“Welcome to a taste of the Mediterranean with my take on stuffed vegetables, aka Yemista, a traditional Cypriot dish that brings the warmth and flavours of Cyprus right to your table. It’s a nostalgic and comforting meal I grew up with. This recipe features tender lamb, spinach, and rice with aromatic spices, all nestled inside vibrant vegetables, baked to perfection. It’s a comforting and hearty meal, perfect for sharing with family and friends. Feel free to substitute ground turkey, chicken, pork or beef. Whether you’re familiar with the rich culinary traditions of Cyprus or discovering them for the first time, this dish captures the essence of home-cooked Mediterranean goodness. Join me as we celebrate the simple, yet bold flavours that make Yemista a timeless Cypriot and Greek favourite.”

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Lamb, Spinach and Rice Stuffed Vegetables (Yemista)

Total Time2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Cypriot, Greek

Keyword: comfort food, Cypriot, greek, lamb

Yield: 4 people

Materials

• 3 large peppers red bell or shepherd
• 1 large zucchini
• 1 large sweet onion
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Finely diced onions about 1 cup, the leftover centre
• Finely diced zucchini heart
• 2 tbsps ground cumin
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 lb ground lamb or ground turkey chicken or pork
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 cup short grain rice not the Italian Arborio rice, rinsed well
• 1 1/2 tbsps dried mint
• Juice of half a large lemon
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 cube vegetable bouillon or 1 tbsp vegetable paste
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Prepare peppers by slicing off the tops a 1/4 inch thick. Clean out peppers and set aside with their tops (don’t discard).
• Slice off the top of the zucchinis, a 1/4-inch thick. Cut the zucchini in three equal parts and save the top. Hollow out the zucchini to make room for the stuffing. Leave a 1/4 inch rim of zucchini. Finely chop the inside, and set the zucchini aside.
• Peel onion and cut off bottom and top. With a paring knife make a slice along the side of the onion lengthwise, right through to the centre. Carefully peel 5 layers, ensuring you keep the onion layers intact. Finely chop remaining onion and add to bowl with zucchini.
• In a large deep sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, the zucchini insides and sauté for 1-2 minutes or until soft and translucent.
• Add, cumin, salt, ground pepper and sauté for an additional minute.
• Add in ground lamb and cook until browned, about 5-6 minutes.
• Add spinach and sauté until slightly wilted.
• Turn off heat and stir in mint, lemon, rice and tomato puree.
• Stuff all the vegetables with the rice and meat mixture and arrange in a baking dish large enough to fit all the vegetables snug.
• Dilute the bouillon and tomato paste in the warm water and pour on top of all the stuffed vegetables. Place tops on peppers and zucchinis. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes until vegetables are soft and tender. The baking time will depend on how large your vegetables are. Remove foil from baking dish and increase oven to 400ºF. Continue baking for 20-25 minutes until tomatoes and peppers have charred and softened.
• Turn off oven, re-cover baking dish with foil and let stand for 15 minutes in warm oven. Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with pan juices.