Koupepia – Stuffed Vegetables & Vine Leaves
- 300g pork, minced
- 1 onion, large, finely chopped
- 4 tsp parsley, finely chipped
- 3 tsp dry mind
- 70ml olive oil
- 400g fresh tomatoes, grated
- 40g rice
- 30ml lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp cinnamon
For stuffed vegetables
- 250g courgettes
- 250g tomatoes
- 4 bell peppers
- 30 ml lemon juice
- 300ml chicken stock
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
For koupepia
- 24 swiss chard or vine leaves
- 150ml chicken stock
Filling: Heat olive oil in a saucepan and sauté onion until soft. Add minced meat and continue frying until brown. Add rice, mint parsley, grated tomatoes, lemon juice, cinnamon and seasoning and stir over heat for 3-5 minutes
Stuffed Vegetables: Preheat oven to moderate. Clean and de-seed courgettes, bell peppers and tomatoes. Stuff vegetables with filling. Mix tomato paste with lemon juice and chicken stock and pour over stuffed vegetables. Cover and cook in oven for 20-30 minutes.
Koupepia: Rinse vine leaves in cold water. If you are using Swiss chard immerse in hot water for 1 minute. For fresh vine leaves blanche for 3 minutes. Drain and refresh in cold water. Lay leaves out, shiny side down, on a chopping board and heap a rounded teaspoon of filling in the centre of each leaf. Fold loosely; leaving room for rice to expand to two or three times its volume as it cooks. Place in a heavy saucepan; add chicken stock and simmer for 30 minutes or until cooked. Allow to cool in the pan before serving.