Gemista - Greek Stuffed Vegetables with Rice

ground meat

🥗Healthier: quinoa

💰Cheaper: lentils

Quinoa provides protein while being lower in fat.

feta cheese

🥗Healthier: cottage cheese

💰Cheaper: ricotta

Cottage cheese is lower in calories and still creamy.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Avocado oil offers a similar flavor with a higher smoke point.

rice

🥗Healthier: cauliflower rice

💰Cheaper: barley

Cauliflower rice reduces carbs while adding fiber.

Start by slicing off the top part of the tomatoes and peppers and carefully empty their insides with a spoon. Keep their top part, blend their flesh, and set aside for the filling (note: throw away the seeds from the peppers).

Chop the onions into small pieces and place them in a large pot with olive oil. Sauté over medium heat for 4 minutes by stirring occasionally.

Continue by adding the pine nuts, raisins, and grated carrot and sauté for 3 more minutes.

Incorporate the remaining ingredients (spring onions, dill, parsley, rice, salt, pepper, sugar, cumin, vegetable stock cube) along with the blended vegetables from the first step, and stir everything for a couple of minutes.

Before filling the vegetables, sprinkle a pinch of salt on each one, and then place them in a deep baking dish.

Fill each vegetable with the stuffing using a spoon and then close the top. Make sure not to overfill, as the rice will expand while cooking.

To prepare the potatoes, peel off the skin and cut them into large pieces before placing them in the baking dish.

Grate two tomatoes and add them to the baking dish together with the olive oil.

To enhance the flavor, add a small amount of salt and coat the top of each vegetable with breadcrumbs.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 180ºC (350ºF) for 40 minutes and then remove the aluminum foil and bake for another 40 minutes.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens