Vegetarian Moussaka

Ingredients:

    1 large aubergine, thinly sliced

    1 tbsp olive oil

    1 onion, sliced

    2 garlic cloves, crushed

    400g cooked chickpeas

    300g cooked black soy beans

    2 tbsp salted herbs

    ½ tsp black pepper

    1 tbsp dried oregano

    2 tbsp dried parsley

    1 tbsp cumin

    ¼ tsp fennel seeds

    1 large can diced tomatoes

    1 cup water

    4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

    1 ¼ cup fat free Greek yogurt

    1 cup cottage cheese

    ½ cup buttermilk

    3 eggs

    ¼ tsp salt

    ¼ tsp pepper

    100g Sharp Cheddar Cheese

    Fresh flat leaf parsley to garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat the over to 350F.

2. Sprinkle the aubergine slices with salt and place in a colander. Cover and place a weight on top. Leave for at least 30 minutes to allow the bitter juices to be extracted.

3. Add the cooked chickpeas and black soy beans to your food processor and process on pulse until reduced to a coarse grain consistency. Set aside.

4. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Stir in the chickpeas and black soy beans, tomatoes, seasonings and water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, stirring from time to time. Stir in spinach leaves and cook until just wilted. Remove from heat.

5. Arrange a layer of aubergine slices in the bottom of a large, shallow, ovenproof dish or roasting tin, then spoon over a layer of the lentil mixture. Continue to build up the layers in this way until all the aubergine slices end lentil mixture are used up.

6. In a food processor, process the yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, buttermilk salt and pepper together and pour the mixture over the dish. Sprinkle generously with the grated cheddar cheese and bake for about 45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and bubbling. Serve immediately, garnished with the flat leaf parsley.