Mediterranean Dolma with Green Tahini Sauce

Try this raw vegan Mediterranean dolma recipe utilizing jicama as the rice base and a green sauce made from cilantro and sesame seed butter.

Ingredients

Mediterranean Dolma

• (Adapted from Living Raw Food)
• For a 1 quart jar of marinated grape leaves, the amount of individual leaves can vary depending on their size

Filling

• 1 1/2 cups Jicama OR Jerusalem artichoke — peeled, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for coating the dolma
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes — soaked for 2 hours and chopped finely
• 1 cup peeled and seeded cucumber — small cubes
• 1/2 clove garlic — minced
• 1 shallot — minced
• 5 olives of your favourite kind (I used Black Cerignola) — pitted and chopped
• 1 tablespoon, or more to taste dill — chopped
• about 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves — finely chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Green Tahini Sauce

• 1/2 cup raw sesame tahini
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup cilantro — loosely packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 cup purified water

Instructions

Mediterranean Dolma
In a food processor, pulse the sunchokes or jicama to achieve the texture of large rice grains. If using jicama, transfer it onto several layers of paper towels and pat to remove as much excess liquid as you can. You might need to do this several times. There’s no need to pat dry if you are using sunchokes. Transfer the jicama/sunchoke to a bowl and pour the lemon juice over, mixing with a wooden spoon to preserve the color. Then mix in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and gently stir in the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Place the filling into a fine strainer and let drain for around 15 minutes.
Rinse the grape leaves and pat dry. Put around 1 1/2 tablespoons of the filling into the center of each leaf and fold. The stem end gets folded up first, followed by the sides, after which you are ready to roll tightly. Coat the rolled dolmas with some olive oil and enjoy with green tahini sauce.

Green Tahini Sauce
In a high-speed blender, combine all the ingredients until smooth.