Quinoa Stuffed Vine Leaves Recipes

QUINOA-STUFFED VINE LEAVES

Steps:

• Oven 350.
• Combine quinoa, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, parsley, oregano, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a med. sized bowl.
• Carefully separate vine leaves.
• Place each leaf, shiny side down and stem towards you on a work surface.
• Put 1 tablespoons stuffing near the bottom of the leaf.
• Fold the bottom and sides inward to cover filling.
• Roll tightly toward tip of leaf.
• Pack tightly, seam-side down, into baking dish.
• Pour boiling water into the dish.
• Cover with a plate to keep leaves from unrolling during cooking.
• Bake until quinoa is tender, about 30 minutes.
• Drain and serve with lemon wedges and Balkan-style yoghurt.
• I usually rinse the quinoa first and allow to dry or pat dry.
• Preparation time depends on how fast you can put this together and at first it can be slow so timing is very approximate.

QUINOA-STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Bring chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add quinoa and seafood seasoning. Season with black pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
• While the quinoa is cooling, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 chopped onion, bell pepper, and garlic; saute until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
• Transfer the onion mixture to a blender and puree until paste-like, adding water as needed.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Set mushroom caps aside for later, and add stems to the skillet with the remaining onion. Saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Prepare stuffing by combining cooled quinoa, 4 tablespoons onion puree, onion-mushroom mixture, olives, spinach, arugula, and jalapeno peppers in a bowl; mix until well combined.
• Stuff quinoa mixture into the reserved mushroom caps and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until stuffing is hot and cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.

STUFFED VINE LEAVES

Steps:

• Vine leaves in jars are available at many specialty shops. As they are packed in brine, be certain to wash them well before using. Remove the stem. If you use fresh vine leaves, soak them in olive oil to cover for 24 hours. Blanch for 2 minutes in boiling water.
• Combine the cooked rice, raw meat, nuts, raisins and salt and pepper. Bind with the egg. Form into tiny balls and place one on each vine leaf. Fold and roll so that the stuffing is firmly enveloped. (If you place the ball in the center, and fold in the side points and then roll, the envelope will stay intact.)
• Place the stuffed leaves in a skillet with olive oil, a little lemon juice and water to half cover. Cook gently for 15-20 minutes, turning carefully two or three times during the cooking. Remove to a rack covered with absorbent paper, or cool in the pan.
• Serve cold with a little of the cooking liquid and a dusting of thyme, or serve with yoghurt and a sprinkling of thyme and parsley.

STUFFED VINE LEAVES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Wash the vine leaves thoroughly, then put in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Boil for 15 mins, then drain.
• Put the oil in a medium, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 6-7 mins until translucent. Increase the heat and add the beef, frying for about 5 mins or until browned. Add the stock, tomatoes, purée and rice. Stir together, then add the cinnamon, mint, lemon juice and 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper. Check the seasoning, stir to combine, then remove from the heat.
• To stuff the vine leaves, lay a leaf on a chopping board, shiny-side down. Cut off and discard any stems. At the point where the stem was, add 1 heaped tsp of the mixture. Fold the bottom of the leaf up and over the filling, then fold the sides inwards and the top down, and continue to roll up. Repeat with the remaining filling and leaves.
• Line the base of a deep, ovenproof dish with any remaining vine leaves, then tightly pack the stuffed leaves into the dish. Pour over 140ml water and cover with foil. Cook for 1 hr, until the rice is cooked. You can also freeze the filled vine leaves. Cook these from frozen for 90 mins until piping hot and the rice is thoroughly cooked.

QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a deep baking dish with aluminum foil.
• Mix quinoa and water together in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until quinoa is tender and water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic until fragrant and slightly translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add zucchini, eggplant, and tomato; cook until slightly tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir tomato sauce into vegetable mixture; cover and simmer until vegetables have softened, about 10 more minutes.
• Stir quinoa into vegetable mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Fill bell peppers with quinoa-vegetable mixture. Place peppers in prepared baking dish. Cover dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until bell peppers are slightly tender, about 18 minutes. Remove aluminum foil cover; sprinkle peppers with mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is bubbling and melted, about 5 more minutes.