Chard Wrapped Vegetarian Dolmades Food

CHARD WRAPPED VEGETARIAN DOLMADES

Steps:

• Wash and destem the chard leaves; cut into roughly 5" pieces.
• Mix veggie ground round, spices, and cheese.
• Taste and adjust as you like.
• Bear in mind the rice will soak up some flavour and the broth will add salt and acidity. When you are happy, stir in the raw rice.
• Make little logs of filling on your chard leaves about 2" by 3/4".
• Roll up like an egg roll (log goes diagonal, fold in 3 sides and roll).
• Place seam side down in a large pot, pack in tightly. Make 2 layers if needed but you don't want them rattling around and unrolling.
• Cover with broth (you may not need all the broth, you may need more), and lemon juice.
• Cover and bring just to a boil.
• Simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes or until rice is cooked.
• Remove dolmades from liquid and serve with tzatziki.
• Serve broth on it's own or make into lemon drop soup if desired. Can also be used as the liquid for grains or frozen for future use.

DOLMADES (STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES)

Steps:

• To make the filling, coat a large saute pan with 1/4 cup of the oil and place over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel and lemon zest and stir until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the pine nuts and rice, saute for 2 minutes, stirring to coat. Pour in just 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and lower the heat. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 10 minutes. Scrape the parboiled rice mixture into a bowl and add the dill and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool. Now on to the grape leaves.
• Bring a big pot of water to a simmer. Blanch the grape leaves in the hot water for 5 minutes until pliable. Drain then trim the stems and any hard veins from the leaves. Pat dry with paper towels.
• To assemble the dolmades, lay a grape leaf on a work surface, shiny-side down. Put 2 tablespoons of the rice filling near the stem end of the leaf. Fold the stem end over the filling, then fold both sides toward the middle, and roll up into a cigar ¿ it should be snug but not overly tight because the rice will swell once it is fully cooked. Squeeze lightly in the palm of your hand to secure the roll. Repeat with remaining grape leaves and filling.
• Place the dolmades in a large Dutch oven or wide deep skillet, seam-side down in a single layer. Pour the remaining cup of broth, remaining olive oil, and the lemon juice over the dolmades, the liquid should reach halfway up the rolls, add some water if necessary. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the dolmades are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm, at room temperature or cool.

VEGETABLE DOLMADES

Steps:

• Place currants in a small heatproof bowl and add enough water to cover. Set aside to plump for about 15 minutes.
• Place a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil, onion, and a pinch of salt. Cook stirring occasionally until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 2 minutes. Do not let garlic and onion brown.
• Stir in pine nuts and almonds and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Stir in cinnamon; season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add rice and stir until the rice is well coated with oil, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup stock and cook, stirring constantly, until the rice has absorbed the stock, about 7 minutes. Stir in another 2 cups of stock until well blended, then fold in tomatoes.
• When the stock has reduced by two-thirds and the rice is still very firm (not quite al dente), drain the currants and fold them into the rice. Remove skillet from the heat and fold in mint, parsley, and 2 tablespoons of remaining olive oil, tossing to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Set aside.
• Fill a large pot with cold water. Add a tablespoon of salt along with 3 tablespoons lemon juice and place over high heat. Bring to a boil and then add grape leaves, 3 or 4 at a time, cook for 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer grape leaves to the ice-water bath to stop the cooking. Then transfer to a double layer of paper towel to drain. Pat dry. Repeat process until all grape leaves have been cooked.
• Line the bottom of a large baking dish with a single layer of grape leaves (about 7). Set aside.
• Working with one grape leaf at a time, place the leaf rib side up on a flat surface. Neatly remove the stem if necessary. Place 1 teaspoon of the cooled rice mixture near the bottom (the widest part of the leaf). Fold the bottom up over the rice filling and then fold each side in and over to cover. Begin rolling the leaf over the filling to make a tight, neat roll. Place the finished roll into the grape-leaf lined dish, seam side down. Continue making dolmades until you have 32, packing them tightly into the baking dish so that the rolls will stay together.
• Combine remaining 2 cups stock, remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour the hot stock over the dolmades in the baking dish.
• Cover the dolmades with a single layer of grape leaves (another 7). Then place another smaller baking dish inside the pan to hold the dolmades firmly in place. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake until leaves are tender and filling is cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven immediately drain off all liquid and discard.
• When cool, remove the top layer of grape leaves and place the dolmades on a serving platter if serving immediately. Alternatively, place in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use. Serve at room temperature with yogurt-garlic sauce.

SWISS CHARD DOLMADES

Steps:

• Saute rice/orzo and garlic in butter for 1 minute, add almonds.
• Stir just until almonds become a bit brown.
• Turn off heat, stir in remaining ingredients.
• Brown lamb and garlic in olive oil, add rice and stir just until rice begins to brown.
• Turn off heat, stir in remaining ingredients.
• 3 cups canned tomato juice Lemon wedges Have both the fillings prepared and ready to go.
• In a 9X11" baking dish or large wide-bottomed stewing pot, pour 3/4 cup tomato juice, or enough to cover the bottom of the dish about 1/2" deep.
• Rinse chard leaves and cut off any stem.
• Stack chard leaves in a steamer basket or metal colander over a large kettle of boiling water: cover.
• Allow leaves to steam 3-4 minutes or until soft and pliable but still quite green.
• After 2 minutes of steaming you can use two spatulas to turn the whole stack of leaves over to allow the "less cooked" ones on the top to steam more thoroughly.
• Remove chard leaves to a plate. Separate them and allow them to cool so they will be easier to handle. Flatten a chard leaf on the working surface and place about 2 tablespoons of chosen filling 1/2 inch above the bottom stem end.
• Fold each side over the filling, then roll up from the stem end "burrito style", ending with the top of the leaf folded over the roll.
• Place the dolmade "leaf-tip-side-down" in the tomato juice in the prepared pan.
• You should be able to see the roll, but not any of the seam, which should be underneath.
• I differentiate the vegetarian and meat dolmades by placing a sliver of carrot or red pepper on top of the vegetarian ones.
• Repeat with all of the remaining leaves.
• If you tear a leaf and can't use it or have extra filling left over, you can sprinkle it into the tomato juice when you bake the dish and your sauce will be all the more delicious.
• Pour remaining tomato juice over the dolmades.
• Two cooking methods: Bake in a moderate 350 degree oven for 35 minutes on the top shelf, uncovered.
• or Simmer in a large stew pot on top of the stove. If you choose this method, weight the dolmades down by placing a plate on top of them and then putting something heavy (i.e. a heavy coffee mug or two) on top of the plate. Simmer at low-medium heat on stove top for 20-25 minutes.
• This method produces a more compact dolmade that holds together better when you serve it. Important: When you take them from the oven or turn off the stove, let them sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
• They are much less likely to fall apart this way.
• Serve 4 dolmades per guest with lemon wedges to squeeze over.
• They are delicious cold or room temperature as well.
• Suggested accompaniments: Avegolemo soup, tossed salad with black olives and feta cheese, fresh steamed artichokes, garlic bread.

SWISS CHARD DOLMAS

Steps:

• Bring a large kettle of water to the boil, add the chard and stir well. Drain at once, rinse with cold water, drain again and set aside.
• Bone the chops and reserve the bones. Cut off all fat and discard.
• Chop the meat into little chunks a bit coarser than hamburger. There should be about one cup.
• Put a wide skillet over medium heat, add the oil, then the chopped onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is just golden around the edges, about 15 minutes.
• Add the lemon zest and cook, stirring, for about two minutes, then add the garlic and meat. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the meat is just starting to brown, about five minutes more.
• Stir in the rice, turn the heat to medium-low and add a half-cup of water. Allow to simmer undisturbed until all the water is absorbed, then stir in the currants, pine nuts, herbs and seasonings and remove the pan from the heat.
• Fold each chard leaf in half the long way, so the spine of the stem protrudes. Starting where the stem widens, slice out the lower portion of the stem. Reserve leaves and stems.
• Lightly film the bottom of a nonstick nine-inch diameter kettle with olive oil, then line it with onion slices, lamb bones and chard stems.
• Lay a trimmed leaf face up on the work surface. Put a generous portion of filling in a wide line right above where the cut has split the leaf. Fold up the two bottom flaps to cover the filling, fold in the leaf edges to enclose it further, then roll like a jellyroll to the tip, tucking as you go. Set the rolls seam side down in the kettle, placing the second layer of leaves perpendicular to the first.
• Pour in one and three-quarters cups of water; put a plate on top of the rolls to weight them down and cover the pan. Cook at a gentle simmer for an hour, or until the chard is tender and the rice fully cooked.
• Using tongs, remove the rolls and set aside, covered to keep warm. Strain the kettle contents, pressing on the solids to get all juices; there should be about two-thirds of a cup of liquid. If necessary, boil to reduce, or add water.
• Beat the egg yolks with the lemon juice in a small nonstick saucepan. Add the juices and cook, stirring constantly over very low heat, until the sauce thickens. Do not let it boil.
• Serve the dolmas hot or cold, with sauce on the side, garnished with lemon wedges.