Stuffed Vegetables / Gemista

Stuffed vegetables with rice and minced meat gemista.

Ingredients

• 5 tomatoes, ripe
• 5 green bell peppers
• 1 eggplant
• 2 zucchini
• 380 gr. Carolina rice
• 500 gr. ground beef
• 1 grated carrot
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 sc. garlic, chopped
• 10 - 12 mint leaves, chopped
• 1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
• 1/2 bunch dill, chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 glass of olive oil + extra for spreading, sautéing and sprinkling
• 400 gr. tomato juice concentrated
• 300 ml warm water
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

1. We wash the tomatoes, peppers,eggplants and zucchini and with the help of a knife we cut their stems from the bases. With a spoon we clean the inner parts from the tomatoes, the peppers, eggplants and zucchini chop all finely. Then we cut a little off the bottom of the vegetables so that they can stand and place them in a baking tray of the oven that we have greased with olive oil. In a large bowl, add the onion, carrot, garlic, fresh tomato pulp, rice, herbs, tomato juice and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix all the ingredients well with a tablespoon. Then, place a large pot on high heat and let it get hot. As soon as it burns, add a little olive oil, the minced meat and season with salt and pepper, saute well until they caramelize.
2. Then add the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes. As soon as the minced meat is ready, add the bowl with the rest of the ingredients, as well as the insides of the vegetables and stir with a spoon until they come to a boil. We fill the vegetables, close them with their lids and put the remaining filling in the pan scattered, pour oil, a little concentrated tomato juice, salt and pepper again on top of the lids, cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C in the air for 1 1/2 - 2 hours . During the last 15 minutes of baking, remove the foil. Once the stuffed vegetables are cooked, remove them from the oven, let them cool for 10 minutes and serve.