My mother-in-law, Suzy, is an amazing cook who is always whipping up mouth-watering dishes. I posted her delicious recipe for catfish a few months ago — it was a big hit.
One of Suzy’s specialties is stuffed grape leaves, or as it is called in Armenian, dolmas. Her dolmas are filled with savory rice, veggies, spices and ground meat.
Since I’ve eliminated grains from my diet, Suzy’s dolmas became off limits. It wasn’t long before I came up with this savory grain-free version of dolmas. Cauliflower rice takes the place of traditional rice, making this dish healthier and just as tasty.
I used an expedited cooking method –using an oven — however if you prefer to cook traditionally then do not pre-cook the meat and place the dolmas in a large pot with a couple cups of water on the stove for 2 hours, or until cooked through.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 pound ground pork (or ground meat of your choice)
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
pinch of allspice
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
12 prunes, finely minced
1 head cauliflower, shredded in food processor
2 Lemons, one for juice and one sliced
dash of sea salt
dash of black pepper
20 grape leaves
¼ cup water
3 bay leaves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large skillet, over medium heat, warm the coconut oil. Add the onion and cook until clear. Add the pork, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, allspice, ginger, coriander and prunes. Cook until the meat is still a little pink.
Add the shredded cauliflower and combine with the meat mixture, cooking for 3 minutes. Squeeze the lemon juice over the mixture, season with salt and pepper, and stir. Set the mixture aside until it is cool enough to handle.
Carefully separate the grape leaves and unroll. Spoon a small amount of the meat mixture in the center of the leaf, roll the bottom of the leaf up, then fold the sides over and continue to roll until the end is tucked underneath.
Lay the dolmas in a 9×13 baking pan, seam-side down. Lay the lemon slices over the dolmas and squeeze any remaining lemon juice over the pan. Add the water and bay leaves to the pan.
Tightly cover with foil. Bake for 30-45 minutes until the leaves turn a dark shade and the water has evaporated. Remove the bay leaves.
Serve on a bed of shredded cabbage.
Calories: 88
Fat: 4g
Carbohydrates: 7g
Sodium: 25mg
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 5g
Sugar: —