The Tastiest Gemista (Greek Stuffed Peppers And Tomatoes)

This gemista, or Greek stuffed peppers and tomatoes, is a staple meal in Greek households. Almost every home has its own recipe. My version is super tasty, with minced beef, lots of herbs and spices and a delicious tomato sauce spooned over the top. Don't forget to serve with big wedges of feta cheese!

📝 Ingredients

• 4 large tomatoes (or 6 slightly smaller ones)
• 4 large green peppers (Australia: capsicum, US: bell peppers)
• 6 tablespoons olive oil (plus a little more for cooking)
• 4 tablespoons tomato puree (US = paste)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon honey ((or 1 teaspoon sugar))
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 large onion (grated)
• 1 zucchini ((UK: courgette) grated)
• 1 carrot (grated)
• 3 cloves garlic ((crushed with a garlic crusher or grated along with the rest of the vegetables in a food processor))
• 1 pound ground beef ((UK/Australia: 500 gram pack))
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup rice (Risotto/Arborio rice is best)
• 14 ounces chopped tomatoes ((1 can))
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree (US = paste)
• 1 bunch fresh parsley (chopped)
• 1/2 bunch fresh mint (or 1 heaped teaspoon dried mint)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 medium potatoes ((2 to 3) peeled and cut into wedges - not too big (about 2cm thick))
• 5 ounces feta cheese (UK/Australia 150 grams (roughly - I usually get a 200 gram pack in case people want more))
• lemon wedges ((optional))

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- For the vegetables and tomato sauce ---
2. 2Scoop flesh out of tomatoes: Slice the top of the tomatoes off (keeping each top close to its corresponding tomato), then scoop the flesh out of them using a teaspoon. Leave enough around the edge so that the tomato ‘shell’ stays intact. Put the tomato flesh straight into a food processor.
3. 3Make tomato sauce: Add the olive oil, tomato puree, garlic, sugar, and salt and pepper. Pulse to combine and make a sauce.
4. 4Prepare peppers: Now slice the tops off the peppers (keeping the tops close by) and scoop out the pith and seeds. Arrange the empty peppers and tomatoes in a large baking dish (keeping the tops close by).
5. 5--- For the filling/stuffing ---
6. 6Begin cooking filling: Pre-heat the oven to 200C / 390F. Heat up a big drizzle of olive oil in a large saucepan and add the grated onions, zucchini, carrot and garlic. Cook and stir for a few minutes until softened, then add the ground beef. Cook and stir again until meat is browned (another few minutes).
7. 7Add dried herbs and spices.: Add the oregano, allspice, and cinnamon and stir for about another minute.
8. 8Add rest of filling ingredients and simmer: Add the rice, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and about 1 cup of water. Mix well, then cover and leave to simmer for about 10 minutes, until the rice is partly cooked.
9. 9Add fresh herbs: Stir through the parsley, mint, salt and pepper.
10. 10--- To assemble the dish ---
11. 11Stuff the vegetables with the filling: Use a dessert spoon to fill tomatoes and peppers with the stuffing. Put the tops back on.
12. 12Add potato wedges: Tuck the potato wedges in between the peppers and tomatoes.
13. 13Pour over tomato sauce and water: Pour the tomato sauce that you made in the food processor all over the tomatoes and peppers and potatoes. Then pour over 1 cup (250ml) water.
14. 14Cover and bake: Cover the baking dish with aluminium foil and bake for 1¼ hours or until the potatoes are cooked and the tops of the vegetables are starting to brown. Remove the foil half way through cooking.
15. 15Serve a half to a whole tomato and a pepper and a few potato wedges for each person. Spoon over some of the tomato sauce. Serve with a wedge of feta and, if you like, lemon wedges for squeezing over everything.