Dave Stanford offers his easy, family-friendly version of a Greek classic, moussaka.

APOLOGIES to all Greeks, and apologies too to my slow cooker, which, for this week at least, I have banished to the back of the cupboard.

My must-make moussaka is probably not very authentic, but it is another great family-friendly recipe which is small on ingredients and preparation, but big on flavour.

My kids love it.

Recipe

Ingredients
500g minced lamb (I have used minced beef before and while it doesn’t taste as good or very Greek it is still tasty)
1 large aubergine
200g of Greek yoghurt
1 egg, beaten
Five tbsp grated parmesan cheese
400g can of chopped tomatoes with garlic and herbs
5tbsp of tomato purée
450g of left-over boiled potatoes
Salt and pepper
Grated nutmeg.

Method

There is a super-quick version for this dish should you be in a rush, but it’s worth taking a little longer.

For the quick version, brown the lamb in a frying pan over a high heat.

Prick the aubergine with a fork and microwave on high for three to five minutes until soft.

Mix the yoghurt, egg and parmesan together then add a little seasoning.

Stir the tomatoes, purée and potatoes with the lamb with some seasoning and heat through.

Pour the lamb mixture into a casserole dish and smooth down with the back of a spoon.

Slice the cooked aubergine and arrange on top of the meat and potatoes, then pour over the yoghurt mixture and smooth out evenly.

Grate some fresh nutmeg over the top if you have it, but the dried stuff will do.

Then heat under the grill until the topping has set and turned golden.

If I have more time, I prefer not to microwave the aubergine, but slice it and fry gently in a frying pan with some olive oil and plenty of seasoning.

And, if I have even more time, I would probably let the meat mixture cook in the slow cooker – sorry, I couldn’t resist - for at least six hours before combining it with the aubergine and yoghurt mixture and then browning under the grill.

Kali oreksi! (That’s bon appetite in Greek!)