This was an intriguing challenge for me. I am not usually a fan of stuffed grape leaves. But I decided to give them a shot, to see if making my own might produce a product I liked better. Lori's one main requirement was that our leaves be stuffed with a rice-based filling. I chose to use brown rice, as I find it more flavorful and, honestly, it is what I keep around! I also added some chickpeas, sauteed onions and garlic and "spices."
Unfortunately, though, I encountered a bit of a snafu... My rolls unrolled themselves. I got a couple that stayed together, and got a photo, but most of them unraveled themselves. So we had un-stuffed grape leaves for dinner!
To accompany my Mediterranean feast I made some home made hummus (ok, chick pea spread... I didn't have tahini...) and some home made pita using the recipe from the Daring Cooks' mezze challenge. (I was not yet a Daring Cook then, but I hear great things about the recipe and decided it was worth a shot!)
Dinner was pretty good. I liked the stuffing, and we loved the pita and hummus. The grape leaves themselves? Not such a huge fan... But it was worth the attempt, and I am glad that I had the opportunity to try something which I otherwise never would have.
Thank you, Lori, for helping us learn something so new! It was a lot of fun! To see what my fellow Daring Cooks came up with, please look here!
Wow, it's great that you were able to use grape leaves. Love the fact that you used brown rice in your filling. Great job :)
ReplyDeleteUnravelled or not, these look yummy! Great job!
ReplyDeleteIt is great that you gave the challenge an honest attempt and that it was delicious un-stuffed. And yes the pita bread recipe is very good. Well done on this challenge. Cheers from Audax in Sydney Australia.
ReplyDeleteHooray! I'm glad you tried it! (My first set exploded all over the place, too, and I think it's because I didn't have them packed in tight enough on the pan. My successive attempts were better.)
ReplyDeleteI adore Michele's pita bread, and I hope you did, too. :)
Ah to bad they unraveled but they still looks amazing. Love the filling you made
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is an art form to tightly wrap the leaves without tearing them. I discarded any ripped leaves. Did you place a plate over the dolmehs after you put them in the pot? Not too much water and a low simmer for an hour. That's the way my family does it. I've had a few bombs with these challenges, too, but there's always the NEXT challenge to recharge your batteries!
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm missing something but your rolls looked pretty good to me! I love your process pictures. I've really got to get my ducks in a line and start taking pictures during the cooking/baking process too :) Can't wait for our next challenge!!!
ReplyDeleteYour filling sounds so delicious and I love the idea of serving them with the homemade pita and hummus. Yum!
ReplyDeleteIt's a pity your rolls unraveled. They were beautiful. Anyway they seem delicious and you did a great job at the end.
ReplyDeleteBravo to you for giving it a try. That is what I love about DC and DB. I am glad you enjoyed the chick pea spread. That is always delicious for me.
ReplyDeleteAgter reading your post, now I wish I had done the grape leaves. Everyone seems to agree that Lori's recipe changed their original opinions of them. Yours look fabulous, and I love that you (like Shelley C) served them with homemade pita and hummus! What yummy meal!
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