Gemista (Stuffed Vegetables)

Gemista is a traditional Greek dish. This recipe is a mix of the Greek version with a dish I grew up with (that my grandmother used to make ) and of course my personal touches. The cooking process needs some work but the result is delicious.

(my own recipe)

Serves 6 

Ingredients:

• 500 gr minced beef and pork meat
• 4 tomatoes
• 2 zucchini
• 5 bell peppers
• 1 aubergine
• 1 cup of rice
• 10 tbsp olive oil
• 2 kapia peppers
• 2 onions 
• 600 ml tomato puree (or 5 ripe tomatoes)
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp dill
• 1 tsp mint
• 1 tsp parsley 
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper

Step One

 Wash well the vegetables. Slice the top of each tomato and bell pepper, creating something like a lid, but without separating it. Cut the zucchini and the aubergine on the length of the bell peppers. Cut some thin slices from both to use as lids.

Clean the peppers from the seeds. With a teaspoon remove the flesh (center and seeds) of the tomatoes, zucchini and aubergine (with care to not break the sides). Put the flesh aside in a bowl for later use.

The prepared vegetables

Step Two
 Split in two portions the zucchini and aubergine flesh and the kapia peppers (I used one red and one yellow, so I split them in half). Blend the tomato flesh with the first vegetable portion. Keep aside the second portion for later use.

On the left: Blender filled with the tomato flesh and the first vegetable portions
On the right: the second vegetable portion (that we'll use later in Step Five)

Step Three
 Put in a deep pan 5 tbsp olive oil. Add the chopped onion and fry until translucent. Remove half of the fried onion and add it on the second vegetable portion we have set aside. Add in the pan the minced meat and fry lightly until the meat changes color.

Before the addition of the minced meat in the pan.

 Afterwards, add the cup of rice and let it simmer for 2-3 min. 

During the addition of the rice in the pan

Add the blended mix of vegetables (made in step two) in the pan. Also the herbs (1 tsp of parsley, dill, mint, oregano) and season with 1 tsp of pepper and 2 tsp of salt. Mix well and let the mixture simmer for 2-3 min.

Step Four

(At this point it's best time to start preheating your oven on 180° C)

 Stuff the vegetables with the meat mixture up to three fourths (to allow the rice to expand without flowing outside the vegetable. Close the vegetables with their lids and arrange them in the cooking pot.

Step Five

   Chop the second vegetable portion and the garlic in small pieces. 

Fried onion, chopped vegetable portion (zucchini and aubergine flesh) and chopped kapia pepper

Put the pan back on the fire, add 5 tbsp olive oil and add the chopped vegetables and garlic. 

Afterwards, add the blended tomatoes, bay leaves, 1 1/2 tsp salt,1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp oregano and 1/2 cup water and let them simmer for 5 min.

 Add the tomato mix on top of the vegetables in the casserole.

  Bake at 180° C for 75-80 min. Keep the lid on for the first 45 min. 

  Serve warm with smântână or greek yogurt.

ENJOY!!!

A special thanks to my husband that helped me with the cooking and the pictures.