Another Greek Treat Dolmades!

I must be on a Hellenic kick because today I'm writing about another Greek food -dolmades - stuffed grape leaves. This ancient recipe is perfect for these modern times. It can be made as an appetizer or as a light dinner accompanying kabobs. They're easy to make as well and don't require a knack or even a family recipe.

Ironically enough dolmades comes from the Turkish word for stuffed, dolmek and means stuffed thing. Dolmeks could apply to any filled vegetable such as a hollowed out squash. In the Greek cuisine it means that the leaves are stuffed with a mix of lentils, long grained rice and currents. Spices such as cinnamon, dill and parsley are also added as are ground pine nuts. Dolma in the Arabic world can be varied from this. Most countries such as Turkey and Armenia add ground lamb along with onion, The spices differ as well. Allspice and black pepper are used to create a different flavor. Sometimes dried fruits such as dried figs and cherries are added to the meatless ones.

Making dolmades is relatively simple. You just have to parboil the packaged leaves to soften them and rid them of any brine left from packaging. This only takes two to three minutes. Don't throw away any torn or damaged leaves because they can be used to patch holes in torn dolmades. let them drain on paper towels . You then spread out the leaves with the shiny side down and put one to two tablespoons of stuffing in them . Roll and then tuck the ends inside so that the dolmades resemble small cigars. layer them two to three rolls high in a baking dish. Pour in a mix of lemon juice olive oil and water and cook over a medium heat for about forty five minutes to an hour. You can serve with a creamy yogurt cucumber dip or them plain.

Dolmades are an easy Greek treat that's fun to make and to eat. They serve as the perfect appetizers for parties or for a simple dinner with a salad. They are versatile as they are a cinch to create!