Go Greek Tonight

Dolmades are a staple in many different cultures, like Greek, Turkish, and Arabic. This particular version is one I grew up with (being Greek) and is a vegetarian version. Rice and herbs are wrapped around jarred grape leaves and then simmered until they are tender and the rice is cooked. They are just as healthy as they are flavorful and can be served at room temperature or cold, making them great for get-togethers. If you want to play with this recipe, you can certainly add some ground beef or lamb (no need to cook it first) or you could make an avgolemono (egg-lemon) sauce to put on top.

Dolmades
(Makes about 25)

6-8 oz. jarred grape leaves (about 25 leaves)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 cup rice
2/3 cup broth + additional for cooking dolmades
1 lemon
3 Tbsp. chopped dill
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1/2 batch of avgolemono sauce (optional)
Additional lemon wedges for serving

Directions:
Cook the grape leaves in a large pot of boiling water for 5 or 6 minutes, or until pliable. Drain and cut off any tough stems.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the rice and stir until slightly toasted and coated in the oil. Stir in 2/3 cup vegetable or chicken broth and the juice of half a lemon. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the broth has been absorbed by the rice. Off the heat, stir in the dill and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place a grape leaf on your work surface, dull side up, with the stem at the bottom. Spoon about 1 Tbsp. of the rice mixture at the bottom of a grape leaf.  Fold up the bottom of the leaf, fold in each side, and then roll up, cigar style. Place in the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Continue doing this with the remaining grape leaves, placing the rolled dolmades in a single layer on the bottom of the Dutch oven, if possible, layering in concentric circles if necessary.

Add enough broth to come up about 2/3 of the way of the dolmades.* Squeeze in the juice from the other half of the lemon. Then, slice the lemon and place the lemon slices on top of the dolmades. Put an inverted plate over the dolmades (to keep them from coming up and unraveling). Bring the mixture to a boil, cover the Dutch oven, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until the dolmades are tender and the rice is cooked.

Make the avgolemono sauce, if desired. (If you plan on making avgolemono sauce, you will want to add enough liquid to come just above the top of the dolmades.)

Elly Kafritsas is what she refers to as a “generation 1.5 Greek”, whose mother was born in Greece and whose father was the first of his family born in the States. She cooks plenty of Greek food, but also loves experimenting with other flavors and cuisines, generally trying to keep things healthy. Elly is married with a 20 month old. In her spare (ha ha) time, she enjoys ogling Jon Hamm, loading up the DVR with too much TV, listening to music, and reading. Visit her blog at http://ellysaysopa.com.