Stuffed Grape Leaves - Dolmathes
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Vegan - Vegetarian Recipe Book

How Mary and Frank and Friends Eat
"We are dedicated to cruelty free living through a vegetarian - vegan lifestyle."
"Let no animal die that we may live!"

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Grape Leaves, Stuffed (Dolmathes)
Makes about 80 rolls

Ingredients

2 lb. jar Grape Leaves, in brine

Stuffing Ingredients

3 cups Rice, brown, uncooked
1 Onion, medium to large size
1 Lemon, whole
1/4 cup Parsley (4-5 large sprigs)
2 tbsp. Mint Leaves, dried

Baking Sauce Ingredients

1 cup Lemon Juice
1 cup Water
1-1/2 tbsp. Corn Starch
(To enlarge the above photo of the stuffed grape leaves, click on the photo or link)

Preparation

The recipe ingredients are based upon stuffing all the grape leaves contained in one 32 oz. (2 lbs.) jar of grape leaves.  If you use a smaller jar of grape leaves, reduce the other ingredients proportionately.

Begin by washing and peeling the onion.  Cut the onion into chunks and place in the container of your blender with 1 cup of water.  If you are using an organically grown lemon, wash and cut the lemon, remove the seeds, and place the lemon pieces including the rind in the blender container.  If the lemon was not organically grown, we suggest that you lightly peel or scrape off the yellow color.  Wash and clean the parsley and add to the blender container, along with the mint leaves.  Cover the blender container and run at high speed until all the ingredients are thoroughly chopped.  Stop the blender and note the quantity of liquid in the container.

Pour the blender contents, with sufficient additional water to make a total of six cups, into a covered 2-1/2 quart or larger pot.  Bring to a boil, add the three cups of brown rice, cover, and reduce the heat to simmer.  Cook until all the liquid is absorbed into the rice.  Stir a few times during the cooking process to ensure that all the ingredients are mixed with the rice.  When the rice is cooked, remove from the heat and set aside.

In a jar, the grape leaves are usually packed in rolls.  Very carefully remove one of the rolls from the jar, place in a broad bowl and carefully unwrap the roll.  Fill the bowl with water and then pour off the water to remove the excess salt from the grape leaves.  Add more water to the bowl to make it easier to separate the grape leaves.

Take one leaf, and with the stem end of the leaf towards you, open it up on a plate.  Place a rounded teaspoon of the rice stuffing in the center of the leaf near the stem end.  We do this as a team effort, with one of us opening one leaf on one plate and the other one forming the stuffed grape leaf on another plate. Then we switch plates and repeat the operation.  (To enlarge the photo of the stuffed grape leaf preparation, click on the photo or link)

Then carefully fold the left side over the stuffing, as shown in the photo.  (To enlarge the photo of the stuffed grape leaf preparation, click on the photo or link)

Repeat with the right side of the leaf, making sure the sides are parallel and the same width apart.  (To enlarge the photo of the stuffed grape leaf preparation, click on the photo or link)

Now fold up the end of the grape leaf nearest to you over the stuffing, and roll the grape leaf and stuffing firmly away from you to complete the stuffed grape leaf.  (To enlarge the photo of the stuffed grape leaf preparation, click on the photo or link)

With the open end of the leaf down to prevent the leaf from unraveling, firmly pack each stuffed grape leaf into a large covered ceramic or glass baking dish.  When all the stuffed grape leaves are in the baking dish, thoroughly mix the lemon juice, water, and corn starch together and heat until the cornstarch is dissolved and the liquid thickens.  Pour the lemon sauce over the stuffed grape leaves, and bake in a microwave or conventional oven until most of the liquid is absorbed.  It takes us about 1/2 hour in the microwave (high setting).  (To enlarge the photo of the stuffed grape leaves, click on the photo or link)

When the stuffed grape leaves are baked, remove from the oven and serve hot, or let them cool and serve cold. 

Enjoy!

The above recipe is in keeping with God's creation intent (Genesis 1:29-31):  'Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.  And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground-- everything that has the breath of life in it-- I give every green plant for food." And it was so.   God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.' (NIV)  Let no animal suffer or die that we may live!  (d-26)

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