Ingredients:
1 cup olive oil
1 lb. chopped onion
1 cup uncooked rice
2 tablespoons dill or mint
1 cup hot water
2 tablespoons (optional) pine nuts
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
50 to 60 fresh or 1 15oz. can grapevine leaves
1 lemon
Directions:
Heat 1/2 cup olive oil, in a frying pan and sauté the onions until soft. Add rice and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients, except grapevine leaves, lemon and 1/2 cup olive oil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Cool.
Rinse the grapevine leaves in cold water. If fresh, drop them in boiling water and boil for 3 minutes. Strain and rinse in cold water.
In the center of each leaf, shiny surface of leaf down-wards, place a heaped teaspoon of the filling. Fold ends of leaf over the filling and roll it up. (Do not roll too tightly as the rice will swell).
Cover the bottom of a shallow saucepan with vine leaves and place “dolmathakia” side by side in layers. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Next, add 1/2 cup olive oil and 1 1/2 cups hot water. Place a plate over “dolmathakia” to prevent them from opening, cover and simmer over a low heat for about 1 hour. Allow to cool in the saucepan.
