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Keftedes me Prassa

Small pan-fried croquettes, often known as keftedes, represent a cherished signature dish in Jewish cooking. These wonderful leek patties offer a delicious blend of hearty beef with the gentle, sweetly mild essence of tender leeks, rendering them utterly irresistible.

Yields 12

• 4 large leeks
• 250g minced beef meat
• 2 fresh eggs
• 1 tbsp dry breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp dill, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• ½ tsp paprika
• Extra virgin olive oil, for pan-frying
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Thoroughly wash the green leeks properly and remove the root ends and the majority of the green tops. Chop in half along the length then into 1.5cm rounds. Place in a deep frying pan and submerge with fresh water, then simmer over a medium flame for about twenty minutes or until tender.

Drain the cooked leeks and put in a big bowl with the beef, eggs, crumbs, fresh dill, flat-leaf parsley and sweet paprika and spice well with salt and pepper. Combine thoroughly using your hands then shape a few spoonfuls into a croquette, pressing a slightly. Place on a plate and proceed for the remaining of the preparation.

Preheat olive oil in a frying pan to a level of about 2cm over a moderate heat. When the heated oil is sizzling, brown the patties in small batches until golden on each side. (Avoid overcrowding the frying pan as this lowers the temperature of the oil.) Remove the cooked patties to a dish covered with absorbent paper and allow to drain.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Spinach Patties

These amazing cheesy spinach croquettes are a true pleasure. The golden crust reveals a soft center. The leafy spinach imparts a bright, moderately green taste, while the grated cheese offers a rich, flavorful smoothness. It's possible to replace the cheesy element with cooked, mashed potato if you prefer.

Makes 16–18

• 1kg spinach leaves (or else about 500g frozen spinach, softened overnight in the cooler)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced small
• 2 garlic pieces, minced
• 100g salty cheese, grated finely
• 80g ricotta
• ½ tsp fresh nutmeg
• ½ tsp paprika
• 120g crumbs (about 1.25 cups), with more if necessary
• 3 fresh eggs
• Olive oil for pan-frying (or alternatively neutral oil)
• Lemon slices, to garnish

When using leafy greens, clean it well, removing any stalks, and cut into it into big pieces. Put in a large saucepan with a bit of water over a medium heat. Once wilted, strain in a sieve for about 15 mins, then remove any excess liquid and set aside.

When working with thawed frozen spinach, carefully squeeze out unwanted moisture.

Warm the cooking oil in a frying pan over a medium flame and saute the chopped onion and garlic cloves until tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the prepared spinach, sauteed onion and garlic, hard cheese, soft cheese, spice, sweet paprika, breadcrumbs and beaten eggs in a big mixing bowl and spice with pepper and salt. Combine completely until blended. If the dough looks too loose, incorporate some more crumbs.

Using your hands, form the preparation into oval croquettes somewhat larger than a walnut shell but smaller than an egg, and set them on a baking sheet topped with parchment paper. Wrap and cool for at least 60 minutes.

In a large frying pan over medium flame, preheat olive oil to a amount of about 1cm. Brown the fritters a small batch for two to three minutes each side, flipping so they are golden all over, then put on absorbent paper.

Serve with lemon slices.

Lentil Croquettes

With their crunchy outside and tender interior, these patties are not only flavorful but also a extremely wholesome appetizer or dish.

Produces 12

• 45g dried brown lentils (0.25 cup)
• 90g bulgur wheat (0.5 cup)
• 125ml extra virgin oil (0.5 cup)
• 1 yellow onion, chopped small
• 1 tsp cumin spice
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, diced
• 1 tbsp parsley, diced
• 1 egg
• Seasoning, to taste
• Yogurt and lemon wedges, to garnish

Place the brown lentils in a saucepan and fill with plenty of cold water. Boil over a moderate heat for about 20 mins or until partially softened, including extra liquid to ensure the pulses submerged if necessary.

Stir in the burghul and keep cooking until tender. Strain the ingredients well and set aside in a bowl.

Warm half of the