Lamb Meatballs And Collard Dolmades Recipes

Steps:

• Soak bulgur in hot water to cover until tender, 15 to 30 minutes. Drain bulgur, then squeeze out as much water as possible. Combine bulgur with lamb, onion, garlic, cumin, mint, salt and pepper. Shape into 1-inch meatballs, handling mixture as little as possible.
• Put olive oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat; when hot, add meatballs and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning every couple of minutes. Serve immediately or cool and proceed with recipe.
• Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it. Trim stem ends of collard leaves and discard. Put half the leaves in the boiling water and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they are just pliable. Use a slotted spoon to remove leaves from water and transfer to a colander; run leaves under cool water; drain and gently squeeze to remove most of the excess water, leaving them just damp enough so they will stick together when rolled. Repeat with other leaves.
• Cut leaves in half by running a sharp knife along each side of stem, removing stem in process; trim top and bottom, making a large, rectangular-shaped leaf. Lay one leaf down with widest part facing you. Put a meatball in middle of leaf, bring two sides of leaves together and roll like a burrito to seal it. Put each stuffed leaf, seam side down, on a serving plate. Repeat, cooking and stuffing remaining leaves. Serve with lemon wedges.

Steps:

• Drain, rinse and dry grape leaves.
• Place off to the side.
• In a large bowl mix ground round, Lamb, salt, pepper, minced parsley, onion chopped, crushed or pressed garlic and Tabuli (or rice); mix well.
• Lay out one grape leaf stem up, place about 1 rounded tablespoon meat mixture near stem.
• Fold stem up over meat mixture fold one side leaf over mixture, fold top over then roll the rest but not tight.
• This is just like making a burrito.
• I use toothpicks to keep the stuffed leaves together.
• Place in at least 1 gal pot.
• Continue until all leaves are filled and snug in pot.
• If you run out of grape leaves that's okay, you can roll little balls of meat mixture and place in pot.
• Cover all stuffed leaves with chicken broth adding water if you don't have enough broth, more broth if you have it on hand (you can use just water if you want).
• Bring the broth to a boil then turn heat to low, simmer and cook covered until tender (pierced with a fork) about 30 minutes.
• Remove about 1 quart of broth from pot and let cool down a little.
• You want it hot just not scalding hot.
• In another bowl beat 4 eggs until frothy adding slowly juice from lemon.
• Take the warmed broth and add to the egg mixture slowly a 1/2 ladle at a time still beating the egg mixture.
• After all broth is mixed with egg & lemon slowly add to pot on stove.
• Cover the pot and turn flame off.
• Let sit for about 10 minutes then serve.
• I like it tart and rich so I use more eggs and lemon then the recipe calls for.
• You can experiment how many eggs and lemon you want for the egg lemon broth.
• Leftover broth in pot makes good Avgolemono (Egg Lemon soup).

Steps:

• Place pepper directly on the trivet of a gas-stove burner over high heat. As each section turns puffy and black, turn pepper with tongs. (If you don't have a gas stove, place pepper on a baking pan, and broil, turning as each side chars.) Transfer pepper to a small bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Let sweat until it is cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a work surface. Peel off and discard blackened skin. Cut pepper into 1/4-inch dice, discarding seeds and inner membranes; transfer to a bowl; set aside.
• Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Add onion, oregano, and salt; cook until onion is beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to bowl with red pepper. Add cooked brown rice, currants, parsley, zest, and all but 1 tablespoon lemon juice; stir to combine.
• Remove stem from a rinsed vine leaf; lay leaf on work surface. Place 1 tablespoon filling at stem end; roll leaf tightly, tucking in ends. Repeat until all filling is used.
• Line an 8-inch saucepan with remaining leaves; arrange stuffed leaves, seam side down, in pan. They may be stacked in 2 layers. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon olive oil and remaining tablespoon lemon juice. Add enough water to the pan to just cover stuffed leaves; weight leaves for cooking with a kitchen plate or a lid smaller than the diameter of the pan.
• Place saucepan over high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low; allow to simmer gently until leaves are tender, about 45 minutes. Transfer stuffed leaves to a serving platter, and allow to cool. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Soak the bulgur in hot water until tender, 20 to 30 minutes; drain, squeezing out as much water as you can.
• Combine bulgur with lamb, onion, garlic, cumin, mint, salt and pepper; shape into small 1 inch meatballs, handling the mixture as little as possible.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet, over medium high heat; cook meatballs, turning every few minutes, for a total of 6 to 8 minutes.
• Blanch collard greens, in batches, in a large pot of salted boiling water, just until pliable, about 1 or 2 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon to a colander.
• Rinse with cool water then squeeze to remove most of the moisture.
• With a sharp knife, cut leaves in half, lengthwise, removing stems.
• On a work surface, place leave sideways, put a meatball inside, then roll up like a burrito, encasing the meatball with the leaf; place seam side down on a serving dish.
• Repeat with remaining meatballs and leaves; serve with lemon wedges.