Nummy Foods
Yesterday was Thanksgiving with my dad and his fiance (yeah, I never mentioned his recent announcement) and a few other people at my sister's place. It was a mixture of Thanksgiving Turkey and Persian food. My dad did all of the cooking so I thought I'd contribute with my dolmah. I am usually quite humble about the things I make but I can claim my dolmah as the best, not only does my family love it but most people that try it rave about it too. They are crazily addicting. The original recipe is from "In a Persian Kitchen" by M. Mazda, but I feel comfortable posting my version here as I have made some modifications.
Ingredients:
Large Jar of grape leaves (about 50 leaves)
Olive Oil
Vegetable Oil
2 cups of chopped onion
2 cups of long grain rice
1/2 cup of parsley (dried or fresh)
1/3 cup of dill (I prefer dried)
2 oz of raisins
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1-2 lemons
2 + cups of water
Chop the raisins and put them in a small bowl and cover them with a little bit of water, put aside. Put the onion, rice, and enough vegetable oil to coat in a frying pan and sautee for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly until rice starts to brown. While still on the heat add the parsley, dill, raisins, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and allspice. I like to stir in each item as I add them. Continue cooking over medium heat for 5 more minutes to allow the flavors to soak in. Add 2 cups of water to the pan and simmer for 20-25 minutes. The rice will be tender, but not completely cooked. Allow to cool before stuffing in the grape leaves.
Rinse and drain the grape leaves. Carefully separate them and chop off the stem. Place a leaf (shiny side down) on a plate and put 1 spoonful of rice on the middle just above where the stem was. Begin by folding up from the middle, then fold in the sides, and then roll up to the tip of the leaf. Roll the dolmah as tightly as you can. Put enough olive oil on the bottom of a large (4qt+) nonstick pan to cover it and then some. Arrange the dolmah on the bottom of the pan in a circular formation and then build up. Pour 1/3 cup of lemon juice on top of the dolmah, pour about 1/4 cup of olive oil around the edges and on top of the dolmah, and then pour 2 cups of water into the pan. Place 2-3 small ceramic plates on top of the dolmah, cover the pan, and simmer for 30-45 minutes. I constantly check to make sure that there is still water in the pan, and then cook them for 5-10 minutes after that (on med-low) to get a crispy bottom layer.
To serve: I like to place a large serving platter over the pan and then flip the contents out onto the platter. This leaves a lovely design, so it looks just how they were placed in the pan. I like to eat my dolmah with fresh lemon, but you can also serve it with a yogurt dip. This is the dip my family serves.
Yogurt dip:
Ingredients:
Plain yogurt, 16oz
Cucumber 1 cup, chopped
Garlic 1-2 cloves crushed (to taste)
Mint (fresh is best, or dried) 1/4-1/3 cup
Mix all ingredients together and serve with dolmah or pita bread.
I also made a pumpkin sheet cake. This recipe came from A Taste of Home magazine several years ago. But my mom and I both fell in love with this moist cake with cream cheese frosting. This was the first time I made it with fresh pumpkin, and it was just as delicious. Please let me know if you'd like a copy of the recipe.
Sorry, the photo does NOT do it justice at all.
And, I wanted to add my favorite drink at the moment. A lot of people come home from work to a glass of wine, but I do not partake of the alcoholic beverages so I come home to this:
Chilled Cranberry juice with fresh squeezed lime. There are some brands that already have the lime in them, but fresh is always best!
Ingredients:
Large Jar of grape leaves (about 50 leaves)
Olive Oil
Vegetable Oil
2 cups of chopped onion
2 cups of long grain rice
1/2 cup of parsley (dried or fresh)
1/3 cup of dill (I prefer dried)
2 oz of raisins
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1-2 lemons
2 + cups of water
Chop the raisins and put them in a small bowl and cover them with a little bit of water, put aside. Put the onion, rice, and enough vegetable oil to coat in a frying pan and sautee for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly until rice starts to brown. While still on the heat add the parsley, dill, raisins, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and allspice. I like to stir in each item as I add them. Continue cooking over medium heat for 5 more minutes to allow the flavors to soak in. Add 2 cups of water to the pan and simmer for 20-25 minutes. The rice will be tender, but not completely cooked. Allow to cool before stuffing in the grape leaves.
Rinse and drain the grape leaves. Carefully separate them and chop off the stem. Place a leaf (shiny side down) on a plate and put 1 spoonful of rice on the middle just above where the stem was. Begin by folding up from the middle, then fold in the sides, and then roll up to the tip of the leaf. Roll the dolmah as tightly as you can. Put enough olive oil on the bottom of a large (4qt+) nonstick pan to cover it and then some. Arrange the dolmah on the bottom of the pan in a circular formation and then build up. Pour 1/3 cup of lemon juice on top of the dolmah, pour about 1/4 cup of olive oil around the edges and on top of the dolmah, and then pour 2 cups of water into the pan. Place 2-3 small ceramic plates on top of the dolmah, cover the pan, and simmer for 30-45 minutes. I constantly check to make sure that there is still water in the pan, and then cook them for 5-10 minutes after that (on med-low) to get a crispy bottom layer.
To serve: I like to place a large serving platter over the pan and then flip the contents out onto the platter. This leaves a lovely design, so it looks just how they were placed in the pan. I like to eat my dolmah with fresh lemon, but you can also serve it with a yogurt dip. This is the dip my family serves.
Yogurt dip:
Ingredients:
Plain yogurt, 16oz
Cucumber 1 cup, chopped
Garlic 1-2 cloves crushed (to taste)
Mint (fresh is best, or dried) 1/4-1/3 cup
Mix all ingredients together and serve with dolmah or pita bread.
I also made a pumpkin sheet cake. This recipe came from A Taste of Home magazine several years ago. But my mom and I both fell in love with this moist cake with cream cheese frosting. This was the first time I made it with fresh pumpkin, and it was just as delicious. Please let me know if you'd like a copy of the recipe.
Sorry, the photo does NOT do it justice at all.
And, I wanted to add my favorite drink at the moment. A lot of people come home from work to a glass of wine, but I do not partake of the alcoholic beverages so I come home to this:
Chilled Cranberry juice with fresh squeezed lime. There are some brands that already have the lime in them, but fresh is always best!