Makes: 28 grape leaves

This recipe may seem complicated, but really there are only 6 little steps to preparing these grape leaves. That’s only 6 steps separating you from these amazingly delicious delicacies! Each and every one of them make it all worth it in the end. So, what are you waiting for?

Ingredients:

Rice

• 2 cups wild rice
• 6 cups water, purified
• 1/4 cup Greek olives, pitted, minced
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/4 cup dill weed, fresh, minced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp flax oil
• 1/2 cup raisins, soaked to plump, minced
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp coarse ground pepper
• 1 tsp Himalayan crystal salt
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp mustard seed powder
• 1 8oz jar organic grape leaves (non-raw ingredient. If you are 100% raw, please omit ingredient or adjust recipe)

Sauce

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup orange juice, fresh squeezed
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 tsp Himalayan crystal salt
• 1 Tbsp agave nectar
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic

Procedure:

1. Place two cups of wild rice and 6 cups of filtered water into a 1/2 gallon glass jar. Place the sealed jar in the dehydrator set at 105 degrees for 24 to 48 hours or until the rice splits and blossoms.
2. Once the rice has blossomed, drain, rinse, place in large mixing bowl and add the remaining rice ingredients; set aside.
3. Remove grape leaves from jar. Drain and discard the brine, then rinse the leaves in cold water and pat dry.
4. Prepare the sauce. In a medium bowl combine all the sauce ingredients. (Make sure the bowl is large enough to accommodate the dipping of the leaves). Once your sauce is complete, dip each leaf in the sauce so they are well coated. Place the leaves in a glass baking dish and set aside to marinate for 1/2 hour.
5. Assemble the grape leaves. Place one grape leaf, with stem end closet to you, shiny side up, dull side down, on a flat even surface and brush the top with a little of the sauce.
6. Place two tablespoons of rice mixture in the center of the leaf towards the top of the end closest to you. Now take hold of the edge of the leaf that is closest to you and roll it completely over and tuck it under your ingredients in making a pocket, fold the sides over and continue to roll. As you roll, keep tucking the sides inward with each roll and tuck until you get to the tip of the other end of the leaf.
7. Place your grape leafs, seam side down, close together in a baking dish. Repeat this process until all the leaves are filled or ingredients are gone.
8. Pour the remaining sauce over grape leaves. Serve warm, chilled, or at room temperature.

About Chef Tina Jo:

Through her books, DVDs, and programs, Chef Tina Jo is teaching Americans how to make healthy lifestyles DELICIOUS, bringing live whole foods back to the dinner table one dinner plate at a time. Learn more at www.cheftinajo.com.Chef Tina Jo is a highly respected Gourmet Raw Vegan Chef, Author, Speaker and Coach known internationally for her humor and down–to–earth approach to raw veganism. She, along with her TV show Splendor in the Raw, was awarded Top 10 Best Show, Best Chef and Best Website in the Best of Raw 2009 Awards. She has made it her life’s mission to bring super delicious, fresh, simple, fun, affordable raw vegan food to the mainstream.