Pastitsou

                                         Vegetarian Pastitsou 

When I met my American Greek bedmate he admired bistro meat, angle and shellfish. He aswell admired the Greek aliment he grew up on. I am vegetarian and John showed me that, back meat acclimated to be an big-ticket commodity, a lot of Greek recipes are meat-free and based on beans, grains, goats' cheese and yoghurt, fruit, vegetables and olive oil. We ate actual able-bodied and John afraid us both by chief to become vegetarian. However, he capital me to aftertaste his favourite aliment that his Mom and Yia Yia fabricated for him. It is pastitsou, commonly fabricated from minced beef, onions, Greek pasta, Greek parmesan cheese, b�chamel booze and adorable herbs and spices. We experimented and eventually came up with courgettes (zucchini) and broccoli as a backup for the meat. We after added Quorn (a abundant vegetarian mycoprotein) which can calmly be acclimated in recipes to alter meat. Our consistent meat-free pastitsou is so adorable that our meat bistro accompany ask us to accomplish it for them. Here is the recipe:
Vegetarian Pastitsou
Ingredients
1. Vegetables and Quorn
� 4 tbsp added abstinent olive oil
� 2 ample onions cautiously chopped
� 2 cloves of garlic cautiously chopped
� 250g courgettes (zucchini) diced
� 250 g broccoli chopped
� 1 tsp broiled oregano
� 1 tsp broiled basil
� 3 beginning bay leaves
� 3 biscuit sticks
� 2 cloves
� 700g Quorn chip (if you can't acquisition Quorn use addition meat-free mince)
� 400g (14oz) can chopped tinned tomatoes
2. Pasta
� 500g (1lb 2oz) Greek Pastitsou pasta
� 50g (1�oz) Greek parmesan cheese or Kefalotiri, cautiously grated
� 1tbsp broiled adulate or olive oil spread
3. Bechamel Sauce
� 1.2 litres (2 pints) accomplished milk
� 115g (4 � oz) adulate or olive oil spread
� 115g (4 � oz) flour
� 200g (7 oz) grated Greek parmesan or Kefalotiri
� � tsp absurd afresh grated
� Salt or low salt
� Black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 150 degr C (350 degr F)
2. Calefaction the olive oil in a frying pan till moderately hot
3. Add the onions and garlic and baker till they soften
4. Add the broccoli and baker for 5 minutes
5. Add the courgettes (zucchini) and baker for a added 2 minutes
6. Add the Quorn, herbs and spices and baker whilst active until ablaze browning just starts.
7. Add the tin of chopped tomatoes and baker on a affable calefaction frequently active for about 20 account abrogation the admixture still moist.
8. Remove the biscuit sticks and bay leaves and set aside
9. Abscess a ample pan of baptize - about 4.5 litres (8 pints)
10. Add the pasta and abscess until al dente - about 12 minutes
11. Drain the pasta and abode in a ample bowl
12. Mix with broiled adulate and grated cheese and set aside
13. For the b�chamel sauce, cook the margarine on a low heat
14. Add the abrade and activity continuously until a roux forms
15. Add the milk little by little and active continuously
16. When the admixture is a bland and aqueous add the actual milk and nutmeg
17. Gently accompany to the boil
18. Simmer gently
19. Continue to activity until the booze thickens and tastes cooked
20. Season to aftertaste and set aside
21. Mix about a division of the booze with the baffled eggs
22. Gently mix with the pasta and bisected the grated cheese
23. Mix the actual cheese with the b�chamel sauce
24. Grease a ample oven affidavit bowl (approximately 9 cm x 13 cm) with adulate or olive oil spread.
25. Coat the basal of the bowl with a attenuate band of Quorn and vegetables
26. Use 1/3 of the pasta to accomplish a band in the dish
27. Cover with 1/3 of the b�chamel sauce
28. Add a band of � the actual Quorn mixture
29. Continue layering with 1/3 pasta, 1/3 bechamel sauce, and the actual Quorn mixture.
30. Finish with the actual pasta and b�chamel sauce.
31. Baker for 30 - 40 account until aureate and bubbling.
Enjoy with a bloom of blooming leaves, broken chicken peppers and blooming tomatoes with a bathrobe of abstinent olive oil, balsamic alkali and French mustard.