest/Brasov, Romania – Definitely one of those special places where the experience far surpasses anything that you might read.

      Dracula’s Castle
    13. Nuremberg, Germany – An unexpected surprise, so much history, both new and old that it became one of our favorite memories of our time in Europe.

      Medieval City with Current History
    14. Paris, France – Not our first visit there, but it is still one of our favorite cities that we have ever visited, even if it was rainy the weekend that we were there.

      Eiffel Tower
    15. Dublin, Ireland – A special trip for personal reasons as we flew our mother over to see us and it will hold a special place in our hearts.

      The Irish Countryside
    16. Amsterdam, Netherlands – One of our last adventures while we were in Europe and definitely an interesting city full of history and art.

      Canal Upon Canal
    17. Florence, Italy – Part of our farewell tour, this is an incredible city that will fulfill any romantic visions of Europe that you could ever dream of.

      What an Amazing City
    18. Rome, Italy – So much to see, the history, the arts, the Vatican City, and for us a very special meeting with a fellow blogger.

      The Roman Forum is Amazing
    19. Lucca/Pisa, Italy – A quick day trip from Florence, but it rounded out our trip to Italy perfectly.

      Pisa is All About the Leaning Tower

So, as you can see, we had about twenty-five weeks in Europe, part of that time finding an apartment as well as working every week, but we definitely made the most of our time. It will be the trip of a lifetime, perhaps several lifetimes, and we are extremely thankful for every moment. Expect details of these wondrous adventures in the coming days and weeks as we plan our next crazy experience.