Stuffed peppers and tomatoes, better known as “yemista” in Greek, is a hugely popular dish and best enjoyed in the summer. The quality of the tomatoes significantly influences the dish and winter grown hot house tomatoes pale by comparison to those ripened in the sun.
The secret weapon in this recipe is the mint – when combined with onion, olive oil, and tomato, a particular flavor profile is created that is delicious and addictive. Fresh mint is best for this recipe but dried mint works as well in a pinch.
Enjoy these stuffed peppers and tomatoes as is or serve with a generous slice of feta.
Ingredients
- 4 large tomatoes
- 4 small bell peppers
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 4 cups water
- 2 teaspoons salt (divided)
- 1 cup medium grain rice
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint or 1 tablespoon dry mint
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (divided)
- 1 large yukon gold potato
Preparation
Preparing the Peppers and Tomatoes
- Wash the peppers and tomatoes
- Remove the tops of the peppers and the seeds
- Do the same with the tops of the tomatoes, carve out the pulp with a spoon, and place in a blender
- Place the peppers and tomatoes in the baking pan and sprinkle the inside of the vegetables with 1 teaspoons salt
Making the Filling for the Stuffed Peppers and Tomatoes
- Peel, cut, and combine the onion, garlic, mint, and fresh tomato in the blender
- Blend until smooth and pour into a large bowl
- Add 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 cup rice, 4 cups water, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, and stir until well combined
- Spoon 1 tablespoon of rice into each pepper and tomato. It may not look like much at first but the rice will expand as it cooks and it is key that you not overstuff the vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees
- Spoon 4 tablespoons of the tomato mixture into the vegetables. It is important to keep the rice to liquid ratio around 1 to 4
- Depending on the size of your vegetables, you may need to add a little more rice and liquid. Simply make sure you keep the 1 to 4 rice to liquid ratio when doing so
- Place the caps back on the peppers and tomatoes
- Peel and cut the potato into 4 or 6 slices lengthwise and place around the peppers and tomatoes
- Pour the remaining rice and liquid into the baking dish, taking care to disburse the rice evenly throughout the pan. If needed, stir around with a spoon.
- Depending on the size of your baking pan, you may need to add a cup of water. The liquid will evaporate during the cooking process and the larger the exposed surface area of the liquid, the more will be lost from evaporation. As a general rule, try to keep the tomatoes covered half way. In the case of the below illustration, it would have been best to add an additional cup of water bringing the liquid up to the blue line
Baking Your Stuffed Peppers and Tomatoes
- Drizzle the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil over the dish
- Place in the middle rack of the oven
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes until the tops of the peppers and tomatoes are slightly charred
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 90 minutes
- Tip: If you notice the rice in the pan becoming too dry (it should resemble a creamy risotto), you can add in a cup of water to restore some of the moisture
- It is better to overcook than undercook this dish. If in doubt, you can always bake for an additional 15-30 minutes
