How to make stuffed vine leaves

Stuffed Vine Leaves

Tis the season for harvest, and I have been busy.. busy.. busy!

Now this is the kitchen witch in me, I love my cooking, and even better still, I love to cook with the herbs and vegetables I have grown myself in my back garden. You can quite often hear me humming a tune as I am collecting and cooking away :)

Here are some freshly collected vine leaves 

As my heritage is Greek-Cypriot this dish is a popular one in my house. I always make more than I need, as I can freeze it for a later date. Its great as a starter and a yogurt dip, as part of a main meal. My kids just raid the fridge when they are hungry and pick one out and eat as a quick snack. Be creative with what you mix it with :)

For the rice ingredients:

2 cups rice

1 Onion

6 whole lemons (or however many you want for that lemony taste) 

olive oil

Mince ingredients:

1kg mince (whatever you prefer) 

2 plum tomato tins

1 onion

3 cloves garlic (optional)

teaspoon of cinnamon

tablespoon dried mint

salt, pepper to taste. 

Fresh Vine leaves,or if you don't have these to hand I have seen vine leaves inbrine being sold.

Method:

Start by washing your rice, and draining it from the water, whilst that is draining, chop up your onion and place it into a pan on a low heat with a little olive oil until soft. 

Take your rice and add it to the onions, stir the onions and oil into the rice until coated completely. 

Then add 4 cups of boiled water to the rice, at this point place it on the lowest heat setting available with the pan lid on. 

Juice your 6 lemons and add this to the rice.

Let the rice cook for about 12-15 mins or until the water has been completely been soaked up. Once this is done let it sit with the pan lid on to continue to soak up the moisture. 

For the mince.

Chop up your onions and garlic,and add to the pan with a little olive oil and cook until soft.

Then add your mince. Cook until the juices of the mince run clear and add your plum tomato, cinnamon, mint, salt, pepper. 

Let this cook on a medium to low heat until the juice has been reduced for about 15-20 mins. 

At the same time you will need to blanch your vine leaves for about 5 to 10 mins.

Once this is done you will need a big bowl, to mix the mince and the rice together this will be your stuffing.

Now take your vine leaves, making sure that the smooth side is facing downwards. Place a tablespoon to two tablespoonfuls of the stuffing in the center of each leaf. Taking the bottom of the leaf (the bit where the stalk was) and fold it upwards to about the center. Then take the left and the right side into the center. This creates the 'sides' to hold it all in. Now roll it up from the bottom to make a cylinder shape and place it into a pyrex dish. Do this will all the vine leaves you have available to hand. Any left over stuffing mixture can go in the freezer for future use. 

Now your Pyrex dish is full, pour over some warm water to about half and if you want add a few slices of lemon and tomatoes over the top. Cover the stuffed vine leaves with a couple of plates to hold them down and place into the oven for 20 mins to half hour. The leaves should darken in the oven ever so slightly. 

And there you have it!!

Total yummy goodness :)

Enjoy!

~Opal Storm )O(