Pomegranate Dolmas!

What's this? Vegetarian Dolmas that aren't boring and lacking in texture?! No way! But it is true...while working on my Pom Wonderful Dinner party I was trying to come up with a way to incorporate pomegranates in a meaningful historical context, most of my meal has a very Middle Eastern/Mediterranean feel, but my California vibe... 

translation: pomegranate dolmas....

what you need:

1 C. Long Grain Brown Rice (cooked) 

1 Lemon Zested

2 Lemons Juiced

1 shallot finely chopped

1/2 C. Fresh Mint chopped

1/2 C. Pomegranate Ariels

2 Green Onions chopped

S&P to taste

Cumin (a dash)

Paprika (a dash)

EVOO

Tea Kettle full of hot water

30-40 Grape Leaves (in a jar, don't let Whole Foods tell you they don't have them, because they do, next to the pickles!)

Step 0: un-jar and un-wind grape leaves, place in a shallow dish and pour hot water over, cover and start working on the filling.

Step 1: In a large pan heat 2 T. EVOO, saute shallots till they are soft. Remove from heat and add cooked rice, lemon zest, 1 lemons worth of juice, mint, green onions, Pomegranate Seeds, cumin, paprika, and S&P to taste. Mix till all of the rice is coated with Olive Oil.

Step 2: Drain and rinse leaves. Place in a bowl and clear out the shallow dish, you will be placing the dolmas in it.

Step 3: The Making of...place 1 leaf or enough broken pieces that equal one leaf in front of you, veins up and stem towards you. place about 1/2-1 T. worth of filling in the center.

Step 4: The Fold: fold both side ends in then roll up from the bottom. Place them in the dish stem side down. Make sure you crowed the dolmas, they hate having room. Fortunately for me my boyfriend is a dolma rolling wizard, he graced me with his skills and worked on them while I took a much needed chill pill.

excuse the messy kitchen, I was marathon cooking.

Step 5: Once they are all done, cover with more lemon juice and a drizzle of EVOO, followed by more boiling water (just to cover). Cover with foil and place in a 250˚ oven for about an hour. You want them to simmer and get soft. Once they cool transfer them to a smaller dish, drizzle with more lemon and EVOO and place in the fridge. 

the ugly ones are most likely mine.