Finally tried making my own gemista, one of my favorite things my mom makes, and it was a success!

I grew up eating (and loving) gemista, but I've always been to scared to try and make them, for fear they'd come out bleh and not compare to what I know and love. Today I finally made some, and they came out so, so good!

Recipe (approximate measurements since it's based off of my mom's recipe, and she doesn't measure):

• 7-8 Bell peppers (or other vegetables of your choice, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants are most common)
• 4-5 Yukon gold potatoes

Stuffing:
– 1lb ground beef
– 1 medium sized yellow onion
– 1 bell pepper
– 1 zucchini
– 2-3 tomatoes
– 1/2-1 bunch parsley
– 3-4 cloves of garlic
– dried (or fresh) spearmint, salt, pepper
– medium grain rice, one tbsp per vegetable you are stuffing

Dice the onion, bell pepper, and zucchini as small as you can, and saute in olive oil until onions are clear and soft, then add garlic and sautee until fragrant. Add ground beef, and saute until browned. Add rinsed rice, saute for a couple minutes, and add 2-3 tomatoes grated or pulsed in the food processor. Arrange your peppers in a pan and stuff, leaving 1/2 inch or so of room since the rice will puff up.

Cut your Yukon golds into large wedges, and arrange around your gemista. Top with 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, mixed with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and 1/2-1 cup of water (depending on the size of your pan). Pour over the potatoes, aiming to cover them about 1/3-halfway.

Cover with foil, and bake covered in a preheated oven at 380 for 1h 15m. Uncover, and bake for another 30-45', or until peppers are soft, and potatoes and rice are cooked through. Optional additional step: tent foil over the poppers and broil the potatoes for 5-10'.

Serve with feta or Greek yogurt, and kali orexi!