Greek Stuffed Tomatoes With Rice Or Domates Yemistes Recipes

GEMISTA RECIPE (GREEK STUFFED TOMATOES AND PEPPERS WITH RICE)

Steps:

• Slice off the top of the tomatoes. Using a spoon remove the flesh of the tomatoes and keep it in a bowl. (The flesh of the tomatoes will be the base for the tomato sauce for the Gemista.) Slice off the top of the eggplants and remove the flesh, using a spoon. Cut the flesh of the eggplants in small cubes and set aside, as you will use them later for the filling of the Gemista. Slice off the top of the peppers and remove the seeds and white parts from the inside.
• Place the empty vegetables on a large baking tray. Try to leave the vegetables with as little flesh as possible, but be careful not to poke through their skin. Season the empty vegetables with a pinch of salt and sugar and add a little butter on the bottom of each one.
• In a blender add the flesh of the tomatoes, 5-6 tbsps olive oil, the tomato paste, sugar, season with salt and pepper and mix to combine. Set aside.
• . In a saucepan add some olive oil and sauté the onions, until translucent. Chop the zucchini in small cubes, add in the saucepan and sauté for one more minute. At the end add the flesh of the eggplants (chopped) and the chopped garlic and sauté, until softened. Add the rice and continue sautéing, unit it becomes transculent. Pour in 1 tin chopped tomatoes, 2 cups of water and season with salt and pepper. Let the filling come to a boil. After 5 minutes the stuffing is ready. It doesn't need to cook throughout as it will continue cooking in the oven. Remove the pan from the stove and stir in the fresh herbs and taste and season with some more salt and pepper if needed.
• If you prefer your gemista spiced up with some meat, try sizzling 250grams (8.8oz) of ground beef with the onions in the step above. Once the beef juices have been absorbed and the meat is done, chop the zucchini in small cubes, add in the saucepan and sauté for one more minute. At the end add the flesh of the eggplants (chopped) and the chopped garlic and sauté, until softened. Add the rice and continue sautéing, until it becomes transculent. Pour in 1 tin chopped tomatoes, 2 cups of water and season with salt and pepper. Let the filling come to a boil. After 5 minutes the stuffing is ready. Remove the pan from the stove and stir in the fresh herbs and taste and season with some more salt and pepper if needed.
• Peel and chop your potatoes in bite-sized chunks.
• . Spoon the filling inside the empty vegetables, filling them up by about 2/3rds of the way up. The filling will expand a bit when cooking! Add your potatoes, spreading them out in between the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Finally spoon the filling liquids from step 4 and your sauce from step 3 inside the vegetables until full and pour the remaining in the baking tray. Cover the vegetables with their lids and add 3 cups of water in your baking tray
• Cover the Gemista with aluminium foil and bake in preheated oven at 180C / 350F for 60-75 minutes. Halfway through cooking time, remove the aluminium foil and bake until nicely coloured.
• The Gemista are equally delicious, served either warm or even straight out of the fridge. Just pair them with some salty feta cheese and enjoy!

GREEK STUFFED TOMATOES WITH RICE OR DOMATES YEMISTES

Steps:

• Cut tops off tomatoes, and set aside. Scoop out pulp from tomatoes, chop and reserve. Saute onions in 1/2 cup of olive oil until golden. Add tomato pulp, parsley, garlic, dill, oregnao, rice, salt, and pepper. Stir to blend ingredients thoroughly. Add tomato paste and wine. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Arrange tomato shells in a casserole or roaster. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Stuff tomatoes with rice mixture and cover with tomato tops. Pour 1 cup olive oil over the tomatoes and pour 1/2 cup water into pan. Sprinkle lightly with more oregano. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, basting frequently. Serve hot or cold.
• **tip -- if you don't want to grate the onions, you could also mince them finely. I actually have a little gadget called a Salsa Master that is sort of like a hand held food processor. I just crank the handle until the onions are very very fine.

TOMATOES STUFFED WITH LAMB AND RICE (YEMISTES DOMATES ME RIZI)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut the top off of the tomatoes and clean out all of the pulp, leaving a 1/2-inch thick skin. Reserve the pulp. In a medium saute pan, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until the onions are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, reserved tomato pulp, and rice, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the lamb, pine nuts, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and continue cooking until lamb is browned.
• Fill the tomatoes with the lamb mixture, sprinkle the tops with cheese, and drizzle with the remaining 4 teaspoons of olive oil. Place in a 9-by 13-inch baking dish. Pour water in the bottom of the dish and bake for 1 hour. Serve warm.

TOMATOES STUFFED WITH RICE: YEMISTES DOMATES ME RIZI

Steps:

• Cut the top off of the tomatoes and clean out all of the pulp leaving about a 1/2-inch thick skin. Reserve pulp.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a saute pan, heat the butter and add the chopped onion to the pan. Cook until the onions are golden brown, and add in the garlic. Add in the pulp from the tomatoes and stir in the rice. Add in 1/4 cup olive oil and a little water and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add more water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley, pine nuts, and mint.
• Fill the tomatoes and sprinkle the top with the grated Kasseri and a drizzle of the remaining olive oil. Place in a baking dish with a 1/2-inch of water in the bottom and bake for 1 hour.

GREEK STUFFED TOMATOES AND PEPPERS (YEMISTA)

Steps:

• Cut off tops of tomatoes, leaving 1 corner still attached to create a lid. Scoop insides of tomatoes and transfer 'meat' to a large bowl; squeeze juices out of tomatoes. Cut off tops of green peppers and reserve for later use; scoop out seeds and membranes. Arrange tomatoes and bell peppers in a 11x17-inch baking dish.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic in the melted butter until softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add ground chuck, soy sauce, seasoned salt, and black pepper to onion mixture; cook until ground chuck is browned and crumbly, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Mix squeezed tomato meat and water into browned chuck; bring to a simmer, about 15 minutes. Add rice and bring to a boil; remove skillet from heat. Spoon beef-rice mixture into tomatoes; place tops onto filled tomatoes and arrange them into the baking dish with lid sides down.
• Stuff bell peppers with beef-rice mixture and top with reserved lids; lay bell peppers sideways in the baking dish. Pour olive oil over stuffed tomatoes and bell peppers; season with salt and pepper.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn bell peppers and continue baking until bell peppers and tomatoes are softened, about 30 more minutes.

YEMISTA (GREEK STUFFED TOMATOES AND PEPPERS)

Steps:

• Cut off tops of tomatoes (retain tops) and carefully scoop out flesh (retain this as well).
• Cut off tops of peppers (retain tops) and remove seeds and membrane.
• Place tomatoes and peppers in a pan large enough to hold them comfortably and give each veg a tiny dash of sugar with the tips of your fingertips (I really think this is important!).
• Take tomato flesh and process it until pureed.
• Add olive oil, rice, onion, garlic, mint, parsley, nuts, cheese, sultanas, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper (or season to taste).
• Stuff the vegetables evenly with this mixture.
• Replace tops of tomatoes and peppers.
• Combine 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup olive oil with a scant tablespoonful of tomato paste and a little salt and pepper and pour this around the veg.
• Bake in a preheated 375F oven (180C) for approx 1 3/4 hours (vegetables should pierce easily and be slightly blackened in parts).
• Turn off oven and leave in for another hour to'mellow' before serving.
• This is best served slightly warm or at room temperature.
• It is wonderful eaten along with little bites of feta cheese and a cool glass of white or rose.
• It will also have yummy juices begging to be mopped up with bits of crusty bread.
• In my version, I also take 3-4 medium-sized potatoes, cut them into big wedges, toss in a little olive oil with salt and pepper to taste, and'plant' in the spaces amidst the vegetables.
• That way you can have a couple of wedges of potato too.