Well I've got to say I am excited for Greek Fest this weekend, here are more traditional greek recipes, but a healthier version. My Greek stepfather's favorite was dolmades, (stuffed grape leaves) and I remember my mother in the kitchen making them, enjoy! ♥
Ingredients ♥
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1 ½ cups long grain white rice
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 1/2 cup fresh minced dill
- 1/4 cup fresh minced mint
- 6 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 3/4 cups vegetable broth (a yellow broth is best), divided
- 50 large grape leaves (fresh or jarred)
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh mint leaves, lemon slices, and olives (for garnish - optional) you may buy the jarred ones but fresh is the best tasting and more authentic!
You will also
need
a medium pot, a sauté pan with high sides, a
large pot, a plate
Directions ♥
Pour the pine
nuts into a skillet and lightly toast them over medium heat till golden brown.
Reserve.
Pour ¼ cup of
olive oil into a medium pot and heat it over medium. Add minced onion to the
pot and sauté until soft. Add the rice to the pot and stir to combine. Sauté
for another minute. Pour in ¾ cup vegetable broth and lower the heat; simmer
the rice uncovered for about 10 minutes till the liquid is absorbed and the
rice is half cooked. Do not cook the rice fully, or you’ll end up with mushy
grape leaves! Just cook it to an al dente texture. Remove pot from heat.
Add the minced dill, mint, toasted pine nuts,
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice and lemon zest to the pot of rice. Stir till all
ingredients are well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the
mixture cool to room temperature.
Fill a large pot
with salted water and bring to a boil. As the water is heating, trim the leaves
by cutting the stems off, flush with the leaves. Trim any large, hard veins
from the leaves. Place the leaves in the boiling water and let them soften for
3-5 minutes till they become pliable (fresh leaves may take a bit longer to
soften than jarred).
Drain, then
cover the leaves with cold water. Drain the leaves again and pat them dry
Note: If using fresh leaves, try to use
younger leaves (medium size)—they’ll be more tender than the very large leaves.
Place a grape
leaf shiny (smooth) side down, vein (bumpy) side up, on a flat surface like a
cutting board.
Place 2 tbsp of
rice filling at the base end of the leaf, near where the stem was.
Fold the stem
end up over the filling
Fold the edges
of the leaf inward.
Continue rolling
the leaf till it forms a neat rolled package. Do not roll too tightly; the rice
will expand a little during cooking, and if you roll it too tight the leaf will
unravel as it cooks.
Squeeze the roll
gently to seal.
Repeat the
process with the remaining leaves till all of the filling is gone.
As you roll the
leaves, you may find some leaves that are damaged or have large holes. Place
those damaged leaves into the bottom of your saute pan to line it and create a
bed for the stuffed leaves.
Place the stuffed leaves in the bottom of the
saute pan. Don’t be afraid to pack the leaves snugly; this will help keep the
leaves intact as they cook. Make a single layer on the bottom of the pan. When
you run out of room, make a second layer on top.
Pour 1 cup of broth, ¼ cup of extra virgin
olive oil, and ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice over the stuffed grape leaves. Heat
the pan over medium until it begins to simmer (don’t boil, or the leaves will
start to fall apart).
Turn heat to
low, so the leaves are slowly simmering, and place an inverted heat-safe plate
on top of the stuffed grape leaves to weigh them down and keep them secure as
they cook.
Cover the pot.
Let the grape leaves cook for 30-40 minutes. The leaves are finished cooking
when they are fork-tender.enjoy! ♥
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