Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmas)

The Wallaces's Note:

These are my own creation....my friends have raved about them at dinner parties! I combined my favorite aspects of two different stuffed grape leaves recipes to come up with this. They are a bit of work, but well worth the effort for a special occasion or dinner party! You could also add a medium onion, I don't because I don't like onions.

• Total Time: 2 hrs
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 6-8

Yield: 45.0 grape l ...

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup raw brown rice
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ lb ground beef, lamb or ½ lb turkey
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• 2 teaspoons dried dill
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon dried mint
• 1 pinch clove
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• ¼ cup currant
• grape leaves , 1 jar
• 3 lemons
• 1 ½ cups beef broth
• 1 cup tomato juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Heat oil over medium heat.
3. Add the rice and once it has absorbed the oil, add the chicken broth, soy sauce, and lemon juice.
4. Bring rice to a boil, stir, then lower heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed.
5. Remove rice from heat and keep covered.
6. While the rice is cooking:.
7. Cook meat in a skillet with allspice, dill, cinnamon, mint, cloves, pine nuts, and currants.
8. Slice lemons thinly. You will be placing the grape leaves between the lemon slices, so place a layer on the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish and save the other 1/2 for the top.
9. Rinse grape leaves and drain well. Cut the stems off.
10. When rice is done cooking:.
11. Combine rice with meat mixture.
12. Stuff grape leaves.
13. To stuff, place the grape leaves vein side up.
14. Put about 1 tbsp of filling at the stem end.
15. Close the sides of the leaf in first and then roll the grape leaf to the tip. Place in the casserole dish and repeat until grape leaves or filling runs out.
16. Put remaining lemon slices on top of the grape leaves.
17. Pour beef broth and tomato juice over the grape leaves.
18. Cover and bake at 350 for 1-1 1/4 hours.
19. Serve warm.