I love stuffed grape leaves served cold or at room temp. Following is recipe for stuffed grape leaves over Greek salad. I had this filed with my 9 days recipes, but the pareve version served with Feta Cheese in the salad or the fleischige version with no cheese in the salad makes a great cold Shabbos summer lunch.
Stuffed Grape Leaves with Greek Salad
Stuffed Grape Leaves (12 Servings)
Ingredients:
2 Cups uncooked long grain white rice
1 large yellow onion chopped fine
½ cup chopped fresh dill
½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 quarts vegetable broth (for pareve and to serve with Greek salad with Feta cheese, for fleischige use chicken broth)
¾ cup lemon juice (divided)
60 grape leaves drained and rinsed
1 cup olive oil (dark)
Hot water as needed
Note: if you want to make these fleischige add ½ lb ground lamb, 1 tsp allspice and reduce rice by ½ cup)
Directions:
1. In 3-4 quart saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the rice, onion, dill, and mint for about 5 minutes, or until onion is soft (but not browned). 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.
2. 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 spaces as leaves are placed in pot (to prevent from opening while cooking). Sprinkle with remaining lemon juice and with olive oil.
3. Pour broth over all to cover grape leaves. Cover pot and simmer gently for about 1 hour (do not boil, because this will cause the stuffing to burst out of the leaves). Remove from heat, remove cover and let cool for 1/2 hour, then refrigerate.
Greek Salad 12 servings
Ingredients:
2 heads Romaine Lettuce, rinsed drained and chopped
2 red onions, sliced thin
2- 6 ounce cans pitted black olives, or ½ pound of your favorite dark olives that have been packed in brine
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 red bell peppers seeded and chopped
2 cucumbers, sliced
4 large tomatoes, chopped
2 cups crumbled Feta cheese
¾ cup olive oil (light color)
2 Tsp dried Oregano
Juice of 2 lemons
Ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
In a large bowl combine lettuce, onions, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives (drained) and cheese.
Whisk together olive oil, oregano, lemon juice and black pepper.
Pour dressing over salad and toss. Arrange on large serving platter or individual plates. Add stuffed grape leaves that have been removed from refrigerator for about 1 hour.
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