Recipe courtesy of Voula's Offshore Cafe
Voulas Offshore Cafe Stuffed Grape Leaves
- Level: Easy
- Yield: about 10 to 20 appetizers
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 10 servings
- Calories
- 279
- Total Fat
- 16
- Saturated Fat
- 6
- Carbohydrates
- 21
- Dietary Fiber
- 6
- Sugar
- 5
- Protein
- 14
- Cholesterol
- 40
- Sodium
- 382
- Total: 1 hr 35 min
- Prep: 20 min
- Inactive: 15 min
- Cook: 1 hr
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, finely diced
1/2 cup rice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves
1/4 cup freshly chopped dill
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 jar grape leaves
Water
1/4 stick butter
For the lemon sauce:
3 cups chicken broth (we use water and chicken soup base to make a strong chicken flavor)
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
2 egg whites, whipped to soft peak
1/4 cup lemon juice
Directions
- In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add the oil. Once heated, add: ground beef, onions, rice and garlic and saute until the hamburger has browned. Remove from heat; stir in parsley, dill, salt, pepper and oregano. Set aside to cool a bit.
- Place grape leaves in a bowl and pour water over leaves. Soak for 15 minutes and drain. Transfer leaves, dull-side down, to paper towels to dry.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Stuff grape leaves using 1 heaping tablespoon mixture in center of the dull-side of the leaf and fold outer parts toward the center; and roll up like you would a burrito. Do not roll too tightly. Arrange rolls in side by side layers in a deep baking pan. Once complete, fill the pan with water to the top of the grape leaves and place the butter on top. Cover with foil and bake 1 hour or until the water has been absorbed by the grape leaves.
- To make the lemon sauce:
- In large pot bring chicken broth to a boil, reduce heat and add cornstarch slurry so it has a consistency of gravy. Have egg whites you have whipped up in a large bowl and add gravy to them slowly folding in. Be careful not to cook the whites, only temper them. Whip until you have a creamy consistency and add in lemon juice. For that lemony flavor may have to add more lemon juice to get the right lemon flavor.
- Plate up the grape leaves, and pour sauce on top. Should be off the hook.