Potato Moussaka

Yield: 4 servings. Cook the potato slices in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a large heavy skillet heat the vegetable oil over moderate heat. Add the ground beef and brown quickly, crumbling the meat with a spoon as it browns. When the meat has completely lost its pink color, remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour off and discard any fat in the pan. Add the olive oil to the pan, then the onion, and saute over moderate heat, stirring, until the onion begins to turn golden. Stir in the tomato sauce, 1 tsp. of the salt, the pepper, cinnamon and allspice. Add the browned beef to the tomato sauce, mix well, then cook, uncovered, over low heat for 15-20 minutes. In a blender or food processor combine the cottage cheese, the eggs, the Parmesan, nutmeg, pepper to taste and the remaining salt. Process until smooth and well blended. Preheat the oven to 3500F. To assemble, spoon half of the meat sauce over the bottom of a buttered 2- to 2 1/2 quart casserole. Spread the potatoes in an even layer over the sauce. Salt and pepper the potatoes lightly. Spoon the remaining meat sauce over the potatoes. Spoon the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the meat layer. Sprinkle it lightly with paprika. Bake the moussaka for 30-40 minutes until the top is firm and lightly browned and the sauce is bubbling up through the topping. Serves 4-6.