Marmies Bakedgrilled Stuffed Greek Style Tomatoes Recipes

GEMISTA RECIPE (GREEK STUFFED TOMATOES AND PEPPERS WITH RICE)

Steps:

• Slice off the top of the tomatoes. Using a spoon remove the flesh of the tomatoes and keep it in a bowl. (The flesh of the tomatoes will be the base for the tomato sauce for the Gemista.) Slice off the top of the eggplants and remove the flesh, using a spoon. Cut the flesh of the eggplants in small cubes and set aside, as you will use them later for the filling of the Gemista. Slice off the top of the peppers and remove the seeds and white parts from the inside.
• Place the empty vegetables on a large baking tray. Try to leave the vegetables with as little flesh as possible, but be careful not to poke through their skin. Season the empty vegetables with a pinch of salt and sugar and add a little butter on the bottom of each one.
• In a blender add the flesh of the tomatoes, 5-6 tbsps olive oil, the tomato paste, sugar, season with salt and pepper and mix to combine. Set aside.
• . In a saucepan add some olive oil and sauté the onions, until translucent. Chop the zucchini in small cubes, add in the saucepan and sauté for one more minute. At the end add the flesh of the eggplants (chopped) and the chopped garlic and sauté, until softened. Add the rice and continue sautéing, unit it becomes transculent. Pour in 1 tin chopped tomatoes, 2 cups of water and season with salt and pepper. Let the filling come to a boil. After 5 minutes the stuffing is ready. It doesn't need to cook throughout as it will continue cooking in the oven. Remove the pan from the stove and stir in the fresh herbs and taste and season with some more salt and pepper if needed.
• If you prefer your gemista spiced up with some meat, try sizzling 250grams (8.8oz) of ground beef with the onions in the step above. Once the beef juices have been absorbed and the meat is done, chop the zucchini in small cubes, add in the saucepan and sauté for one more minute. At the end add the flesh of the eggplants (chopped) and the chopped garlic and sauté, until softened. Add the rice and continue sautéing, until it becomes transculent. Pour in 1 tin chopped tomatoes, 2 cups of water and season with salt and pepper. Let the filling come to a boil. After 5 minutes the stuffing is ready. Remove the pan from the stove and stir in the fresh herbs and taste and season with some more salt and pepper if needed.
• Peel and chop your potatoes in bite-sized chunks.
• . Spoon the filling inside the empty vegetables, filling them up by about 2/3rds of the way up. The filling will expand a bit when cooking! Add your potatoes, spreading them out in between the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Finally spoon the filling liquids from step 4 and your sauce from step 3 inside the vegetables until full and pour the remaining in the baking tray. Cover the vegetables with their lids and add 3 cups of water in your baking tray
• Cover the Gemista with aluminium foil and bake in preheated oven at 180C / 350F for 60-75 minutes. Halfway through cooking time, remove the aluminium foil and bake until nicely coloured.
• The Gemista are equally delicious, served either warm or even straight out of the fridge. Just pair them with some salty feta cheese and enjoy!

MARMIE'S BAKED/GRILLED STUFFED GREEK STYLE TOMATOES

Steps:

• Mix onion, feta, olives, fresh ground pepper to taste, 1 - 2 Tablespoons EVOO (and garlic if desired here as opposed to on top of tomato) together and let sit until ready to stuff tomato.
• Cut tomato in half width ways and gently remove seeds with a grapefruit spoon.
• Thinly slice a flat edge from the top and the bottom of the tomato, (to stabilize it on the pan) and sprinkle inside tomato with a pinch of kosher salt. (Tip: should you cut too much off the bottom of the tomato and you are concerned the filling will seep out -- take the sliced off part and place inside the bottom of the seeded tomato).
• Fill each of the 12 tomato halves with the onion and cheese mixture from step 1.
• Drizzle a bit of EVOO on top.
• Add a cucumber slice to top of each stuffed tomato.
• Add a sliver of garlic to top of cucumber (if you have chosen not to put it directly into the cheese mix).
• Add a bit of basil on top of garlic (or cucumber as needed).
• Sprinkle a bit of EVOO on top again.
• Sprinkle with fresh parmesan and ground pepper if desired.
• Set tomatoes on a foil pan and cover with tin foil.
• Indirectly grill on the BBQ on high for 20 - 25 min until semi soft or bake in oven at 350°F for 20 minutes or until tender but not too soft.
• NOTE - indirect heat on the BBQ is when you light only one side of the BBQ and place item to be cooked on the other.
• Serves 6 - side vegetables or 12 - Appys.

STUFFED GREEK TOMATOES

Steps:

• Cut flat ends on top and bottom of tomatoes and then cut tomatoes in half, then seed with spoon to keep shell intact.
• Add 1/2 tbsp onions, 1 olive, 1 tbsp feta to each half.
• Drizzle olive oil over each half.
• Add 1 slice of cucumber to each half.
• Rip an appropriately-sized piece of basil and place on top.

TOMATES FARCIES (STUFFED TOMATOES)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. With a paring knife, core tomatoes. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the center of each tomato. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper and place in a baking dish.
• Mix together bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, basil, thyme, cheese and red pepper, if using. Put 2 to 3 tablespoons of bread-crumb mixture in the hollow of each tomato.
• Bake 30 minutes, until bread-crumb mixture is nicely browned and tomatoes are soft. Let cool slightly before serving.

GREEK STUFFED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Prepare the tomatoes. With a sharp paring knife, cut out the tops of the tomatoes as you would a jack-o'-lantern, leaving them intact so that you can replace them when you bake the tomatoes. Cut away the woody core, and reserve the tops. Using a small spoon, preferably a grapefruit spoon, scoop out the insides of the tomatoes. Place a strainer over a bowl, and rub the seed pods against the strainer. Discard the seeds. Finely chop the pulp. Add to the bowl with the juice. Salt the tomato shells, place them upside down on a rack set on a baking sheet, and let drain while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
• Toss the shredded zucchini with a generous amount of salt, and let drain in a colander for 10 minutes. Take up handfuls of zucchini and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Transfer to the bowl with the tomato pulp. Add the garlic, mint, parsley or dill, and rice or bulgur. Season generously with salt and pepper. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and let sit for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a baking dish large enough to accommodate all of the tomatoes. Fill the tomatoes almost to the top with the stuffing, and replace the caps. Place in the oiled baking dish. Drizzle on the remaining oil. Place in the oven, and bake 45 minutes to an hour until the tomatoes are almost collapsing. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool to room temperature or serve hot.

GRILLED STUFFED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the grill to medium heat.
• Cut the tomatoes and core them, removing all the seeds and juice.
• In a medium bowl add the onions, basil, and goat cheese. Mix and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add cooked orzo and combine. Stuff the tomatoes with the mixture. Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes. Top the tomatoes with the Parmesan.
• Place the tomatoes directly on the grill with the cover closed and cook for 10 minutes. The juices will begin to run. Remove from grill and place on platter.