MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES

MAKES 12

This easy, exotic Greek treat makes a fine appetizer, but it can also be enjoyed as a side dish with lunch or dinner. The raisins and mint give the rice a sweet and aromatic taste, and the simplicity of chive “ribbons” wrapped around the grape leaves dresses them up a bit. For hors d’oeuvres, use 36 leaves and 1 ½ tablespoons of filling for each leaf. Brown rice, which provides much of the stuffing in this recipe, is a significant source of manganese, a mineral that helps the body to produce a crucial antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase (SOD). SOD helps to protect mitochondria, the energy producing parts of cells, from free radical damage.