Dolmas (Stuffed Peppers, Zucchini and Tomatoes)

Cozy, traditional recipes have been my jam for the last year or so. It's amazing to me how dishes are repeated across different countries and cultures, with slight variations of their simple ingredients. These traditional dishes are usually packed with flavor, and are truly the ultimate healing foods.

A few months ago I shared a recipe for cabbage rolls and received many DMs from you guys sharing your family's versions, recipes, and memories. One of my sorority sisters, Alyson, said stuffed cabbage reminded her of the Armenian dish, sarma. She explained that her grandma would first make dolmas (stuffed bell peppers and squash) then wrap the dolmas in cabbage or grape leaves to make sarmas. Dolmas reminded me of the Lebanese stuffed peppers Patrick's mom makes every few weeks. They are one of my favorite dinners.

I asked Alyson if she would share her grandma's recipe so I could make the Armenian version and she graciously gave me a few recipes! Below is a twist on her grandma's recipe for dolmas (I had to make without rice and use organ meats for my clients), and I am excited to make the cabbage sarmas, grape leaf sarmas and bulghur por soon.

These types of dishes are some of my favorites. The combination of tomatoes, healing spices, veggies, herbs, beef and citrus remind so much of the Mexican dishes my grandma would make growing up.

Let me know if you make this! And if it reminds you of a family recipe, please share. All I want to do is make grandma recipes.

Dolmas (Stuffed Peppers, Zucchini and Tomatoes)

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Category

Soups and Stews

Servings

8

Ingredients

FILLING

• 1 pound, Force of Nature Ancestral Blend Ground Beef

• 10 ounces cauliflower rice

• 1 each yellow onion, chopped

• 1 cup parsley, chopped

• 6 ounces tomato sauce

• 2 pinches garlic powder

• 2 pinches cayenne

• 2 pinches salt

• 2 pinches pepper

VEGGIES

• 3 each bell peppers

• 6 each zucchini

• 4 each tomatoes

SAUCE

• 6 ounces tomato sauce

• 3 cups water or bone broth

• s/p

• .5 each lemon, juiced, plus more for serving

Directions

Step 1

1. Combine all of the filling ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

Step 2

2. Remove the tops from the veggies and carefully scoop out their centers. Salt the inside of each veggie, then stuff with the filling. Add their tops back on.

Step 3

3. Arrange the stuffed veggies in a large pot, side by side. They should fit snuggly. You can do multiple layers if you need to.

Step 4

4. Combine the sauce ingredients and pour over the veggies.

Step 5

5. Crumple a large piece of parchment, then lay flat over the veggies. Top with a small plate and small, heavy pot to keep the veggies in place. Place the lid on the large pot.

Step 6

6. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 1 - 1.5 hours, or until the meat is done cooking.

Step 7

7. Serve with lemon slices and yogurt! YUM!