Dolmades stuffed with quinoa and brown rice might just be a perfect food. Sometimes called dolmas or stuffed grape leaves, by any name they are healthy, delicious, inexpensive, and easy to make. Perfect for parties, potlucks and if you eat kinyiot, Passover too.
I love dolmades and often order them when we eat at Greek or Middle Eastern restaurants. My friend Ken’s mother taught me to make dolmades several years ago. She’s Armenian and called them simply “grape leaves,” but she’s an amazing cook and her recipes are always simply prepared but tasty. My version of dolmades is a bit spicier than hers, but I think she’d approve. A sauce called avgolemono (a Greek lemon-egg sauce) is often served with dolmades, but I prefer a yogurt-based sauce called tzatziki (recipe follows).
The dolmades I’ve had in the past have always been stuffed with either ground meat, rice, or a combination of the two. Last week, I was asked to contribute to a potluck at work, and since several of my co-workers are vegetarians, I decided to go with the meatless version of dolmades– to make them a bit healthier; I added quinoa to the mix. Since I had a little bit of leftover quinoa in the pantry, this was a good excuse to use it up. Oh! I almost forgot to mention that the dolmades can be made a couple of days in advance.
uncooked quinoa on the left, uncooked brown rice on the right
Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) looks like a grain, but it’s actually related to spinach and beets and is therefore okay for Passover, according to many Rabbis. Quinoa is cooked like rice, has a mild, nutty, vegetal flavor and a somewhat fluffy texture. It’s also very nutritious. One cup of cooked quinoa has 5 grams of soluble fiber, 8 grams of protein and 15% of your daily allowance of iron.
A few comments about the recipe.
- You can use fresh grape leaves, but they have to be picked, stemmed and then blanched — that’s a hassle! I use grape leaves from a jar. Grape leaves can be found in many supermarkets and in most Middle Eastern markets. I like Orlando brand because they are kosher and are usually available around Passover with a Kosher for Passover hechser. I buy mine at a local Halal butcher shop near my house.
- Don’t get too caught up in precise measurements for the rice or the quinoa. This is a great recipe for using up leftover rice. If you have a little too much or not quite enough, don’t worry about it. This is cooking and not baking, so precise measurements aren’t required. Nothing terrible will happen.
- Short grain brown rice makes for a moist and chewy filling (but long or medium grain will work just fine). The filling will be a bit looser with white rice but just as tasty.
- You can easily adapt these for carnivores (a club to which I proudly belong) by adding 8 ounces of raw ground meat to the filling. You can also add 8 ounces of TVP (such as Go Lean), if you are a member of the fake meat eater club. Either of these options makes the dolmades a bit heartier and more filling.
Dolmades Stuffed w/ Brown Rice and Quinoa
Makes approx 40
1 16oz jar of grape leaves, drained and rinsed
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons dried currants (or chopped raisins)
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ½ cups of cooked quinoa
1 ½ cups of cooked short grain brown rice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 lemon, sliced (use the one you grated for zest!)
1 14.5oz can tomato sauce
Filling:
- In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add onions and cook for a few minutes until they become somewhat translucent.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes or until the paste begins to deepen in color
- Add garlic, currants, lemon zest, parsley, mint, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes or until you can smell the garlic and the herbs are wilted.
- Remove from heat and add the rice, quinoa, salt and pepper.
- Allow the mixture to cool so you can handle it without burning your fingers.
Stuffing the Grape Leaves:
- Rinse and drain the leaves then lay them on a clean dish towel, so you don’t make a mess on the counter
- Line the bottom and sides of a dutch oven or large sauce pan (with a lid) with grape leaves. Use the torn and undersized leaves first. You’ll have plenty of leaves do don’t worry about running out.
- Lay out several grape leaves vein side up. Place a spoonful of the filling near the stem end of each leaf. Roll the bottom of the leaf up over the filling. Then fold in the sides to partially enclose the filling. Continue rolling to completely enclose the filling, forming a small packet.
- As you fill and roll the dolmades, lay them tip side down in the bottom of the pan in concentric circles. You can pack them in tightly. When one layer is complete, start a second layer right on top of the first.
Cooking the Dolmades:
- Pour the can of tomato sauce and one cup of water over the leaves. Lay the lemon slices over the top and cover with the remaining grape leaves.
- Put a plate over the top to weigh everything down. Put the lid on the pan.
- Set the pan on the stove and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour. After an hour, turn off heat and remove lid.
- Allow dolmades to cool to room temperature. Carefully pour off the liquid. Press lightly on the leaves to extract some of the excess liquid. Chill until completely cool.
Serve cold or at room temperature with tzatziki.
Tzatziki:
1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced fine
2 cups plain Greek style yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
½ tablespoon of chopped fresh mint or fresh dill (optional)
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
- Shred cucumber on a cheese grater or puree in a food processor.
- In a medium bowl, combine shredded cucumber and remaining ingredients. Stir until well combined. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
Eat Sylvia Eat 