GFHYVT
Yummy Stuffed Peppers and Squash is also called Yemesta (gemeesta) which is Greek for stuffed vegetables.
But I just call them yummy.
August is the right month to fill brightly colored bell peppers, zucchini and yellow squash with a fresh filling of rice, cheese and vegetables. For a meatier Yemesta, add in one pound of either browned ground meat, chopped chicken or sausage
Gluten free and vegetarian, stuffed vegetables make a satisfying main dish or side and are delicious hot or cold. For vegan yemesta, skip the feta or choose a vegan melting cheese.
Beautiful enough for entertaining, yemesta is a great basic recipe that you can alter to your liking. Try stuffing eggplants or large tomatoes. Replace the squash filling with mushrooms or a combination of pine nuts and raisins (the Turkish version).
Replace rice with 1 cup dry quinoa, lentils or your favorite grain.
(Cook according to package directions.)
A small pasta like orzo or macaroni would also work well.
For a simpler filling, just add cooked rice, cheese and seasonings to the hollowed out vegetables and dot with cheese or tomato sauce.
Or, prep the vegetables (but don’t bake them), cover and refrigerate for up to three days. The flavors in the rice mixture improve over time. The peppers will be ready to bake when you are.
Limit clean up by cooking rice in a big pot, then use that pot to stir in the vegetables to make the filling. Bake yemesta until vegetables start to brown and get very soft. The long, slow roasting process yields amazingly sweet, tender vegetables your whole family will love.
Use the photos as your guide and dig into Yemesta!
Yummy Stuffed Peppers and Squash
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 80 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 mins
- Yield: 4-5 as a main course or 10 as a side 1x
- Category: Side or Vegetarian Main
- Cuisine: Greek
Gluten free and vegetarian, stuffed vegetables make a satisfying main dish or side and are delicious hot or cold. For vegan yemesta, skip the feta or choose a vegan melting cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 cup long grain rice (uncooked)
- 2 cups water or stock
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- 3 bell peppers, any color
- 2 large zucchini
- 2 large yellow squash
- ¼ cup white wine (optional)
- Large handful of fresh parsley
- 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup fresh or canned chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
- Spray Pam or olive oil (for baking sheet)
Instructions
- Prepare rice: Separately chop onion and 2 cloves of garlic. In a large heavy pot, heat olive oil. Sauté onion about 5 minutes, then add garlic and 1 cup rice. Brown rice a few minutes, then add in water or stock, bay leaf (optional) and a little salt and pepper. (If using water, use up to 1 t each salt and pepper. If using stock, just add ¼ t each salt and pepper). Stir mixture once, bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove pot from heat but keep covered another 10+ minutes while prepping vegetables.
- Prepare vegetables: Cut peppers in half lengthwise and carefully remove seeds and membranes. Think of carving each squash into a canoe and cut about the top ¼ of the length off each squash (see photo) to create a deep vessel to hold filling. Carefully cut down (but not through the bottom) around the inside of each squash and then use a spoon to scoop out the flesh and set it aside. (see photo)
- Chop into small dice the “leftover” tops of the squash. Using a small bowl or blender, puree the squash pulp with ¼ cup water or white wine. Chop enough parsley to fill ½ cup. Measure out 1 cup fresh chopped or canned tomatoes. Measure out 6 oz. feta cheese.
- Prepare peppers and squashes for baking: On a foil lined baking sheet sprayed with Pam, place peppers and squashes upside down. Spray with Pam or brush with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with kosher salt. Turn vegetables over and repeat.
- Prepare rice filling: Remove bay leaf from rice. Add feta cheese, parsley, pulp and diced squashes to cooked rice and mix lightly but thoroughly. Add tomatoes last (to avoid turning rice red), taste and adjust liberally for salt and pepper. Fill each vegetable with 2 – 3 T rice mixture and spoon about 1 -2 T tomato sauce on top. Place vegetables in oven, and then add 1 cup water around vegetables before closing oven door.
- Bake for 60- 80 minutes. Rotate tray after 30 minutes for even cooking. Add more water if baking tray is dry.
- Stuffed vegetables may be prepared up to three days in advance and baked just before serving. Serve hot, cold or at room temperature.
- Serves 4-5 as a main course or up to 10 for a side dish.
Notes
Adapted from The Good Greek
Where is the oven temperature listed in the recipe or ingredients . 60-80 minutes but no oven temp listed
You are right! So sorry! Bake at 350 F or 325 F convection (if using convection they may cook a little faster).
Enjoy and thanks for asking!
Dana