Stuffed Tomatoes - Greek Gemista - Vegan - Gluten Free

Regardless of if you eat meat or not, if you are searching for a recipe sans meat that is tasteful and yummy you should definitely try out Greek gemista aka stuffed tomatoes and vegetables.

They are one of our most favorite meals and there is a reason for it!

Now, you'll find many different recipes to make them but mine has two main differences from the rest. Since it is suitable for fasting diet, it doesn't contain salt or olive oil and it is baked in a closed oven pot in medium temperature.

Some of you will be fast to say that this is no way to make gemista but I beg to differ. Don't knock it till you try it!

You'll need:Medium sized fresh tomatoes

Long sweet red peppers

Zucchinis,

eggplants,

bell peppers will also do

2 small or one medium onion

rice (250g for 7 vegetables)

parsley

raisins

After thoroughly washing the veggies you have to gut them. I am showing here what to do with tomatoes and long peppers but it's more or less the same with the other veggies.

Take your knife and cut the top of the tomato and keep it by - don't throw it away we need it!

Now with your knife and a spoon carefully remove the insides of the tomato without puncturing it's sides.

Put the guts in a bowl and set it aside.

Repeat with all the tomatoes.

In the case of the pepper just cut the top of and leave it aside and remove the seeds of the pepper.

Now get the bowl with the tomatoes guts and cut them into small pieces. You may also use a hand blender to do so but I like them chunky and not like a mash. Add the rice..

and the raisins and then chop the parsley and the onions and add them too.

Mix it until it's relatively homogeneous.

Now take a spoon and fill the empty veggies. Don't over do it cause the rice expands.

Put their respective top and put them in the pot. If there is extra filling use it outside of the veggies to fill the pot, it's tasty all the same!

Close the pot and bake at 150oC for 2,5 hours.

Note: You don't have to add water. The water from the vegetables is enough for the rice to cook with the lid closed!

When they are served you may add olive oil on top. It is so much healthier this way cause it's not cooked. I however, eat them without, I am just used to it that way.

I hope you'll try this and I really hope you'll like it. If you do I can share more of my fasting diet recipes! For a lot more yummy recipes you can visit my blog Akamatra.