Yemista Stuffed Peppers Cypriot Style Food

YEMISTA GREEK STUFFED PEPPERS AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Set the oven to 180° C.
• Wash tomatoes and peppers well. Cut about 1-2 cm off each pepper and tomato and set the tops aside. Make sure you don't cut the peppers too close to the base of the stalk as it may come loose and you want the tops left intact to keep the filling nice and moist.
• Using a sharp-edged spoon, scoop the inside of the tomatoes, leaving the outer walls intact. Save the scooped-out tomato flesh.
• Deseed the peppers, breaking the white membranes with your fingers or a small knife.
• Arrange the hollowed-out tomatoes and peppers snugly on a baking tray (or trays, I had to use two to fit them all in).
• Season the inside of each vegetable with a pinch of salt, sugar and pepper.
• Blend or finely dice the insides of the tomatoes to add them to the rice filling.
• Mix all of the filling ingredients together with the blended tomato flesh and olive oil.
• Spoon the filling into the vegetables, but be sure not to overfill - the mixture should be roughly level with the cut so that there is room for expansion under the tops. Give the mixture a good stir between filling each vegetable so that you distribute the liquid that drops to the bottom evenly between all vegetables. Put the tops back on.
• In a mixing jug, combine all of the ingredients for the sauce. Pour the sauce on the bottom of the tray, in amongst the stuffed vegetables.
• Put the baking tray (or trays) into an oven. After about 1 hour, protect the tops from burning by wrapping a piece of aluminium foil over them. Continue baking for another 30 minutes, until the rice is cooked through. If the rice is still a little hard at the end of the cooking time, leave the veggies in a warm (switched off) oven for another 30 minutes to finish off cooking.
• Traditionally, yemista is served at room temperature rather than warm, so allow it to cool down before eating. They're best enjoyed with a simple green salad (I use Romaine lettuce, spring onions and cucumber) and some crusty bread.

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.

YEMISTA - STUFFED PEPPERS CYPRIOT STYLE

Steps:

• cook the rice following your normal method.
• In a large pan soften the onions in the olive oil until a good colour is achieved.
• Add the mince and cook until coloured.
• Add the spices (mint, oregano, salt, pepper, cinnamon and garlic) stir in well and cook for a minute.
• add the veg stock and again stir in well.
• add the hot water making sure you get all the stuck bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Cook down on a medium heat until the mix is almost dry again.
• Add the cooked rice and stir well.
• Add the freshly chopped parsley and stir in.
• Cook until dry (so no puddles of liquid are there, but is still moist).
• Cut the peppers in half through the middle (ie through the stalk) and remove seeds and internal bits.
• Fill each half with the mix.
• Cover with the grated cheese.
• Roast in the oven until soft - takes about 30-40 minutes at 200°C.
• Serve hot by themselves as a starter, with chips and salad for a main course or even work well on a plate as part of a buffet.

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 PEPPERS)

Steps:

• Neatly cut the tops off the peppers and set the tops aside. Remove the membrane and seeds from the peppers and discard.
• Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and fry the onion until it begins to colour. Stir in the rice and ground pork.
• Add the herbs, cinnamon, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and the tomatoes.
• Stir until the rice becomes transparent and the meat loses its redness.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F
• Use the mixture to loosely fill the empty peppers.
• Arrange the filled peppers snugly in a casserole dish (wedging some potato slices between them, if necessary, to keep them upright.)
• Put the reserved pepper tops back on the peppers, like lids.
• Combine the lemon juice, water and remaining oil and pour into the dish around the peppers.
• Bake for about 30 minutes until the peppers are tender and the filling is cooked and hot.