This easy, exotic Greek treat makes a fine appetizer, but it can also be enjoyed as a side dish with lunch or dinner. The raisins and mint give the rice a sweet and aromatic taste, and the simplicity of chive "ribbons" wrapped around the grape leaves dresses them up a bit. For hors d'oeuvres; use 36 leaves and 1 ½ tablespoons of filling for each leaf.
Food as Medicine - - Brown rice, which provides much of the stuffing in this recipe, is a significant source of manganese, a mineral that helps the body to produce a crucial antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase (SOD). SOD helps to protect mitochondria, the energy producing parts of cells, from free radical damage.
FILLING:
2 cups vegetable stock OR purified water
1 cup brown rice
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup grated radish
1/3 cup chopped scallions OR green onions
1/2 cup minced celery
3/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup currants OR yellow raisins
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch salt (optional)
1 Tbsp capers
36 grape leaves
1 bunch chives
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1. Bring the stock or water to a boil in a large pot. Add the rice and salt. Reduce heat and simmer, covered with a tight-fitting lid, for 45 minutes. All the water should be absorbed. Fluff the rice with fork.
2. Mix together the rice and all the other filling ingredients in a large bowl, tossing thoroughly with a spoon.
3. Rinse the grape leaves. Spread the grape leaves out and spoon 1½ tablespoons of the filling on the end of each leaf, and then roll up, folding the outer edges in.
4. Take three 5-inch-long chives and dip briefly in boiling water to make them more pliable. Tie them around each stuffed grape leaf.
5. Place the leaves in a small casserole dish and drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice over them. Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. Serve warm or cold.
Tips from Rosie's Kitchen: Grape leaves are not readily available fresh, so you will have to buy them bottled or canned. They are packed in brine, a salty solution that you'll want to rinse off before using. Gently lift the leaves out of the jar, lay them in a bowl, and run them under a soft stream of water, letting the water completely drench the leaves. To dry, lay the leaves in a colander and let them drain, or lay them on a flat surface and pat dry with a clean cloth.
Makes 36 grape leaves - 3 per person
Serves: 12
Nutrition per Serving: 110.9 Calories, 4.4g Fat, 0.7g Saturated Fat, 34.4% of calories from fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 2.5g Protein, 1.3g Fiber, 16.6g Carbs
From: THE HEALTHY KITCHEN - Recipes for a Better Body, Life, and Spirit by Andrew Weil, M.D and Rosie Daley (Knopf)
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