Stuffed green leaves with lentils

Stuffed green leaves

Vine leaves are the most used for stuffing, but instead we can use many other leaves from our garden, such as spinach, mallow or even lettuce!

Today I am going to use these three greens to make delicious "dolmadakia" as they called here in Greece. The stuffing is also different from the usual while it contains lentils. The combination of lentils, rice and greens is very healthy and powerful!

You can use these kinds of leaves together or just one of them. If you choose spinach, collect the wider ones. In case of lettuce, use only the soft part of the leaf.

Ingredients:
Leaves for about 45 pieces (and a few more)
1/2 cup of lentils
1/2 cup of rice
1 big red onion
1 tomato
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup of parsley, chopped
1/2 cup of spearmint, chopped
1 cup of olive oil
Salt, pepper

Directions:
Rinse the leaves and then immerse in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Do not let the thinner and most sensitive too long in the hot water; just a dip is enough.
Boil the lentils for 10 minutes.
Chop the onion, the tomato and the herbs. Put them in a large bowl.
Add the garlic, mashed and mix.
Add the lentils and the rice.
Add salt, pepper and the 1/2 of the oil.
Mix well by hand and the stuffing is ready.
Put some of the leaves in the bottom of a cooking pot.
Stuff the leaves (see pictures in the video)

Stuff with the leaf veins facing up.

Arrange the stuffed leaves, close together in a cyclic manner in the pot.
Put the ones with the stronger leaves (spinach) at the bottom and the thinner on top (lettuce second, mallow third)
Add the rest of the oil, 1 cup of water, a pinch of salt and pepper, and place a heat resistant plate on top of them.
Cover the pot and let it simmer for 35-40 minutes.


Bon Appetit!