My dad's Greek stuffed tomatoes are perfect for a healthy summer dinner

Greek culinary expert Anneta Konstantinides shares her father's favorite summertime recipe, yemista. This traditional dish consists of tomatoes stuffed with a flavorful mixture of rice, ground beef, onion, and parsley. Konstantinides explains that yemista was a staple in her childhood home, cooked by her Greek immigrant parents who cherished their cultural heritage through food.

To prepare yemista at home, you'll need eight large tomatoes, one pound of ground beef, half an onion, two-thirds of a cup of rice, three-quarters of a cup of parsley, and a clove of garlic. Although yemista typically includes both tomatoes and bell peppers, Konstantinides notes that US bell peppers are often too thick for even cooking. As a result, she usually opts for tomatoes exclusively.

Begin by washing and slicing the tops off the tomatoes, setting the lids aside for later use. Carefully scoop out the tomato cores using an ice cream scooper or spoon. Save the flesh from five of the tomatoes for the filling. Next, make the filling by chopping the onion and parsley, then browning the ground beef in a pan. Add the tomato "sauce" and rice, simmering until cooked. The tomato "sauce" can be created using a food processor or grater.

Arrange the tomato cups in a 9-inch-by-12-inch baking dish, adding any tomato "sauce" leftover to the dish. Lightly salt the inside of each tomato before adding the filling. Bake in the oven until the tomatoes are tender. Yemista's light, healthy, and comforting qualities make it an ideal choice for summer dinners, as Konstantinides attests.