Stuffed Grape Leaves - Dolmas / Dolmades, October Daring Cook's Challenge

I've always loved those Dolmas... stuffed with flavoured rice, cabbage leaves, vine leaves etc....  We do quite a bit of Mediterranean food at home, and I have always got some vine leaves at home...

But thanks Lori from Lori's Lipsmacking Goodness who proposed this challenge of Stuffed Grape Leaves, I've done a bit of changes to my normal vegetarian versions and gave it a bit of kick...

Chorizos Kalamata & Mint Dolmas.



First of all, I soak the vine leaves over night out of the packet.

I used the ingredients on hand as I didn't have much time to shop after the holidays, running around in between kinder, school and work, and pity my parsley hasn't been growing well so I did use some dry herbs.

3 cups of medium grain rice, washed and soaked for half an hour.
1 chorizos, skinless.
60g of pitted kalamata
handful of fresh mint, finely chopped.
dried herbs - mix of oregano, parsley.
2 big table spoon of tomato paste
1 table spoon of all spice (mix of cumin, nutmeg)
1 table spoon of sweet paprika
juice of 3/4 of a small lemon myer (that's from my tree)
salt to taste...

I think that's it.

Boil for 25 minutes on my steam rack in the pot (high heat until boil and then lower to medium heat)

Serve with yoghurt dip as a starter.
Simple.