🫑 🇬🇷 Yemista (Greek Stuffed Capsicums)

Out of all the stuffed vegetables, I love capsicum the most. They're the sweetest to me, and also happen to be the easiest to prepare 👏🏼 Everyone puts their own little magic into making these. Maybe you can too 😃

Ingredients

The vegetables for stuffing 

• 8-10 medium capsicums

The filling 

• 1/2 to 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 bunch spring onions, chopped  
• 1 brown or red onion, chopped 
• 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 cups long grain grain rice, washed 
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 can quality crushed tomato (400g), or fresh tomato crushed
• 1/3 small red capsicum, chopped finely
  
• 1/2 carrot, grated
• 1/2 zucchini, grated
• 2 cups water 
• 1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
• 1/3 cup mint leaves, chopped 
• 3-4 sprigs dill, chopped 
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp all spice
• 1 tsp dried oregano
  
• 3 tsp salt, or to taste 
• 1 tsp pepper, or to taste

For the tray 

• 3-4 small potatoes, cut into quarters
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 400g tomato, canned or fresh 
• 3 cups hot water

Feta for serving

Method

• Wash all your herbs and vegetables💦
• Slice the tops off the capsicum, trim the underside of the tops and de seed them. Set aside.
• Arrange your vegetables in a large pan and season the inside of their cavities with salt and pepper. 
• Sautée the onion and garlic for about 5 mins in about 1/4 cup oil.
• Add your rice and make sure it gets coated well with olive oil. 
• Brown the tomato paste on the bottom of the saucepan for about 3-4 mins.
• Add the chopped tomato and cook on medium heat for 5 mins
• Add your remaining grated vegetables & water 
• turn of heat and add the sugar, herbs, remaining oil, salt and pepper 
• combine everything well by stirring
• Spoon the rice mixture loosely into the capsicums, leaving about 1/4 of the vegetable empty at the top to allow for the expansion of the rice. Put any left over rice at the bottom of the pan.
• Nuzzle your seasoned cut potatoes  in between the capsicums to give them support.
• Drizzle the remaining olive oil all over the vegetables vegetables
• Add 3 cups hot water mixed with tomato to the corner of the pan so you don't wash the oil off the vegetables.
• Cook for a 1 hr covered tightly with foil at 190.
• Continue baking uncovered at 180C.Maybe for for another 40-50 mins, or until cooked. 

Notes

• Be sure to add hot water to the pan. 
• Don't forget you can add more vegetables, like carrots or zucchini  to the pan!
• You can also make these with minced meat or replace the rice with couscous.
• Serve with a big slice of feta and a green salad on the side.

Enjoy!