Gemista Recipe: Stuffed Tomatoes with Potatoes 🍅🥔
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
| Quantity | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 10 | Tomatoes |
| 2 1/4 | Long grain rice |
| 1 | Onion |
| 1 | Potatoes |
| 4 | Garlic cloves |
| 2 | Olive oil (divided) |
| 1/8 | Cup tomato paste |
| 2 | Sprigs of spearmint |
| 2 | Slices of cheese (optional) |
| Salt and pepper to taste | |
| Pine nuts or almonds (optional) |
Directions:
-
Prepare Baking Pan:
- Oil a 13 x 5-inch baking pan and set it aside.
-
-
Preheat Oven:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
-
Prepare Filling:
- Heat a pot over medium heat and add olive oil.
- Sauté the sliced onion until lightly browned.
- Add the minced meat and cook until browned.
- If using cheese, stir it in until melted.
-
Prepare Tomatoes:
- Cut the tops off each tomato and set them aside.
- Carefully scoop out the insides of the tomatoes.
- Put the tomato insides in a blender and pulse once or twice to extract juice.
-
Prepare Filling Mixture:
- In the pot with the meat and onion mixture, add half of the reserved tomato juice, rice or soaked bulgur, and spearmint. Stir to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and let the mixture stand for 5 minutes.
-
Stuff Tomatoes:
- Carefully fill each tomato with the meat and rice or bulgur mixture. The amount will vary depending on the size of the tomatoes.
-
Assemble Dish:
- Place the stuffed tomatoes in the prepared baking pan.
- Cover each tomato with its respective lid.
- Place potato pieces in the spaces between the tomatoes, pressing them down around and between the tomatoes.
-
Prepare Sauce:
- In a bowl, combine the remaining tomato juice with 1/8 cup of olive oil. If there’s not enough tomato juice, add tomato paste.
- Pour this mixture around the vegetables in the baking pan.
- Stick the garlic cloves around in the liquid.
-
Bake:
- Bake the dish on the middle shelf of the oven for 1 hour. Check halfway through to prevent burning.
- Continue baking for another 30 minutes to an hour, or until the potatoes are tender.
-
Final Steps:
- Turn off the oven and let the dish sit for 15 minutes to cool slightly.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest at room temperature for an additional 15 minutes.
- Optionally, drizzle the remaining juice over the vegetables and add cheese if desired.
- For added crunch and flavor, sprinkle pine nuts or almonds on top before serving.
Enjoy your homemade Gemista, a flavorful Mediterranean dish perfect for lunch or a snack! 🍽️
