Simple Mediterranean Dolmas

Hello, all!!

In just a few short weeks, it will officially be Winter, I can't believe it!!  This year has practically flown by.  We are finally enjoying some cooler temperatures here in California, and it’s that time of year when my family loves heavier noshes.  However, sometimes we still want something light and easy.

Due to the COVID crisis, we haven't been able to gather much with my large extended family.  Since I didn't cook too much this year for Thanksgiving, today I am sharing a recipe for the homemade dolmas I made from leaves right off of my vines at the mid-to-end of Summer.  After all, now the leaves have turned to beautiful oranges and yellows...which also unfortunately means I wouldn't use them for this recipe, because the flavor of the leaves also changes.  

At the end of the Summer season, we had the whole family over for a last Summertime soirée, featuring an epic charcuterie board full of delightful bites.  I included grapes off of my vines as well as these delicious little bites of sweet and savory heaven.  

The first time I enjoyed a traditional dolma was at a renaissance faire long ago when I was in my early twenties. The wonderful flavor had me instantly hooked, and since then, I've enjoyed them again at Greek restaurants and establishments of similar Mediterranean ilk, even from the local grocer when the craving hits!

Traditional dolmas ( or stuffed grape leaves) can be made with store-bought or homemade preserved leaves.  They can be sweet or savory, or a combination of both; they can be simple with just rice or can contain meat such as lamb or beef, et cetera.  There are so many yummy options!!  

Traditional rice dolmas are usually stuffed with rice, pine nuts, and herbs and spices such as mint and dill.  I am calling my dolmas semi-traditional because I utilized what I had on-hand; I have limited the frequent grocery trips as much as I possibly can.  These still came out beautifully, and were quite delicious!!  I hope you enjoy!

Home-preserved grape leaves:

To preserve your own grape leaves, begin with 20-40 grape leaves (a good batch is about 20 leaves) that have been thoroughly rinsed and stems removed.  Set aside.  

In a pot, boil 1 quart (4 cups) of water.  Add approximately 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of sea salt.  Boil the leaves for about one minute or until tender, and remove.  Place the leaves immediately into an ice water bath.  The ice water bath will help to preserve the color of the leaves.

In another pot, boil another quart of water with 1/2 cup of lemon juice.  While the second pot of water comes to a boil, roll your grape leaves.  Place the rolled grape leaves into a large lidded jar.  Once the lemon water comes to a boil, pour it over your rolled leaves in the jar.  Leave a bit of room in the jar to allow the leaves to expand.  The leaves should sit in the hot water lemon bath (with the lid closed) for approximately 15 minutes.  Remove the leaves, and they are ready to use!  The leaves can be used immediately, or same-day.  You may also use them later within 3 days, just be sure to refrigerate them.  

Dolmas filling:

You will need:

Fragrant rice such as Jasmine or Basmati

2 cups white onion, minced 

4-6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup pistachios, finely chopped (pine nuts are traditional, again, I was using what I had on-hand)

Lemon Juice

Raisins (currants are traditional)

Chicken stock

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Thyme (Mint is traditional)

Dill

Cinnamon

Sugar

Begin by measuring out your rice.  For this recipe, I used 1 cup of Basmati rice.  Set your rice into a bowl of room-temperature water.  Allow the rice to sit approximately 5 minutes or so.  While you are soaking the rice, you may begin preparing the vegetables.

Sauté the minced garlic and onion in olive oil over medium heat.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  When your garlic and onion are almost cooked through, drain the rice and add it to the pan.  Season again with salt and pepper to taste to compensate for the rice addition.  Also, add a dash of cinnamon and sugar; add approximately 1/2 teaspoon each of dill and thyme.  Sauté altogether.

Add approximately one cup of chicken stock, and about 2 tablespoons or so of lemon juice.  Cook until all of the liquid is absorbed.  The rice should be par-cooked at this point.  Place the semi-cooked rice into a large bowl and set aside.

Chop raisins, contingent upon how much you prefer.  Set the chopped raisins into a bowl of very hot water.  This will reconstitute the moisture of the fruit, and plump them up.  Drain.  You may also opt to omit this step if you don't care for raisins.

Add the raisins (if preferred) and chopped pistachios into the rice mixture.  Stir altogether.

Prepare a secondary pot of 1 cup chicken stock and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.  Set on low heat to keep warm.

Add about 1 tablespoon of the prepared rice mixture to each grape leaf and roll.  To roll, you will lay the leaf out with the pointed tip of the leaf facing upward.  Add the filling.  Fold the bottom of the leaf upward first, then fold each side inward.  Roll the leaf.  If you would like a visual how-to, please reference the video at the end of this post to see how this is done.

Place your filled, rolled dolmas into a large casserole.

Pour the warmed lemon-stock over the dolmas.  Cover them with a stoneware plate, and cover the whole pot with a top.  Cook on low heat until the liquid is absorbed, appoxtimately 45 minutes or so until the rice and leaves are completely cooked through and tender.  

Rice dolmas without meat are usually served cold, along with a drizzling of olive oil, lemon wedges, and a good Greek yogurt for dipping, so refrigerate prior to serving.  These are great appetizers you can prepare ahead of time and are great for any holiday gathering, large or small.  I hope you enjoy!!

To view the video tutorial, you may do so here.  Please be sure to be in full website viewing mode rather than mobile or you may not see the link:

I hope you are all safe and well, and have a lovely weekend!

If you enjoy this post, please be kind and share.  You may like my page on Facebook, Parsimonious Perfection.  You may also visit my archives and other blogs!!

The Marvelous Maîson, a lifestyle blog,

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Thank you for stopping by!  ❤

Vette's Spooky Cool Bubbling Brew Cauldron Cakes

Hello, my lovely goblins and ghouls!!  Halloween is again upon us, and this time of year, I indulge just as much as my kiddos do!  As a matter of fact, I hover their Halloween candy like a lost, hungry apparition stuck in limbo, lol. 


The theme for my 2017 Halloween is inspired by Manic Panic's Shocking Blue so I thought, why not whip up some cauldron cakes with bubbling blue brew!!?  The making of these kooky-cool cakes took a moderate amount of time and the process was very, very simple.  It was such fun for myself and my girls, and your kiddos will love to make and eat these adorable cakes too!


You will need:


A basic white boxed cake
Blue food coloring
White premade fondant (or you may choose to make your own)
Black food coloring


To start these cakes, I made sure I used a cupcake pan that had very deep cake sections.

I used a basic white cake from Pillsbury.

 Mix the blue food coloring into the batter until it is close to the desired color.

Of course, hindsight is always 20/20!!  I found this awesome cake mix after we made these cakes, and in my opinion, this color is much closer to Manic Panic's Shocking Blue!  Using this mix will also alleviate a bit of work time as well, although the girls loved dripping the food coloring into the batter!!   Mental note made for next time!  :-)

The cupcakes should rise in the oven and have nice, rounded tops like so.  These make the perfect cauldrons once they are covered in black fondant!!

To make the colored fondant for our cauldron cakes, we used a simple white fondant I found from my local Wal-Mart.  Warm a desired amount of the fondant according to the package directions until it is pliable and you are able to easily mold and stretch it in your hands.

For the outside of the cauldrons, I mixed a liberal amount of black food coloring into the fondant.  BE SURE TO WEAR GLOVES (it is VERY messy), and make sure to powder-sugar or cornstarch your countertops to prevent sticking and/or staining. 

Continue working the coloring into the fondant until it is a blackish-grey color resembling a cauldron.  Hand the fondant off to eager hands for further kneading!  ;-)

Once the color was completely mixed in, I rolled out the black fondant.  Again, I dusted the countertop and also the rolling pin with powdered sugar to prevent sticking.

 

We used the rim of a glass with a circumference slightly larger than the tops of the cupcakes to cut out circles, one for each cupcake.  You may also use a circular cookie cutter.

Place the circles on the rounded parts of each cupcake.

After the bottoms were placed, I rolled out and cut strips of black fondant for each cupcake. 

Each strip is long enough to wrap around the cupcake, and wide enough to cover the rest of the exposed portion of the cupcake.

With a butter knife or fondant tool, work the fondant until the two pieces of fondant are fused together and smooth, and the cupcake is completely covered.  Reserve a bit of black fondant, and set aside along with your covered cupcakes.

 Add blue food coloring to another portion of the warmed white fondant.

We rolled some of the blue fondant into little balls of various shapes to represent bubbles, and the rest of the fondant was rolled out to create the brew in each cauldron.  Before I placed the bubbles and brew onto the cauldrons, we made rims and handles for each cauldron from the black fondant we reserved from earlier.  Simply roll the small pieces out until long enough, trim...then use your fingers to carefully mold onto the premade cauldrons.  Next, add the "brew" to each cupcake.  When adding the "brew," I made sure to allow some areas to "drip" over the edges.

This was such a fun project to complete with the kiddos!  My girls loved kneading the fondant and especially rolling out the little bubbles!!  Again, I recommend that you use gloves when initially adding the food coloring, especially while working with the black.  Once the food coloring is mostly worked into the fondant, you may hand it over to the kiddos to knead and there is much less transfer of color onto the hands. 

If you would like to share this fun project, you may pin it here:

If you would like to see these cakes featured in my 2017 Halloween Tablescape inspired by Manic Panic's Shocking Blue, please visit the post on my blog Parsimonious Décor Darling here.

You may also visit my video via Instagram here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYt-qdxg_rh/?taken-by=parsimoniousdecordarling

 

Until next time,



Happy Haunting!!





If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

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Vette's Manic Panic Shocking Blue Toxic PUNCH!

Good eve-nink my vonderful dahlinks!  Are you a Happy Haunter like me?  I like to celebrate each holiday, and Halloween is no exception!  The following recipe is a fun spirit (har-har) that everyone will enjoy on All Hallows' Eve.  We typically don't drink alcohol in my house, so this is a kid-friendly cocktail as well!!  If you want to share this recipe for a more adult crowd, you always have the option of adding vodka or gin. 


Did you know that simple tonic water glows under a black light?  It might be common knowledge for many, and especially the bartending ilk, but I was unaware until I came upon it by happenstance via this link on the Food Network.  Awesome! 


This punch is full of tarty goodness and bite, which is perfect for Halloween, and it also will be a great addition to my theme this year, which is inspired by Manic Panic's Shocking Blue!  To make this punch, you will need:


1 Liter (33.8 fluid ounces) Tonic Water
64 ounces (2 quarts) "Blue" tropical drink (I found mine at The Dollar Tree, but Hawaiian Punch offers versions in 'Berry Blue' or 'Polar Blast')
¼ Cup Lemon Juice
½ Cup Granulated Sugar
Stir all ingredients together until the sugar is completely dissolved.  This is where the magic happens!

Here are a couple of shots of my toxic punch before I illuminate it with the black light.

A nice color for certain; it definitely matches my Manic Panic Shocking Blue theme for 2017's Halloween, but this still looks sort of boring.

Add black light.  BOOM!  Instant Spooky-Cool fun!!

Make sure you are using a black light like this one available on sites like Wal-Mart and Amazon,

and not a black light bulb like these I found at The 99¢ Store.  Although these are supercool for Halloween, they do not have UV which is required to make something glow.

If you would like to see this punch featured in my 2017 Halloween Tablescape Inspired by Manic Panic's Shocking Blue, you may visit the post on my blog Parsimonious Décor Darling here,

Or view it via video in my Instagram post here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYt-qdxg_rh/?taken-by=parsimoniousdecordarling

If you enjoy this post, you may pin it for future reference:

Have a fun and safe Halloween!!

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub. 

Follow me on Pinterest!!  Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines, as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the Internet and Pinterest!  Thank you!  

Thank you for stopping by! ❤



Summer's Last Hurrah--Deep-Fried Ice Cream

As the summer season slowly closes and I start to crave a more autumn-specific menu, I thought I would bid farewell to the Summer with one last treat.  One last hurrah.  Deep fried ice cream. 


I will admit, the first time I heard of fried ice cream, it sounded bizarre.  I was a hostess at a very popular Mexican (really Tex-Mex) restaurant called Don Jose'. 


Before working at the restaurant, I had sampled plenty of Mexican home cooking via the parents of friends; we had also lived in New Mexico for a small stint, and I became enamored with the food.  Mostly, though, it was main dishes.  I had never tried many traditional desserts, not even flan!  So imagine a Mexican dessert neophyte hearing the phrase "Fried Ice Cream."  It wasn't until I tried it that I found out just how delicious it really is.  I am not sure if my recipe is correct or traditional, but this is the recipe I developed after enjoying so many at the restaurant.  I do hope you enjoy it, it is a favorite in my family!


For this recipe you will need:


Flakey cereal.  You may use Corn flakes, Frosted Flakes, Honey Bunches of Oats, even Special K!


Cinnamon


Granulated sugar


Brown Sugar


Honey


Your choice of ice cream.  I feel fried ice cream tastes best with Vanilla, Vanilla Bean, or Coffee Ice Cream


Whipped cream for topping


Cinnamon Chips for garnish


Flour tortilla ice cream bowls


Chopped nuts, if desired.


Chocolate syrup, if desired.


Oil


To make the "granola," you will combine the cereal, brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon.  Place into a large freezer bag and crush the cereal with a rolling pin until the flakes are a granola consistency, and have combined with the sugars and cinnamon.  This isn't an exact science, and is contingent upon how many fried ice creams you are preparing and how spicy you like it.  Add the items and taste-test to see if you like the granola.  Once you find the flavor satisfactory, pour the granola into a bowl.  Add honey.  Use the honey sparingly, just enough so that the ingredients bond together just slightly.  We don't want a sticky mess, LOL!  The ingredients should resemble a course oatmeal granola, and not be overly sticky.  Like so:

Scoop large scoops of ice cream and quickly roll in the granola, using your hands to form a ball, and until the ice cream is completely covered.  Once the balls are complete, place in a freezer overnight for a standard freezer or approximately one to two hours for a deep or very cold freezer.  The balls should be frozen solid and completely hard before frying.

 




While your ice cream balls are chilling, prepare the cinnamon chips for garnish.  For the cinnamon chips, you will need:


Flour tortillas
Granulated sugar
Cinnamon
Oil


Cut the tortillas into wedges like so:

Set aside.  In a small bowl, combine approximately ½ teaspoon cinnamon to each ¼ cup sugar.  Mix altogether.


Deep fry the wedged tortillas in very hot oil.  Once fried, place onto a paper towel to remove excess oil.

Toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Try not to eat them all, you will be tempted!!  ☺

To make the tortilla bowls, heat oil until very hot.

 




You will need a small metal ladle like this one:

Place the flour tortilla into the oil.

Push down (GENTLY!!  We want to avoid setting a grease fire...believe me I know! ☺)

Cook until golden brown, turning so that both sides are cooked.

Yum!!  All ready for the ice cream.

To fry the ice cream, fry in very hot oil turning very quickly, just until the granola is heated and slightly browned.  Place into your premade tortilla cup.  Garnish with whipped cream and the cinnamon chips.  You can add chocolate syrup and/or chopped nuts, if desired. 




Enjoy!!

If you would like to save this recipe for future reference you may pin it here:

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

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La Glace à la Lavande Facile

I have always had an affinity for ice cream.  Seriously, it's a problem.  I love almost every kind.  It is truly my favorite dessert. 

Perhaps it is reminiscent of my youth; my mother would walk into the middle of the living room and in almost a near-whisper state, "Farrell's."  The mention of that one word would cause an eruption of joyous excitement.  It was really a special treat for my sister and I to go during the hot California summer when we were kiddos.

Farrell's Logo

We loved a simple cone, as well...I recall how neat it was to go to the local Thrifty's and for thirty cents, you could get a scoop of truly delicious ice cream, chosen from a plethora of flavors.

 Photo courtesy of Thrifty's via a post on their Twitter Account.

Both Thrifty's (Pharmacy) and Farrell's eventually closed.  Rite Aid continued to sell Thrifty's ice cream, but only at limited locations.  I was so excited when a couple of Farrell's Restaurants opened in Southern California, and that I have been able to share nostalgia with my children.  Rite Aid may bring back Thrifty's from what I have read, but locations near me don't carry it.  Boo.

Summer's unbearable heat calls for cool treats, and sometimes, I want to avoid braving it in the sun and traffic.  What better way to indulge my craving than with homemade ice cream that is so easy to make you can achieve its creation in a mason jar, yet so decadent it is inspired by renowned French chef Roger Verge?

This ice cream is delicious, with the delicate and pleasing flavor of lavender...just so refreshing for this time of year!

For this recipe, you will need:

3½ Cups Heavy Cream

1¼ Teaspoons Vanilla

1 Teaspoon Culinary Lavender

¼ Teaspoon Salt

¼ Cup Milk

8 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar

Using a food processor, grind the culinary lavender until it is a fine powder.

I find using my trusty (and very old, please excuse) coffee bean grinder is a sufficient substitute, especially when grinding only a minimal amount of an ingredient.

 

Combine the lavender, sugar, and salt; mix together thoroughly.  In a chilled metal bowl, combine all ingredients along with the sugar, lavender, and salt mixture.  Place all ingredients into a mason jar, and shake vigorously until the mixture has thickened (it should be able to coat the back of a spoon without dripping off).  My recipe is for a larger amount of ice cream, so I used an ice cream maker, which is also an option you might utilize.  Simply place all the ingredients into the chilled ice bucket, and follow directions on the ice cream maker.

Chill overnight for best results.  I served my ice cream with Pizzelle Italian waffle cookies as a garnish.  Light and crispy, with a mellow vanilla flavor, they are family favorite.  So yummy!

Voilà!!  The perfect treat for a hot summer day, and so simple!  The omission of egg yolks makes this recipe one that is easily prepared via a mason jar. 

If you enjoy this recipe, you may pin it for future reference:

Keep cool!!





If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 

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Follow me on Pinterest!!  Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines, as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the Internet and Pinterest!  Thank you!  

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