yemista (stuffed vegetables)

                                                       Yemista (stuffed vegetables)

cost 5-8 euros                                             
preparing time 40 min, cooking time 1,5hour


             

Γεμιστα  is a typical Greek recipe

usually we use tomatoes , aubergines , peppers ,zucchinis ...
the idea is that we empty the inside of the vegetables and then creating a mix with the inside and rice
we are stuffing them and bake them in the oven.The vegetables are baked and the rice is cooked inside the vegetable ..so here in this recipe vegetables is our pans!! inside a big pan in the oven

photos by Maria Alevizaki

                                                                     

Its really tasty and you may eat it warm but also cold from the fridge.
Its completely vegan but many people put also minced meet inside.Thats also tasty but i prefer the original one!

for counting how many ingredients we need to think how many people will eat and make 3 vegetables for each one
for example for 4 persons we will need

3 tomatoes
3 peppers
3 zuchinis

but if you like aubergines put aubergines etc.etc
or maybe some like to eat only tomatoes...

collecting our ingredients is very easy you just have to care about finding big tomatoes..big peppers and not to thin zucchinis and not to big aubergines (aubergines are too bitter and anyway always big enough)

we will also put some potatoes in our pan in the oven to serve the vegetables with.

so :

sponsors : Maria and Alexandros

wash all the vegetables really carefully ..
we have to cut all the vegetables top and keep it to use it as a ``hat``
like the images above :

remember!dont throw away the top of the tomatoes we are going to use them!!

 the most difficult or more boring thing is to take out the flesh of the tomatoes..
make with a good knife small squares at the inside of the tomato

 then make with the knife the round of the tomato so you can remove easily the cubes you have created..be aware of not hearting the tomatoe and try to keep it in shape..the tomato has to be our pun for th rice and has not to have halls or any breaking...

by using a spoon remove all the cubes slowly slowly collecting it into a bowl..
we are going to use it for the mixing rice

cut also the top of the peppers and remove the seeds ,keep also here the cups

 remove the inside also from the zucchini or the aubergines

  and use the inside by chopping it its useful for our mixture with rice

i used some onions and some spring onions..
cut the into really small pieces..also the persil..
and then fry them in a pan with some oil for 2-3 minutes..
(if you want to put minced meet also inside..now its the time to put also and fry a bit the meat)

put the rice inside the bowl with the cubed tomatoes and add the vegetables from the pan, add olive oil, salt , pepper and oregano,,to taste if you have the taste you want try from the juices at hte bottom

now put all the vegetables at the pan you are going to put in the oven..also cut the potatoes into small pieces..the shape doesnt matter but just remember they have to be in the same size so they will be cooked all in the same time

start to fill them with the mix of rice

after stuffed them all put the cups on the vegetables
use the potatoes to keep the vegetables to stay at the place you want and not fall so the mix is not going out in the pan..
put some garlic salt pepper and oregano (i put a bit of curry too) at the potatoes and add some water and oil..
cook them at 200 o C for 1,5 hour
by the end of the time about 45 min or 1 hour you will see that the top of the vegetables are getting brown ..protect them with some foil pepper

the most important thing to remember is!!alwas serve them with some FETA cheese (if you are not vegan)

i want to thanks Maria Alevizaki for the beautyful pics she made...
(and Alexandros for the insipiration!!)