Best 3 Yemista Me Ryzi Recipes

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 ME RYZI

Steps:

• Wash the vegetables carefully and dry. With a paring knife, cut the caps off the tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, and both ends off the zucchini and set aside. With a spoon, scoop out the pulp and seeds from the eggplant, zucchini, and peppers, and discard.
• Scoop out the tomato pulp, chop well, and set aside. Lightly salt the interior of all vegetables.
• Tip: Scoop out vegetables leaving a thin shell, about 1/8 inch.
• In a pot, heat 1/2 cup of olive oil and sauté the onion for about 2-3 minutes. Add grated zucchini, eggplant, and carrots, and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the tomato pulp and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for 15 minutes, and put in a bowl. Add the rice, parsley, salt, and pepper, and mix well with a spoon until blended.
• With a spoon, fill vegetables loosely with the rice mixture, place in a roasting pan packed closely but not squashed, with caps covering the tops and ends. Place tomatoes (and small bell peppers if used) upright, lie the others on their sides. Pour 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup water over the top, sprinkle the tops of the upright vegetables with toasted breadcrumbs, and bake at 450F (230C) for 1 hour. Halfway through, turn the vegetables that are placed on their sides.

YEMISTA ME RYZI - GREEK STUFFED VEGETABLES (VEGETARIAN)

Steps:

• Wash all vegetables well, and peel the potato. Take a large bowl & put on the side to collect the flesh from the veggies.
• Cut a cap off the top of tomatoes. Using a teaspoon, scoop out tomato pulp and put in a bowl. Set tomatoes and caps aside.
• Bell peppers: Cut a cap off the top of the peppers, scoop out seeds, and rinse well. Set peppers and caps aside.
• Potato: cut a thick slice off the potato lengthwise. Scoop out interior of potato and put in the bowl with the other vegetables, leaving a 1/8 inch shell. Set potato and top aside.
• Eggplants: cut off the top with stem. Using a spoon, scoop out eggplant pulp and add to bowl with other vegetables. Set eggplants and tops aside.
• Zucchini: trim tops of the 5 large zucchini, and using a spoon handle, scoop out zucchini pulp and add to bowl. Set zucchini and tops aside. Cut the small zucchini into 8 slices and set aside.
• Using a vegetable grater (or the large grate on a cheese grater), grate all the pulp that was scooped out from the vegetables, as well as the tops of the zucchini and eggplant, and place in a large bowl.
• Wash the rice, and add to the bowl. Add grated onion, parsley, salt, pepper, and all but 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix well. The stuffing mix will be soupy.
• Using a teaspoon, fill the vegetables to within 1/2 inch of the top. The rice will expand when cooked so take care not to overfill. Place caps on top, using the zucchini slices for the eggplant and zucchini.
• Place the vegetables in a 14 x 11 inch (or equivalent) baking or roasting pan. The tomatoes should be placed upright, and the other vegetables should be placed on their sides. They should fit snugly in the pan.
• There will be a little oil left in the bottom of the bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of water and pour the mixture into the pan with the vegetables. Drizzle the vegetables with the remaining olive oil (2 tablespoons).
• Place vegetables on the second-lowest position (below the middle) in a cold oven and heat to 480F (250C). When the liquid starts to boil (about 10-15 minutes), reduce heat to 355F (180C) and cook for one hour.
• Allow the vegetables to sit for 20 minutes before serving. Stuffed vegetables are served warm or at room temperature and are excellent the second day.