Stuffed Peppers with Ella Mittas

Images by Tasha Tylee

Ella Mittas is a cook and food writer who runs a food business she calls, Ela Melbourne. Through Ela, she runs food events, teaches cooking classes and does private catering for events, such as the recent dinner event, The Meadows hosted by Merchant Road. Ella's connection to food now draws upon her heritage, the kinds of food she ate together with family and her food encounters during her travels. "All of my food is inspired by my Greek heritage and my time spent working abroad in Turkey and Greece" she tells us.

All of my food is inspired by my Greek heritage and my time spent working abroad in Turkey and Greece.

Ella wears an IN BED linen apron in blue and white stripe.

To source ingredients for her work, and for her own meals, she likes to visit the Victoria Market, near her home in Parkville. "I have a few different stalls I really trust there. If i'm ordering for big event in the city I use Northside Fruit and Veg who are my main wholesale supplier. I also get a lot of my produce from my supplier in Red Hill who grows the most beautiful veggies. I love Terra Madre for dry goods, Bas Foods for Greek and Turkish supplies, or I go to Oakley if I need very specific Greek produce." THE RECIPE

Stuffed Peppers with Garlic Yoghurt "I chose this recipe because I feel like people have a misconception that Greek and Turkish food is very meat orientated. So much of Greek and Turkish food is vegetarian, and lots of it's vegan too. This recipe is also super easy, great for warmer weather because you can eat it cold and all of it's ingredients are in season right now."

I chose this recipe because I feel like people have a misconception that Greek and Turkish food is very meat orientated.

Stuffed Peppers served on an IN BED linen tablecloth in stone.

"My favourite way to eat this dish is as part of a meze spread, alongside lots of small, sharing plates of different dishes. I also like eating it straight from the fridge with cold yogurt on a hot day after being in the sun."

Ingredients

6 red bell peppers
250g arborio rice
1 cup chopped mixed herbs – a mix of dill, mint, and parsley
1 large red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 large tomatoes, coarsely grated; discard the skin
50g pine nuts, toasted
40g currants
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp dried mint
1 tbsp lemon juice
60ml olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
400ml chicken stock
300g Greek yoghurt
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

Method

Heat the oven to 180C. Cut the top off each pepper and clean out the stem, seeds and pith. Keep the top of the pepper, you'll need it for the cooking process. I soak my rice for a couple of hours before I use it, then strain it. In a medium bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients bar the stock. Stuff this inside the peppers and pop on the lids. Arrange the peppers in a high-sided 17cm x 24cm oven tray, then pour over the stock and cover tightly with tin foil. Bake for 40 minutes, remove the foil and bake for 30 minutes more, until the peppers are cooked through and browned on top; spoon some of the liquid over the top of the peppers a few times while they are cooking. In a small bowl mix the yoghurt, garlic and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt until smooth, then set aside. Once the peppers are done, leave them to rest until cooled, then serve with a spoonful of yoghurt.

@ellamittas
@elamelbourne
www.ellamittas.com

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