Traditional Greek stuffed vegetables

Who better to provide Starts at 60 with traditional Greek food than Australian-Greek chef, David Tsirekas. These stuffed vegetables are traditionally known as Gemista and are packed with plenty of vibrant herbs and delicious spices, such as nutmeg and sweet paprika, for a truly scrumptious flavour that’ll have you dreaming of the Mediterranean. 

They’re so tasty and filling they’re great as more than just a side dish and can be served as a main meal all on their own. Serve them up with grated cheese or fresh yoghurt and you’ve got yourself a perfect Greek dish that is exploding with flavour!

Ingredients

• 6 large oxheart tomato
• 6 medium size green capsicum
• 2 cups medium grain rice
• 1 bunch shallots – chopped medium fine
• 1 bunch parsley roughly chopped
• 1 bunch mint roughly chopped
• 1 bunch dill roughly chopped
• 2 brown onions diced
• 1 dessert spoon ground nutmeg
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 dessert spoon veg stock powder
• 1 dessert spoon sweet paprika
• 6 medium potato peeled
• 1 dessert spoon tomato paste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 litre vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Core the tops of tomato and green capsicum and slice the tops off to act as a lid. Hollow out the centres of the tomato and save the seeds and flesh of tomato and capsicum. Roughly chop and set aside for later.
2. Heat a large frying pan with some extra virgin olive oil over medium heat and fry onions, shallots, garlic, tomato paste, tomato and capsicum off cut pulp and rice until well mixed. Add spices and season. Fold through all the herbs. Stuff the hollowed out tomato and capsicum until stuffed fully.
3. Place lids on top and pack into a baking dish so that they sit low in and are packed in cosily. Arrange potato wedges and if you have any stuffing left around the vegetables. Pour over half stock over vegetables so they absorb some liquid but don’t stress if it pours down the sides. Place in oven uncovered.
4. The rest of the stock is used during the baking process to keep the vegetables and rice moist. Check vegetables after half hour to check on liquid levels and dryness. Occasionally add some stock over them to refresh and continue to bake and refresh until both the capsicum and tomato has cooked and is soft and the rice is flaky and cooked just past al dente.
5. Serve with pan juices and goes well with fresh yoghurt and grated cheese. You can add beef or lamb mince to the mixture by adding that in the beginning sauté process. Add ½ to the amount of rice.