Beetroot leaf dolmades with a beet ‘tzatziki.’

A delicious healthy recipe commissioned from Sleekgeek Success Story turned Coach,  Sylvia Frank (read more about her here).

Carefully designed to fit in with the Sleekgeek Food List,  Healthy Meal Template, and  Portion Control Guide.

DETAILS

Recommended for:  Lunch or light dinner. These are best served well chilled.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• PROTEIN:
  • Take note: These can be served with tender roast lamb or with cocktail meatballs for dipping (optional)
  • 2 cup greek yoghurt

• VEGETABLES/FRUIT:
  • 60 big beetroot leaves
  • 4 spring onions
  • 4 medium peeled and cleaned beetroot
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 lemon

• SMART CARBS
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice.

• HEALTHY FAT:
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

• HERBS, SPICES, AND EXTRAS:
  • 2 sprigs chopped Thyme or a tsp dried Thyme
  • salt
  • pepper or lemon pepper
  • 2 tsp chopped mint leaves

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UTENSILS:

• Chopping board
• Chopping knife
• A baking dish that will fit 16 to 20 dolmades closely packed.

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 180’C

• Wash the beetroot leaves and trim off the thick part of the stalks, pat dry with a kitchen towel.

• Chop the onion finely and chop the thyme. Fry these in a little of the olive oil and add the crushed garlic.

• Add the two cups of cooked rice and season to taste. Add the finely chopped mint leaves and a generous pinch of black crushed pepper. Set aside to cool a bit.

• Finely grate the 4 beetroot (superfine, almost mushy) and rest it in a sieve over a bowl for a few minutes, pressing out the extra juice as it is released.

• Add the beetroot to the yoghurt and season to taste. You may decide to blend the squeezed out beetroot and yoghurt if you prefer a smoother dip). Set aside in the fridge to cool and set.

• Layout the beetroot leaves, overlapping as seen in the photo. 4 leaves per roll.

• Spoon a generous Tbsp of rice mixture in the centre of the leaves and fold the edges of the leaves over the rice gently, just to hold the rice in as you roll the dolmades up.

• While holding the edges closed slowly roll the leaves over the filling and tightly roll them up into a ‘fat cigar’.

• Carefully lift the roll and place it in your baking dish, seam side down. Continue until the rolls are all done and snug in the oven dish.

• Sprinkle with the juice of the lemon and drizzle with remaining olive oil.

• Pour a cup of warm, lightly salted water into the dish with the dolmades. 

• Bake at 180’C for for 20 minutes.

• Leave the dolmades in the dish until completely chilled before removing.

TO SERVE:

• Serve the chilled dolmades out onto a platter with the beetroot tzatziki in a dipping bowl. (add some extra meats if you choose to.)
•  Serve with wedges of lemon for garnish.