Dolmas Food

DOLMAS (STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES)

Steps:

• In a small bowl mix 1/2 cup chicken broth, beef, lamb, rice, onion, pine nuts, parsley, garlic and mint. Set aside.
• Gently rinse grape leaves and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange on a work surface with the shiny side down. Place 1 tablespoon meat mixture in the center of a grape leaf. Tuck in ends and roll tightly toward the leaf point. Repeat until meat mixture and leaves are used up.
• Arrange wrapped leaves, in layers, in a large sauce pan with seam side down. Cover leaves with remaining broth and the lemon juice. Weight leaves with a heavy plate to prevent opening.
• Cook over low heat 45 minutes.
• Serve with plain yogurt; garnish with lemon slices.

DOLMAS (STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions until tender. Stir in rice and hot water to cover. Cover and simmer until rice is half cooked, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in tomato paste, currants, pine nuts, cinnamon, mint leaves, dill weed, allspice and cumin. Let mixture cool.
• Prepare a large pot by placing an inverted plate on the bottom; this protects the dolmas from direct heat when steaming.
• Rinse grape leaves in warm water; drain and cut off any stems. Place about 1 teaspoon of the cooled rice mixture in the center of a leaf. Fold in the sides and then roll into a cigar shape. Place in prepared pot. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
• Pour in just enough warm water to reach the bottom of the first layer of dolmas. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, or until rice is totally cooked. Check the water level often and add more as necessary.

DOLMAS

Steps:

• Mix together the beef, lamb, rice, olive oil, salt, mint, parsley, pepper, oregano and onions. This is the filling. Next, rinse the grape leaves and separate in a colander. Place 2 to 3 grape leaves stem-side up on a work station; they should overlap each other. Place desired amount of filling in the center and roll, folding in the sides. Repeat with the remaining grape leaves and filling. Arrange tightly together in a stockpot. Once the stockpot is full, cut the lemons in half and put on top. Cover with beef stock and simmer until the rice is soft, 30 to 45 minutes.

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.

DOLMAS (STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES) RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Gently remove the grape leaves from their jar, then rinse each thoroughly under cold water, taking care not to rip the leaves. Pat the leaves dry and place on a cutting board.
• Using a small, sharp paring knife, remove the stems from the leaves.
• Cover with a paper towel and set aside.
• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil, adding the onion, garlic, parsley, and basil once the oil is hot. Stir continuously until the onion is soft and fragrant, about 6 minutes.
• Add the rice and pine nuts (if using) and sauté, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes longer.
• Add 4 cups of the vegetable broth and bring to a low boil. Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked, adding water if necessary.
• Add 1/3 cup of the lemon juice , stirring well to combine, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the pan from heat.
• Prepare a dry, clean workspace. Place one of the grape leaves, shiny side down, flat on your work surface. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling on the lower-middle portion of the leaf, right above where the stem used to be.
• Fold in the sides of the leaves over the center.
• Then roll the bottom of the leaf over the filling and continue to roll, holding the sides in, until you've rolled the dolma completely and no filling is visible.
• Place the dolma seam-side down in a large saucepan or pot that's big enough to fit all of the dolmas in a single layer.
• Repeat until all of the grape leaves are used, placing one dolma directly next to the other and leaving no space in between.
• Drizzle another 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the dolmas, followed by the remaining lemon juice.
• Pour the remaining 4 cups of vegetable broth over the grape leaves to cover.
• Cover the pot and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour (do not boil). Add water as necessary to keep grape leaves covered.
• Remove the pan from the heat, uncover, and let the dolmas cool in the liquid for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, gently transfer the dolmas to a serving dish. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and serve cold or at room temperature.

DOLMADES

Steps:

• Drain, rinse and dry grape leaves.
• Place off to the side.
• In a large bowl mix ground round, Lamb, salt, pepper, minced parsley, onion chopped, crushed or pressed garlic and Tabuli (or rice); mix well.
• Lay out one grape leaf stem up, place about 1 rounded tablespoon meat mixture near stem.
• Fold stem up over meat mixture fold one side leaf over mixture, fold top over then roll the rest but not tight.
• This is just like making a burrito.
• I use toothpicks to keep the stuffed leaves together.
• Place in at least 1 gal pot.
• Continue until all leaves are filled and snug in pot.
• If you run out of grape leaves that's okay, you can roll little balls of meat mixture and place in pot.
• Cover all stuffed leaves with chicken broth adding water if you don't have enough broth, more broth if you have it on hand (you can use just water if you want).
• Bring the broth to a boil then turn heat to low, simmer and cook covered until tender (pierced with a fork) about 30 minutes.
• Remove about 1 quart of broth from pot and let cool down a little.
• You want it hot just not scalding hot.
• In another bowl beat 4 eggs until frothy adding slowly juice from lemon.
• Take the warmed broth and add to the egg mixture slowly a 1/2 ladle at a time still beating the egg mixture.
• After all broth is mixed with egg & lemon slowly add to pot on stove.
• Cover the pot and turn flame off.
• Let sit for about 10 minutes then serve.
• I like it tart and rich so I use more eggs and lemon then the recipe calls for.
• You can experiment how many eggs and lemon you want for the egg lemon broth.
• Leftover broth in pot makes good Avgolemono (Egg Lemon soup).