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

Steps:

• Make the millet: Bring 2 1/4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the millet and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook the millet until it's tender and all the water has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and let sit, covered, for 15 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil, and fluff the millet with a fork. Serve warm or at room temperature. (The millet can be made and refrigerated, covered, up to 2 days ahead. Microwave just enough to take the chill off, about 2 minutes, stirring about halfway through.)
• Cook the sausage: While the millet cooks, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, and cook, stirring frequently and breaking up into smaller, bite-size pieces, until the sausage is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Make the yogurt-hummus sauce: Whisk together the yogurt, hummus, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon water, hot sauce and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.
• Assemble the tomato-pepper salad: Stir together the tomatoes, peppers, parsley and a pinch of salt in another small bowl.
• Build the bowls: Divide the millet evenly among 4 bowls. Make neat piles and/or rows of the sausage, tomato-pepper salad, pickled beets, grape-leaf coins, cucumbers, sauce. Sprinkle with some french-fried onions and za'atar and serve with a lemon wedge.

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.

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.

Steps:

• GRAPE LEAVES DIRECTIONS: Sauté onions and celery with 1 tablespoon butter, until wilted In a big bowl add ground meat, onion and celery, rice, mint, parsley, pine nuts (optional) and salt & pepper; mix well!
• Remove grape leaves from the jar and open up onto a big plate.
• Remove one leaf (the bigger the better) and place onto a flat surface; with the shiny side down.
• Place a small amount of the filling toward the stem side of the leaf and then roll up (tuck in the left and right side as you roll) toward the top of the leaf.
• Make sure you do not put to much filling in each one.
• Then place them in a Corningware dish or sauce pan as noted below.
• In a large Corningware dish (or saucepan) grease the bottom with a little oil and then line the bottom with some of the smaller grape leaves.
• Place some of the smaller grape leaves in the dish/pan.
• Put into the dish/pan the rolled grape leaves and arrange in layers with each grape leaf close together.
• Add chicken stock, juice of 1 lemon, dry wine and remaining tablespoons of butter.
• In order to prevent the grape leaves from opening up during cooking, place a small flat Corningware plate on top of the grape leaves.
• Then place the Corningware glass cover upside down and onto the small flat plate.
• Cook, simmer on a low heat for about 1 hour.
• While cooling make the Egg-Lemon Sauce; See directions below.
• Place several grape leaves on a dish and then pour some of the hot Egg-Lemon Sauce on top.
• Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
• EGG-LEMON SAUCE DIRECTIONS: Lightly beat 2 egg yolks with 1/4 cup water.
• Squeeze juice from 2 lemons and add water for a total of 3/4 cup liquid.
• Add salt.
• Heat oil in a small pan and then add the cornstarch stirring; add a little of the lemon juice/water to prevent it from becoming lumpy.
• Next add a little of the lemon juice/water until smooth, then gradually add all the liquid and continue stirring until smooth.
• Remove from the heat for about 1 minutes.
• Then gradually add the beaten egg yolks stirring/whisk until smooth (Keep in mind that heating will cause the eggs to set, which you don't want to do).
• NOTE: The next day the grape leaves will taste even better, when heated up in a frying pan and then served with the Egg-Lemon Sauce.
• Or Microwave the grape leaves with some of the Egg-Lemon Sauces on top, prior to heating.

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.