Napa Valley Stuffed Grape Leaves With Six Pepper Spamr Fruit Relish And Pine Nuts Recipes

GRILLED GRAPE FRUIT SKEWERS

Steps:

• Prepare grill or broiler. Skewer fruit, alternating grapes with mango and strawberries. Prepare glaze by mixing together honey, orange zest, orange juice and salt. Both fruit skewers and glaze should be at room temperature before grilling. Grill skewers over hot coats until lightly browned on each side, about 2-4 minutes per side. Brush fruit with glaze and sprinkle with mint. Serve warm.
• Nutritional Stats: Calories 275, protein 2g, fat 1 g, calories from fat 3%, Carbohydrates 72g, Cholesterol 0mg, Fiber 4g, Sodium 151 mg

DOLMADES (STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES WITH CURRANTS AND PISTACHIO)

Steps:

• Prepare an ice bath. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the grape leaves and gently mix to separate them. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Drain well, plunge into the ice bath and let cool for 2 minutes. Drain well again, separate and lay out on baking sheets lined with paper towels in a single layer. Remove 5 or so of the small or torn leaves and reserve for the bottom of the pan.
• Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a medium high-sided saute pan over high heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the onion is very soft, about 5 minutes; do not allow it to color. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until opaque, about 2 minutes.
• Add the stock, currants and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered and stirring a few times, until the rice absorbs the liquid, about 7 minutes. (The rice will only be par-cooked; it will continue to cook in the leaves.) Spread the rice out on a baking sheet to cool.
• When the rice is cooled, stir in the dill, parsley, green onion, pistachios and lemon zest; taste for seasoning.
• Lay a grape leaf on a work surface shiny-side down. Scoop 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of the filling (depending on the size of the leaf) in your hand and lightly mold it into a log. Put the rice filling near the stem end of the leaf, fold the stem end over the filling, then fold both sides toward the middle and roll up into a cigar. Continue with the remaining leaves and filling.
• Lay the reserved grape leaves on the bottom of a small Dutch oven (this will keep the dolmades from sticking). Tightly fit the dolmades in the pan in a concentric circle, making several layers if needed. Drizzle some of the remaining lemon juice over each layer. Add enough water or stock to just come halfway up the side of the rolls (do not cover them) and drizzle with the remaining olive oil and a pinch of salt.
• Cut out a round of parchment to fit over the dolmades. Place a plate on top of the parchment and a bowl on top of the plate (to hold the rolls down while cooking). Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, cover the pot and cook (making sure it is simmering and not boiling), until the rice is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes longer.
• Carefully remove the rolls to a serving dish. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.

PUKKOLLA

Steps:

• I would definitely try to make this the night or day before you want to eat it, although it can be made at the time (although you won?t get the smooth silky scrumptious texture that the milk gives it overnight). I normally place double the amount of composed cereal I need (ie. 4 portions for 2 people) into a bowl. Doubling up like this gives you enough to eat for the next couple of days. Cover with milk, grate in half an apple per person and stir immediately to stop the apple discoloring. Place in the refrigerator.;
• Add porridge oats and bran to a large plastic container with apricots and dates. Crumble in walnuts and add chosen nuts (I usually bash them in a tea towel). At this point feel free to improvise, adding any other preferred dried fruits like raisins, sultanas, strawberries or figs, but personally I think the above combination works pretty well. This will keep for a good couple of months very happily in an airtight container, but you?ll have eaten it by then, I guarantee. The great thing about it is that you can adjust it to your own preference, but I would suggest you stick to the basic dried ingredients that I use as they work so well together. It?s very handy to have a large plastic airtight container to store your composed Pukkolla in, so try and get a hold of one.;