Meat Stuffed Grape Leaves With Yogurt Sauce Adapted From Nancy Harmon Jenkins The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook Recipes

STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES (WITH MEAT)

Steps:

• In 1/3 cup hot oil in 12-inch skillet, saute onion and green onion, stirring until golden - 5 minutes. Add lamb; cook, stirring until lamb is no longer pink - 10 minutes. Add rice, nuts, dill salt, pepper and 3/4 cup water. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes, until water is absorbed.
• Remove from heat. Turn into bowl to cool 30 minutes before stuffing grape leaves. Meanwhile, separate grape leaves. Rinse well in cold water to wash away any brine. Dry well on paper towels. Use imperfect leaves for layering evenly in the bottom of the skillet.
• Lay leaves, shiny side down, on flat surface.Put 1 tablespoon lamb mixture in center of each leaf; fold sides over filling; roll up, starting from narrow end. Do not roll too tightly; rice needs room to expand. Fill skillet with closely fitted layers of stuffed leaves.
• Pour lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 cup cold water over them. Put heavy plat, upside down, on top to prevent leaves from unrolling. Bring to boiling; simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed - 30 minutes. Cool in skillet, if serving cold as an appetizer.
• With slotted utensil, lift out of liquid onto serving plate.
• If serving warm with egg-and-lemon sauce: In small saucepan over direct heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Remove from heat; stir in 3 tablespoons flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt; mix until smooth.
• Stir in 1 can chicken broth and 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Cook over low heat, stirring, until boiling. In small bowl, beat 4 egg yolks slightly; beat in small amount of hot mixture. Slowly return to pan, stirring until thick. Remove from heat. Makes 2 cups.

MY OWN FAMOUS STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the rice, onion, dill, and mint for about 5 minutes, or until onion is soft. Pour in 1 quart of broth, reduce heat to low and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until rice is almost cooked. Stir in 1/2 of lemon juice and remove from heat.
• Take one leaf, shiny side down, and place 1 teaspoon of the rice mixture at the bottom (stem) end of the leaf. 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, leaving no gaps as leaves are placed in pot (to prevent from opening while cooking). Sprinkle with remaining lemon juice and with olive oil.
• Pour chicken broth over all to cover grape leaves. Cover pot and simmer for about 1 hour (do not boil, because this will make the stuffing burst out of the leaves). Remove from heat, remove cover and let cool for 1/2 hour. Transfer to serving dish and serve.

STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES (WITH MEAT) RECIPE - (4.4/5)

Steps:

• Remove grape leaves from brine. Rinse, then soak in cold water to remove some of the saltiness of the brine. Soak the rice for 10 minutes in hot water and drain. (Alternatively, sauté the rice with the onion. I prefer to do this.) Sauté the onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until translucent, not browned. In a bowl, combine the onions, ground beef, rice, remaining olive oil, dill, mint,cumin,turmeric, lemon juice, and pepper. Mix well by hand. Gently separate one leaf and place it shiny side down on a work surface. Trim larger stems off with sharp knife. Place a pinch (up to a teaspoon) of the filling on the leaf at the point where the stem joined the leaf. Fold up the bottom of the leaf over the filling, then each side inward in parallel folds, and roll up the leaf. Roll should be firm, not tight, as the filling will expand during cooking. Repeat until all the filling has been used. I use a dolmade roller to make this much easier and quicker. Because the leaves on the bottom can burn while the filling cooks, put a plate or wooden skewers in the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pot (see tip below). The plate should fit as closely as possible to the sides. If there are unused leaves, or leaves that were torn and not used during the filling process, put them on the plate or on top of the skewers. Place the stuffed leaves on top, packing them closely together (not squashed), seam side down, so they don't unroll during cooking. Layer them until all are in the pot (2-3 layers is best, but no more than 4 layers). Place several unused leaves over the top. Take another plate and place it upside down on top of the stuffed leaves, with something to weight it down (a second plate works well). Add 2 cups of beef stock or water to the pot and cover. Bring the beef stock or water to a gentle boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for approximately 50-70 minutes. (Note: if using water, add additional 3/4 cup lemon juice to the water for flavor. I much prefer beef stock). Check to see if done. If the rice has cooked, they are done. If not, continue cooking for another 10 minutes and check again. Cooking time depends both on the type of pot used and the particular stovetop element. (I have also done these in the crock pot on high for a couple of hours). If preferred, use a pressure cooker. No plates needed, but do use the skewers in the bottom. Pack the stuffed grape leaves into the pressure cooker, add the 2 cups of water, close and cook for 15-20 minutes at the first pressure mark. Serving: Individual servings of stuffed grape leaves are 4-5 pieces on small plates as an appetizer, however they can also be used as a side or main dish. Serve them warm or at room temperature with avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce), lemon wedges, tzatziki, or unflavored yogurt on the side. If I have time, I make tzatziki; otherwise Fage makes a good one. Storage: These will keep well in the refrigerator for about 5 days. Return to room temperature before serving. Drizzle olive oil on top and cover to store. They can also be frozen. If you do freeze, reheat in the microwave or by steaming and serve warm. Don't just thaw and eat. Tips: 1.If you don't have a plate that fits or skewers, line the bottom of the pan with unused or torn leaves. 2.Leftover filling can be used to make stuffed vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and eggplant. 3.To make as a main course, use larger grape leaves and increase the amount of filling in each leaf to 1 tablespoon.

MEAT-STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES WITH YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan of boiling water scald 36 grape leaves in batches. Use a slotted spoon to remove leaves, then plunge them into a bowl of ice-water. When cool enough to handle, cut off stems. Pat leaves dry and place shiny-side down on paper towels while you prepare filling. In a skillet, heat onion and oil over medium heat, stirring, until tender. Spoon onion and oil into a small bowl. In same skillet cook lamb, breaking apart clumps with a fork, until lamb is no longer pink. Pour lamb into a sieve to drain fat. In skillet combine lamb, onion and rice. Stir to coat rice with juices. Add tomatoes and 1/4 cup of the stock and cook 10 minutes, or until rice has absorbed liquids. Stir in allspice, herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and let sit 10 minutes. In center of grape leaf place 1 teaspoon of lamb mixture and fold sides over; roll up into a tight cylinder. Repeat with remaining leaves. In bottom of a large casserole, arrange 2 layers of stuffed leaves and sprinkle with lemon juice. Pour remaining broth over stuffed leaves to cover. (Add more water if necessary.) Top with a weighted heat-proof plate to submerge stuffed leaves. Bring casserole to a simmer over medium heat, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 35 minutes, or until rice is tender. Serve stuffed grape leaves hot with a spoonful of Yogurt sauce. Yield: 6 servings Yogurt Sauce: In a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a bowl let 1 1/2 cups yogurt drain overnight, refrigerated. Chop 2 garlic cloves with salt to taste until it forms a paste. In a small bowl, combine yogurt and garlic paste, stirring well to mix. Yield: About 1 cup Recipe by: TASTE SHOW #TS4604

STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; salt it only if you're using fresh leaves. Blanch the leaves, a few at a time, for about a minute-or until they're tender-if they're fresh, just 15 seconds or so if they're bottled. Rinse under cool water. Remove any thick stems.
• To stuff, put a leaf, vein (bottom, or dull) side up, on a counter or cutting board. Put a tablespoon or so of filling in the center of the leaf, near the stem. Fold over the sides, then roll up from the stem end, making a little package; you'll quickly get the hang of it. Don't roll too tightly-the mixture will expand as it cooks. Put each finished package on a plate, seam side down.
• If you have any unused leaves, put them in the bottom of a wide deep skillet or flameproof casserole with a lid. Add the stock to the pot, along with a large pinch of salt and the lemon juice. Arrange the stuffed leaves in the pot, seam sides down, packing them as tightly together as is necessary; if you have to layer them, that's fine too. Drizzle about half the olive oil over all, then cover with a plate (this helps the rolls maintain their shape). Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes, checking once or twice just to make sure there is still liquid in the pan (if it is running low, add a little boiling water).
• Turn off the heat. (If you wish to serve the grape leaves hot, see the headnote.) Let cool to room temperature, then remove the rolls, put them on a plate, cover, and chill. (They may remain in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.) Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, sprinkle with a bit of pepper and mint, and serve with lemon wedges.