Stuffed vine leaves "Dolmadakia"

Stuffed vine leaves with ground beef and rice

It is a different flavor. It is true that not everyone likes them, especially if your first try is with preserved vine leaves which sometimes are very tough and leave the impression that chew a package along with its string!
But the fresh leaves are tender and melt in your mouth. Their sour taste raises the usually indifferent ground beef and make them memorable.
For a few days a year, April and May, when I find fresh leaves in the market, I wash, drain and put them in the freezer. From there directly to scalding and I have fresh leaves for another three months at least. I like to stuff them with a mixture of ground beef and rice but there is also the vegetarian alternative, only with rice.
For 4 people we need:250 grams of grape leaves
1 large onion, chopped1 1/2 cup of olive oil 1 cup of rice300 grams of ground beef1 shot of ouzo (optional)1 cup warm watersalt, pepper, a handful of fresh mint, choppedthe juice of a large lemon
Wash the leaves and add little by little in salted boiling water. Let stand 3 minutes, then put into a bowl with cold water. Once you finish the process put them in a colander until you prepare the filling.
In a small bowl put the minced meat, onion, rice, 1/2 cup oil, mint, salt, pepper and ouzo. Mix to make a mixture soft enough, and if necessary add a little water.
With a spoon take a bit stuffing and place on the base of the leaf. Fold both ends and then wrap them in a 
roll. The truth is that at the beginning it needs a little effort to get down to the point but after the 4th or 5th dolmadaki you'll have no problem.
We throw the remaining oil to the pot and place each dolmadaki in concentric circles from the outside to the center. Depending on our pot we will make one or two layers.
Sprinkle with a little more oil to the surface and cover into the pot with a plate upside down. This will help to keep them firmly in place and not unfold with cooking. Add enough hot water to reach the middle of the dish, cover the pot and simmer for about half an hour.
Once ready, remove from heat and pour the lemon juice. Cover again and leave to cool completely. So it is better to start cooking early.
We can accompany with extra egg-lemon sauce or even with tzatziki.
Good appetite.

You can find the recipe in Greek here.
 

Spanakoryzo Avgolemono (Spinach Risotto with Egg-Lemon sauce)

This a controversial greek dish. People either love it or hate it. 

It is usually cooked in two versions, a simple spinach risotto on which we drizzle some lemon juice or with tomato juice and it’s definitely vegetarian. 

My version, however, is finished with avgolemono (egg-lemon sauce) which completely transforms it. I’d like to thank my aunt Lefki who made me change my mind about spanakoryzo with this recipe, and my son Chris, who helped me with the photos.

For 4 hungry people we’ll need:

- 1 cup olive oil

- 250 grams spinach leaves, coarsely chopped

- 1 finely diced dry onion

- 4 spring onions, chopped

- 1/2 cup chopped dill

- ½ cup chopped herbs, I use “kafkalithres” (Hartwort) and “mironia” (Venus’ comb)

- 200 grams rice for risotto (Arborio or Carolina)

- 2 large eggs, preferably organic

- 1 lemon

- 1 lit warm water

- salt, pepper

Put the olive oil in a large deep frying pan, add the diced onion and cook until tender. 

Add the chopped greens and stir lightly until they reduce in size and their juices are evaporated. 

Then add the rice and stir until it becomes opaque white. 

Add a glass of warm water and wait until it forms bubbles on the surface. Repeat this procedure until all the water is added. 

Season well, put a lid on the pan and turn down the heat. 

Let the rice simmer until it becomes as tender as you like. 

When we are satisfied with the texture of the rice, we check the remaining liquid in the pan. It must have the consistency of thick soup, otherwise add some more warm water. Taste the seasoning and take it off the heat. 

It’s time to make the avgolemono sauce.

Pour the sauce over the risotto and mix well with a wooden spoon. 

The risotto must have the consistency of rice pudding. 

Serve warm with some cheese.

Good apetite!

Avgolemono - Egg-Lemon sauce

This is a traditional greek sauce, very characteristic of winter recipes. It is usually added in the pot in recipes such as chicken soup but sometimes it is poured over the served food, such as in dolmades.
Basically you whisk the eggs with some salt and lemon juice and then you add some broth from the soup. Easy, isn't it? Then why do the greek cookers bear the same respect to this sauce as to mayonnaise?
Because as everything concerning raw eggs, it needs total devotion to the procedure and the temperature of the ingredients, or else... goodbye avgolemono, hello scrumbled eggs!
Rule of thumb, the raw ingredients must be at room temperature.

You'll need 2 large eggs or 3 small ones, the juice of one big lemon and a pinch of salt.

Now, the procedure.

While your food is near the end of cooking, start preparing the egg-lemon mixture.

Separate the egg whites and put them in a large bowl. Add a pinch of salt and using a whisk, beat them until nice and frothy.

Add one after the other the egg yolks and the lemon juice in a steady stream while continuing to whisk.
You will notice that the mixture thickens and becomes shiny.


Supposing that your food has finished cooking by now, so turn off the heat. Ladle carefully (it's boiling hot) about 1-2 cups of broth into a jug or large measuring cup. Slowly add the hot broth to the egg-lemon mixture  while continuing to whisk. This will temper the eggs and prevent them from curdling once they are added to the hot pot.
If you are using avgolemono as a condiment, your sauce is ready at this stage. Otherwise, stir the egg-lemon mixture into the pot and heat over very low heat for approximately 5- 10 minutes until heated through. Be careful not to boil it again once the eggs have been added.

Some people who like their soups or sauces quite thick, prefer to add 2 tbs of corn starch into the pot before they add the sauce. But with practice comes perfection, so if you make a good avgolemono then you won't need the corn starch.

Have a nice cooking day!

Recipes with avgolemono:
- Chicken soup
- Lamb with letuce (fricasse)
- Pork stew with leeks and celery
- Yiouvarlakia (Soup with meatballs)
- Dolmades (Stuffed grape leaves with rice or mince)
- Stuffed Courgettes
- Lahanodolmathes (Stuffed cabbage leaves)
- Mayiritsa (Traditional Greek Easter soup)
- Spanakoryzo (Spinach Risotto)