Ever Have Grape Leaves?

Happy Thursday!  Ever have one of those days where the weather influences how you feel? It has been kind of dreary out lately and I’ve been in a bit of a slump all day. The house progress has been running along very smoothly which is such a positive. We pulled the trigger on the kitchen yesterday… kinda pumped yet slightly nervous.

So I believe I have a super special recipe/post for you today.  Not only do these grape leaves taste amazing, the overall technique is quite simple – however it can be tedious.

As you go through the ingredient list, you may notice that the filling is very familiar to the cabbage rolls.  Despite the filling being similar, the flavor is drastically different.  A tangy full flavor from the lemon with a nice balance from the grape leaves is an amazing combination. These grape leaves are a must try!

Ingredients

2 Bottles of Grape Leaves ( 480g Bottle)
2 1/2 lbs Lean Ground Beef
1-1/2 Cups Long Grain Brown Rice
3 Lemons
Salt and Pepper

Method

Combine ground beef, rice, salt and pepper in a large bowl and set aside.
Rinse leaves in water; separate and stem.
Starting in the center of each leaf, add meat mixture – then take the bottom of the leaf up over the meat, tuck in both sides and continue to roll.
Put into pot when finished and continue until all the leaves are complete.
Squeeze the juice of the 3 lemons over the grape leaves.

Slice the lemons in 2 and place on top of the pot.
Put small plate over leaves and add water to almost cover the leaves.
Place lid on pot and cook slowly on simmer for approximately 2-2 1/2 hours.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: By covering the leaves with a small plate it prevents the leaves from blowing up and getting all out of shape.

I am open to any questions you may have regarding both the recipe and the technique.  Have a great Thursday and if the weather is half decent today I will try and get some updated pictures on the house progress.  Stay tuned and keep smiling.

Take care

zesty

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