Stuffedgreekonions 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!

STUFFED ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a Dutch oven, bring a small amount of water to a boil. Peel onions; using a slotted spoon, place onions in boiling water. Cook for 4-6 minutes more until softened; remove and let stand until cool enough to handle. Cut a 1/4-in. slice off the top of each onion. Remove center, leaving a 1/2-in shell. Chop centers and tops of onions; set aside. In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp; remove to paper towel to drain. In the drippings, saute chopped onion until tender. Stir in bread crumbs and parsley. Add the butter and mushrooms; cook until mushrooms are tender. Add bacon, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stuff onion shells; place in an ungreased shallow 1-qt. baking dish. Pour broth around onions. Bake, uncovered, until tender, 45 minutes, basting frequently during the first 15 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with parsley.

STUFFED GREEK ONIONS

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, slice about one-third off the top of each onion, leaving a flat crown. Then remove a small slice from the bottom so it will remain upright in the slow cooker. Using a grapefruit knife or melon baller, carefully scrape out as much of the onion's core as you can without ruining the onion. Place the onions in the slow cooker insert, pour in the water, cover, and cook on low for about 3 hours, or until the onions are somewhat tender when pierced with a paring knife.
• While the onions are cooking, combine the cheeses, olive oil, currants, chopped mint, and pine nuts in a bowl, mix together with a fork, and add a pinch of freshly ground pepper. Remove the cover of the slow cooker and fill each onion with 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture.
• Re-cover and continue cooking for about 1 hour longer, or until the cheeses are melted and the onions are very tender and getting brown about the edges. Spoon any liquid in the bottom of the cooker over the onions. Garnish each onion with a sprig of fresh mint and serve either hot or at room temperature.

GOAT CHEESE-STUFFED LAMB BURGERS

Steps:

• Stir together ground lamb, garlic, mint, dill, salt, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and cayenne in a large bowl until just combined.
• Shape lamb mixture into four 3-inch patties. Slice goat cheese log into 4 equal pieces. Place one goat cheese piece in the center of each patty and carefully wrap edges around cheese to enclose. Gently flatten each into a 4 inch patty.
• Preheat an outdoor grill to high heat (450°F to 650°F) or a stovetop griddle to medium-high heat. Oil grate or griddle.
• Grill patties until an instant-read thermometer inserted into centers registers 160 degrees F (71 degrees C) and goat cheese melts, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
• Serve burgers on buns with arugula, aioli, and pickled red onions.

STUFFED GREEK ONIONS

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, slice about one-third off the top of each onion, leaving a flat crown. Then remove a small slice from the bottom so it will remain upright in the slow cooker. Using a grapefruit knife or melon baller, carefully scrape out as much of the onion's core as you can without ruining the onion. Place the onions in the slow cooker insert, pour in the water, cover, and cook on low for about 3 hours, or until the onions are somewhat tender when pierced with a paring knife.
• While the onions are cooking, combine the cheeses, olive oil, currants, chopped mint, and pine nuts in a bowl, mix together with a fork, and add a pinch of freshly ground pepper. Remove the cover of the slow cooker and fill each onion with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mixture.
• Recover and continue cooking for about 1 hour longer, or until the cheeses are melted and the onions are very tender and getting brown around the edges. Spoon any liquid in the bottom of the cooker over the onions.
• Garnish each onion with a sprig of fresh mint and serve either hot or at room temperature.
• Suggested Beverage
• Okay, I can't resist. I'd like to suggest a wellchilled glass of retsina with this dish. Even the cheap, generic stuff would do, and probably bring back fond memories of the Greek islands. But several of Greece's new generation of winemakers have experimented with making artisanal retsina, and I'd like to suggest that if you can find one, you buy it and drink it. Gaia Estates' Thalassitis is one I can happily recommend.

STUFFED ONIONS

Steps:

• Peel onions without cutting through the bases.
• In large pot of boiling water, cook onions about 20 minutes.
• Drain & immerse in a pot of COLD water.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F & oil a baking dish big enough to contain the 6 onions without crowding.
• Using a small sharp knife, cut around & scoop out the central section of each onion.
• Remove about half the inside (saving it for soup or sandwiches).
• Lightly salt empty cavities, then let onions drain upside down.
• In a small bowl, beat the ham into the egg.
• Stir in bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, nutmeg & ALL BUT 3 tablespoons of the grated cheese.
• Add 3 tablespoons of the oil & season with salt & pepper.
• Pat insides of the onions dry with paper towels, then stuff them using a small spoon.
• Arrange onions in one layer in prepared baking dish.
• Sprinkle tops with remaining cheese & then with oil.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until onions are tender & golden on top.
• Remove from oven & serve hot!

STUFFED ONIONS

Steps:

• Trim the very ends of the onions. Make an incision in each, from top to root, then another 0.5cm along, so you can cut out and discard a thin wedge (like you're discarding a segment of orange). Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the onions. Boil for 10 mins, remove from the water and let cool. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• When the onions are cool enough to handle, carefully peel and set aside their outer layers - you want about 12-16 large layers in total, which will become the outer casing for the lamb filling. You can use the smaller, leftover layers in the middle for another recipe.
• Mix all the stuffing ingredients in a bowl and season well. Shape into 12-16 oval meatballs. Put each one on an onion layer and roll it up to create what looks like a small, peeled onion.
• Pour half the olive oil into a large, shallow casserole dish or roasting tin, then arrange all the stuffed onions on top in a tight, single layer. Drizzle over the remaining oil and bake for 45 mins. Brush with the molasses and bake for another 15-20 mins until the casings are really soft and dark golden brown. Serve with the root vegetable rice and the herby yogurt dressing on the side.