dolmas and caramelized leek hummus

Ingredients:

Hummus:

3 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced in half length wise then 1/4" chopped

1/4 cup butter (Earth Balance)

2 Tbsp water

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 Tbsp cayenne pepper

salt to taste

Melt the butter in a small pot, then add in the leeks and toss to coat. Add the water and a dash of salt, cover and cook on low heat until the leeks soften and begin to caramelize, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, dump in a can of chickpeas and puree with an immersion blender. Or you could add everything to a food processor and puree that way, but why make more dishes? Season to your liking with lemon juice, cayenne pepper and salt. Transfer to a small bowl and stick it in the fridge to cool down.

Dolmas:

1 cup white rice, cooked

juice from 1 1/2 lemons

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced

2 leaves fresh mint, chiffonade

salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

1 bunch chard

Cook the rice and let it cool. Toss with lemon juice, olive oil, scallions and mint. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. The rice needs to be a bit sticky for this recipe. To assemble to dolmas, remove the rib from a leaf of chard, place a dollop of rice on the leaf, tuck the sides in and then roll like a burrito. Traditionally, dolmas are braised in oil but we like to keep it health-conscious around here (uh... sometimes) so we simply steamed them. Place the dolmas, seam side down, in a steamer basket over an inch of boiling water and steam for about 2 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.