Stuffed Grape Leaves

You need:

• 1 pound ground beef, lean
• 1 pound uncooked white rice
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 jar (16 oz) grape leaves
• 1 red pepper
• 1 carrot
• ½ pound shredded green cabbage
• 1 teaspoon savory

Preparation:

Wash the grape leaves in cold water.

Fry he ground beef first and add the pepper, onion and  the carrot. All needs look brown before adding the shredded green cabbage. Stir well and add the rice at the end.

Rolling the Grape Leaves

Here comes the tricky part: rolling the leaves with the mixture. It's easy once you get the hang of it. Be careful to not wrap too tight. You have to leave a little room for the rice to expand. Think of rolling a burrito, only smaller.
Place a grape leaf side down. Place about 1 to 2 tablespoons of mixture in the middle. Fold in the sides and roll upward.
When you have rolled the last leaf, place a heavy plate on top of the stuffed grape leaves in your pan. I use a ceramic plate. This helps keep the grape leaves in place during cooking so they don't shift around or open up. Fill pan with boiling water a little bit above the ceramic plate and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 45-50 minutes until rice is  done.