Stuffed Tomatoes, Peppers, and Squash Flowers - Authentic Recipe from Agia Triada, Greece

Wow.  I can't believe I'm actually writing my own recipe blog.  I've talked about it forever, but for some reason I have never done it.  The other day I was hanging out with my sister, and we planned our Thanksgiving dinner for this year.  I actually had dreams about recipes that I wanted to use (I know...), so I figured this blog was about due.  Plus, crazy runs in my family, so before my mind goes, I want to get this written down.

I love to cook ANYTHING.  I don't have a favorite food, or a favorite food to cook.  I will cook all types of food, in all ways, with all ingredients.

Busy Mama Recipes

I rarely follow a recipe.  As in, I only follow a recipe when I am making my mother's chocolate chip cookies:-)  The rest of the time, I usually make things up as a go along.  In fact, last Thanksgiving, my little sister and I made the whole dinner by ourselves, for about 18 guests.  We bought ingredients, and I literally made up recipes and improvised as we went along.  Everything was delicious and turned out perfectly.  That's how I roll.  I will do my best to measure so I can get these recipes down as accurately as possible, promise!

I get my cooking skills from my family.  My mother, who is an amazing cook, makes new recipes all the time. She is the "health nut" of the family, so she always taught me how to make a meal a little bit better for you.  My dad is from Texas.  He is the King of BBQ, and can make anything taste great with some Creole style seasoning!  His mother is Mexican and his dad was Cajun, so my dad has mastered the art of those types of cooking. My grandma and grandpa are Greek (literally, my grandpa came over when he was 16 years old), so they taught me how to make not only Greek style food, but recipes that my grandfather had in his village as a child.  My Dad's mom is very traditional in a sense, and taught me how to bake (she was also the one to teach me to make home made tortillas).  I owe most of my artistic ability to my family... without them I would be eating ramen noodles every day.  So, thanks, family!

I love cooking all types of meals- from "simple, throw together two-ingredient" meals to "get up early and spend hours making something you can't pronounce" meals.  I love putting my own spin on traditional meals.  I often make something, and a day or so later I think about what could have made it better or different, and I start thinking about how I'll make it next time.

By no means am I a gourmet chef (although that would be so fun!).  I am a working mama with two kids and a household to run, so every night isn't all glam meals.  Most of my recipes on here may be one thing one night, with an idea of how you can make the leftovers into something different the next time.  I'm also thrifty, so be prepared to use EVERYTHING.  I hate wasting food.

I used to help manage a cafe/ catering company/ cooking school/ I don't even know what to call it.  The owner, Allyson, taught me a lot during my time there.  I helped teach cooking classes, so all of my "technical" and "formal" stuff, that's all thanks her.

So, since I have rambled... I will give you the recipes that kind of started this all:

My grandpa invited me to dinner the other night for a "surprise dinner".  He made stuff tomatoes, bell peppers, and squash flowers- something that I came to LOVE while I was in Greece in 2000.  My Great Aunt Rosa made it for me in the small Greek village, Agia Triada, where my family lived.  I don't know if it was because I was fascinated every time I watched her make it, or if it was because it was so yummy, but it is one of my most favorite things to make and eat.

Of course, since they don't measure, and my Aunt cannot speak English, this recipe may not be so accurate.  But, it comes pretty damn close.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 whole, big tomatoes
3 small tomatoes or 2 small cans of diced tomatoes
4 whole bell peppers - Any color
9 squash flowers (The big yellow flowers that grow on all squash plants.  You can get it from yellow squash, zucchini, pumpkins, anything. I got some at the farmer's market the other day).
2-3 cups uncooked white rice
1 white onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
Fresh green beans, tipped
3 Tbs dried oregano
1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

In a deep pot, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until tender.  Add the rice, stir well, and turn down to medium.  Add the small tomatoes (or canned tomatoes).  Cook until the rice browns, stirring often so it doesn't stick or burn.  Add water, according to the package directions on the rice, and bring back to a simmer. Add the spices and parsley and stir together. Cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, cut the tops off the large tomatoes and peppers, but save them.  Hollow out the tomatoes with a spoon, but keep the "guts".  Pull the middle out of the flowers, but keep the flower intact.

Arrange the tomatoes and peppers in a deep 14x10 baking dish, with enough space in between for the flowers.  Scoop the rice filling into the veggies and cover with the tops.  Scoop the rice into the flowers, fold the petals over, and place upside down in the pan in between the tomatoes and peppers.

Add the tomato "guts" that were saved from scooping out the middle of the tomatoes to the remaining rice.  Mix the green beans, if you choose to use them, into the rice.  Place the rice mixture in between all of the tomatoes and peppers.

Bake for about 1 hour, covered, and check the rice.  You may need to bake longer and/or add more liquid to cook the rice, depending on how juicy the vegetables you used are.

You can serve with feta cheese (my favorite) or Parmesan, but it's good plain.  Sometimes my grandpa puts meat in it- just saute some beef or ground turkey and add it to the rice mixture before baking. We have had it as a meal or as a side dish.  My favorite is having it with no meat, but served with feta cheese and Greek salad.  Yum!