"Chopped" Ep. 1: Misinterpreted Moussaka

We enacted an episode of Food Network's "Chopped" at our house tonight in order to use up some of the ingredients in my kitchen that usually remain untouched. The contents of my basket: eggplant, potatoes, Trader Joe's ginger spread, and slivered almonds.

Stir-fry, which is one of two things I know how to make (the other being miso soup), was kind of out, since I didn't want to step on the other contestant's toes. So instead I said—"Oh I know, I'll just slice them up and do anything but stir-fry them and see what happens."

Kind of a bad call, but then I remembered that there was some Greek dish that involved layers of eggplants, so I thought I would just...make layers of eggplants and bake them in the Le Creuset caseerole dish that I'd always been wanting to use (despite never having tasted moussaka before). Here's the non-losing recipe:

Misinterpreted Moussaka

2 medium potatoes
1 small eggplant
1/2 T soy sauce
1/4 C slivered amonds
1 T ginger spread
1/2 t salt
3+ T Italian dressing
1 T mayonnaise
2 T (soy) milk
(Gluten-free) bread crumbs

1. Peel and slice the potatoes, maximum 1/4" thick. Boil until soft.
2. Peel and slice the eggplant similarly. Moisten with water and add soy sauce. Microwave, mixing occasionally, until tender.
3. Chop the almonds. Mix with ginger spread, salt and 3 tablespoons of Italian dressing. Add water to create a saucy consistency.
4. Heat oven to 350º F. Spoon a thin layer of Italian dressing onto the bottom of a casserole dish. Layer potatoes, almond ginger sauce, eggplants, almond ginger sauce, repeat. Finish with eggplants. 
5. Mix mayonnaise with (soy) milk. Spoon over the eggplants. Sprinkle gluten-free bread crumbs on top. Pop in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the other contestant finishes his entry. Enjoy, wishing you had some wine in the house.