Greek stuffed vegetables (Gemista recipe)

Instructions

• Wash vegetables thoroughly and slice off the tops.
  
• Using a spoon or knife remove inner flesh of vegetables in a separate bowl – inner flesh will be finely blended and added into the vegetable stuffing mixture in a later step.
• Make tiny slits on the sides of vegetables and set aside, setting aside tops of vegetables also.
• For eggplant add salt to the inner side and spread evenly, setting aside for up to 10 minutes – turn eggplant upside down and discard salt juices – washing eggplant thoroughly and setting aside.
• Using a vegetable peeler, half peel zucchini and eggplant skin.
• Add olive oil (approx. 2 tablespoons) to a hot pan.
• Once the oil starts to sizzle add onions and garlic (garlic optional), mixing ingredient until soft.
• Add leek and combine by mixing for a further few minutes before adding red wine.
• Mix ingredients allowing red wine to reduce slightly before adding rice and continuing to blend into the mixture for approximately 5 minutes.
• Add vegetable flesh mixture (blended inner vegetable flesh) and mix into the mixture before adding spring onions, parsley, mint and chilli.
• Combine all ingredients, adding tomatoes combining into the mixture.
• Add Salt (approx. 2 tablespoons) and pepper (approx. 1 tablespoon) combining into the mixture before adding tomato puree and lemon juice (half of the juice of 3 lemons).
• Remove pan from heat.
• Fill vegetables with the mixture, all the way to the top and place in a deep baking dish and cover vegetables with their lids.
• Add 2 cups of tap water to the base of the baking dish, applying extra olive oil on top of vegetables (light drizzle).
• Cover baking dish with baking paper and aluminium foil, baking @ 180 C for 30 minutes.
• Uncover baking dish and apply the rest of the lemon juice over all the vegetables.
• Cook uncovered for a further 20 minutes or until rice mixture is soft in texture.
• Set aside for 10 minutes before serving.