Dolmathes

[LindaNY]

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup raw rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, flat leaf if available
1/4 teaspoon dried mint, crumbled
1 egg
1/4 cup beef broth or water
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
Salt and pepper
1 jar preserved grape leaves or about 50 fresh

Egg & Lemon Sauce (Avgolemono)
2 eggs
Juice of one lemon


Combine meat, rice, onion, parsley, mint, egg, and broth or water, butter and a little satl and pepper.

Rinse grape leaves well to remove brine. Pick out the best leaves to stuff. Any broken leaves should be used to line the bottom of the pan.
Place about 1 tablespoon filling in the center of a grape leaf, shiny side down. Roll up, tucking sides in.

Arrange the dolmathes side by side, close together in a heavy 2 quart saucepan, (not aluminum) making more than one layer if necessary.

Cover with a heavy heat-proof plate. This is important, if you skip the plate, the dolmathes tend to fall apart, Pour in water to barely cover dolmathes. Cover pan; bring to boil; lower heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Sauce: Beat eggs well; gradually beat in lemon juice. Pour off about 1 cup of hot broth from dolmathes. Beat the broth into the egg mixture. Remove plate from top of dolmathes. Gradually pour the egg mixture into pan; tipping pan to blend the egg mixture with remaining broth in pan.
Cover pan; remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature

[AnnB]

Linda this sounds really good, I love stuffed grape leaves but I hate the time it takes to make them so I have not made then for years and years. I have two questions about this recipe

I know it won't be the same BUT can cabbage be used in place of the grape leaves? Cabbage is easier to find and less expensive than grape leaves.

I also wonder about the raw rice, how does it expand when rolled up so tightly? And is an hour always enough time for the rice to cook?

And has the price of lemons gone up in your part of the country like they have here? 1.00 each!!!!

This is my second post today so I am going to make this one a two for one as my last one was

Did you ever get a response from Sunbeam about the pie maker?

[Blossom/Jackie W.]

Does sound slightly similar to stuffed cabbage rolls.... slightly.

I wouldn't know "where" to find grape leaves though it does sound good Linda

[LindaNY]

Ann, Grape leaves give the best flavor but you might try cabbage.

Try googling "How and When to pick grape leaves" in your area.

We used to pick them all the time and dry them for later use. It's been years, but it can be done.

The rice will be just fine. Again, just be sure to use the heavy, heat proof plate on top of them.
If you are worried about the rice being done, cook them another half hour and then test one.

Oh yes, every thing has gone up in price, but it always does.

Get a bottle of Real Lemon or the store brand of bottled lemon juice.

Jackie, Grape leaves are located in the ethnic section of large grocery stores or where you find the olives, pickles and such.

As I told Ann, you can pick them too.

Oops, Ann I almost forgot... Not a word from Sunbeam. I searched and searched the internet and none of the Sunbeam retailers carry them. The closest thing to a pie maker is their Sandwich maker.
One retailer in Australia carries them, but told me they don't ship to the US,

[LindaNY]

Ah HA!! Look at what I found. It won't be long till spring. We can all stock up on those grape leaves FREE.

middleeasterncuisine.suite101.com/blog.cfm/gathering_grape_leaves

[Blossom/Jackie W.]

I googled for wwild grape leaves in nova scotia....nothing yet. I'll check again.

[cocojax]

lindamt said:

Ann, Grape leaves give the best flavor but you might try cabbage.

Try googling "How and When to pick grape leaves" in your area.

We used to pick them all the time and dry them for later use. It's been years, but it can be done.

The rice will be just fine. Again, just be sure to use the heavy, heat proof plate on top of them.
If you are worried about the rice being done, cook them another half hour and then test one.

Oh yes, every thing has gone up in price, but it always does.

Get a bottle of Real Lemon or the store brand of bottled lemon juice.

Jackie, Grape leaves are located in the ethnic section of large grocery stores or where you find the olives, pickles and such.

As I told Ann, you can pick them too.

Oops, Ann I almost forgot... Not a word from Sunbeam. I searched and searched the internet and none of the Sunbeam retailers carry them. The closest thing to a pie maker is their Sandwich maker.
One retailer in Australia carries them, but told me they don't ship to the US,

Hi linda and Ann you can purchase them on ebay, not sure what the shipping charges are, but they are there 2 and 4 pie makers. Look under Sunbeam Magic Pie Makers....

[AnnB]

Linda I have a deal for you .....you send me grape leaves and I will send you banana leaves so you can do Polynesian cooling . I don't think grapes grow here in South Florida. We lost lots and lots of the citrus trees here due to the Citrus Canker outbreak, and the two hurricanes a few years ago also took some of the trees.

I know cabbage leaves are not a good substitute .... you can whamp me on the side of the head for my blaspheme.

Jackie, I think you will be able to find the grape leaves. It may take a little searching but they are not that uncommon. Do you have any gourmet food stores close by? They are really nothing like cabbage, a unique flavor.

Just as well, I guess, that the machine is not carried in the US, I really don't need another appliance for me to find space for....many I have purchased I I only use on rare occasion.

[AnnB]

Coco thanks for the suggestion but the shipping to the US is $21.00, and that is about what I was hoping it would be selling for . Then there may be the problem of the electricity. I remember, many years ago, it you were traveling to a foreign country from the US you need a converter to use you hair dryer

I did have to laugh when Larry suggested that the US or Canada might not be getting as many imports from China as NZ!!! I don't know about Canada, but in the us if something is not made in China it is a shock. On occasion you will see something that has been manufactured in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Then there is that may of the large, well known. "All American" companies have their phones answered in India and the Philippines.

[collette Adams]

AnnB said:

Linda this sounds really good, I love stuffed grape leaves but I hate the time it takes to make them so I have not made then for years and years. I have two questions about this recipe

I know it won't be the same BUT can cabbage be used in place of the grape leaves? Cabbage is easier to find and less expensive than grape leaves.

I also wonder about the raw rice, how does it expand when rolled up so tightly? And is an hour always enough time for the rice to cook?

And has the price of lemons gone up in your part of the country like they have here? 1.00 each!!!!

This is my second post today so I am going to make this one a two for one as my last one was

Did you ever get a response from Sunbeam about the pie maker?