Dolmades With Yogurt Mint Sauce Food

DOLMADES WITH YOGURT-MINT SAUCE

Steps:

• FOR GRAPE LEAVES:
• Heat 1/4 cup oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add onion and garlic. Saute until very tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add rice and cumin and stir 1 minute. Add 2 cups broth and currants.
• Cover and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer to bowl.
• Mix in nuts, parsley and mint. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cool completely.
• (Can be made I day ahead. Cover; chill.)
• Place grape leaves in bowl.
• Cover with cold water and let stand 30 minutes.
• Drain.
• (Cut off stems.
• Arrange 1 leaf veined side up on work surface. Place 1 rounded Tbsp of rice filling on stem end, leaving 1/2-inch border.
• Fold 2 short sides over rice, then roll up starting at stem end.
• Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.
• Place seam in side down in 2 heavy 12-inch skillets.
• Divide remaining 3 Tbsp oil and 2 cups broth between skillets.
• Cover; simmer over medium-low heat until liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes.
• Uncover and let rolls cool.
• Transfer to platter.
• Cover and chill.
• (Can be made 1 day ahead.) FOR SAUCE: Combine yogurt, mint, and garlic in small bowl.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Place grape leaf rolls on platter and garnish with lemon.
• Serve with sauce. These rice-filled grape leaves are a classic Greek appetizer.

DOLMADES WITH YOGURT-MINT SAUCE

Steps:

• For grape leaves:
• Heat 1/4 cup oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic. Sauté until very tender, about 10 minutes. Add rice and cumin and stir 1 minute. Add 2 cups broth and currants. Cover and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Mix in nuts, parsley and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Cool completely (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
• Place grape leaves in bowl. Cover with cold water and let stand 30 minutes. Drain. Cut off stems. Arrange 1 leaf veined side up on work surface. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of rice filling on stem end. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling. Place seam side down in 2 heavy 12-inch skillets. Divide remaining 3 tablespoons oil and 2 cups broth between skillets. Cover; simmer over medium-low heat until liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Uncover and let rolls cool. Transfer to platter. Cover and chill. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)
• For sauce:
• Combine yogurt, mint and garlic in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Place grape leaf rolls on platter and garnish with lemon. Serve with sauce.

DOLMADES: STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES

Steps:

• In a large saute pan over medium high heat, heat 1/4-cup olive oil. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and pine nuts and saute for 2 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly. Add the rice, salt, raisins, mint and juice of 1 lemon to the bowl with the onion mixture and mix well. Set aside.
• Bring a medium pot of water to a simmer. Remove the grape leaves from the jar and drop them in batches of 4 or 5 into the hot water. Quickly remove them from the water and spread flat on a towel-lined work surface. Cut the stem from each grape leaf, as needed. (NOTE: Fresh grape leaves also need to be blanched for 1/2 minute.)
• To assemble the dolmades, place 1 grape leaf on the work surface, dull side (or underside) of the leaf up. Place 1 to 2 teaspoons of rice filling near the stem end of the leaf. Fold the stem (bottom) end up over the filling, fold the sides toward the filling in the center, then roll up the leaf into a small cylindrical package, being careful not to fold too tightly, as the rice will expand during cooking.
• Place the dolmades in a large Dutch oven or wide saute pan, seam side down. Combine the remaining cup of olive oil and juice of 1 lemon, and pour over the dolmades. Cover with a heavy plate or baking dish and add water to cover to the level of the plate. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 1 hour, or until rice is tender.
• Serve at room temperature, with Kicked Up Tzatziki as a dipping sauce.
• In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients and chill for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to marry.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
• Recipe from New New Orleans Cooking, by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

GREEK LAMB WITH YOGURT MINT SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the garlic, rosemary, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the herbs are finely minced. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, and red wine and combine. Place the chops in a glass or ceramic dish just large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour the marinade over the chops, turning to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.
• When ready to cook, prepare a grill with one layer of hot coals or turn a gas grill to medium-high heat. Remove the lamb from the marinade, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove to a platter, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Serve hot with the cold Yogurt Mint Sauce.
• Place the scallions, mint, dill, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until it's a coarse paste. Add the yogurt, salt, and pepper and pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop.

DOLMADES WITH AVGOLEMENO SAUCE

Steps:

• Separate the grape leaves and place in a large bowl. (This will take a long time guessing 20 minutes.).
• Cover the leaves in boiling water and soak for 20 minutes.
• Drain the water and rinse leaves few times.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add onion, rice, and water.
• Cover and simmer until rice is HALF cooked, about 8 minutes.
• Drain off and discard any liquid.
• Add garlic to rice mixture.
• Mix the onion/rice mixture, ground meat, tomato puree, feta, lemon zest, green onions, dill, mint salt and pepper in a large bowl.
• PREHEAT OVEN to 375 degrees.
• Take one leaf, shiny side down, cut off the stem, and place 1 teaspoon of the mixture at the bottom (stem) end of the leaf. (If you want a bigger amount, put 1 tablespoon of filling in.).
• Fold both sides of the leaf towards the center, roll up from the broad bottom to the top, and place into a 4 QUART POT.
• Repeat with all leaves, rolling tightly- leaving no gaps as leaves are placed in pot (to prevent from opening while cooking). Put onto tray.
• Repeat until all of the filling is used up.
• Put leftover leaves in bottom of baking dish.
• Place stuffed grape leaves into a baking dish in layers, squeeze them gently, pack tightly into container, and just cover with chicken stock-might be too much stock. WEIGH DOWN BY placing a heavy oven proof plate inside casserole directly on top of dolmades-weigh that down with another oven proof weight.
• Bake in a 375 degrees F oven for about 1 hour, check to see if rice is done. You do NOT want it to be a rolling boil or they will burst open.
• Whisk the eggs in bowl over a small pan of simmering water until frothy, about 3 minutes.
• Slowly pour in the lemon juice while whisking.
• Gradually add some of the hot but not boiling liquid from the baking dish-guessing about 5 tablespoons- and continue whisking until it thickens.
• Mix most of the avgolemeno sauce into the dish with the dolmades reserving some for garnish.
• Serve the dolmades garnished with the reserved avgolemeno sauce and some chopped dill and or mint.

YOGURT MINT SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, and stir well to combine. Sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead; store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

PINE NUT DOLMADES WITH YOGURT-FETA DIP

Steps:

• For pine nut dolmades:
• Place tomatoes with their juice in large bowl. Add next 7 ingredients and mix to blend. Season with salt and pepper.
• Rinse grape leaves under cold water. Drain. Cover bottom of heavy large Dutch oven with grape leaves (about 6). Place 1 grape leaf on work surface, vein side up; cut off stem. Place about 1 tablespoon rice mixture in center of leaf toward stem end. Fold sides over filling. Starting at stem end of leaf, roll up tightly as for egg roll. Place in Dutch oven, seam side down. Repeat with more leaves and rice mixture, layering dolmades when bottom of pot is filled.
• Pour lemon juice over dolmades. Cover with grape leaves (about 6). Add enough water to pot so that dolmades are almost covered. Place heatproof plate atop dolmades to weigh down. Cover pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer until rice is tender almost all liquid is absorbed, about 35 minutes.
• Remove from heat; uncover. Allow dolmades to cool in pot. Drain any liquid remaining in pot. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead, Cover and chill.) Arrange dolmades on platter. Serve with Yogurt-Feta dip.
• Yogurt-Feta dip:
• Place all ingredients in processor and puree until almost smooth. Season with pepper. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
• Makes about 1 1/2 cups.