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Keftedes me Prassa

Small crispy fritters, commonly called keftedes, are a treasured speciality in Sephardic culinary traditions. These leek fritters offer a delicious combination of rich ground beef with the subtle, mildly sweet taste of leeks, rendering them truly crave-worthy.

Makes 12

• 4 leeks
• 250g minced beef
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp dill, diced
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, diced
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• Olive oil, for pan-frying
• Fresh lemon wedges, to garnish

Clean the leeks carefully and trim off the base and the bulk of the dark green parts. Chop into halves longways then into 1.5-centimeter pieces. Place in a large skillet and submerge with water, then heat over a medium heat for about twenty minutes or until tender.

Remove the water from the cooked leeks and transfer in a big bowl with the beef, beaten eggs, breadcrumbs, dill, parsley and spice and flavor liberally with salt and pepper. Stir completely using your hands then shape a couple of spoonfuls into a ball, shaping a slightly. Set on a plate and continue for the balance of the preparation.

Heat oil in a skillet to a depth of about 2cm over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, brown the patties in small groups until golden on all sides. (Don't overcrowd the pan as this drops the temperature of the cooking oil.) Remove the ready patties to a tray topped with paper towel and allow to cool.

Offer with lemon slices.

Spinach Croquettes

These delightful spinach and cheese croquettes are a true pleasure. The crispy exterior reveals a creamy center. The leafy spinach imparts a fresh, somewhat green flavor, while the grated cheese offers a rich, umami richness. You can substitute the cheesy element with boiled, pureed potato if you prefer.

Makes 16–18

• 1kg spinach leaves (or about 500g iced spinach, thawed overnight in the refrigerator)
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, diced small
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 100g kefalotyri, grated
• 80g soft cheese
• ½ tsp fresh nutmeg
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• 120g crumbs (1¼ cups), additional if required
• 3 large eggs
• Olive oil for frying (or use neutral oil)
• Fresh lemon, to accompany

When using fresh spinach, wash it well, removing any hard stems, and roughly chop it into big pieces. Put in a deep pan with a small amount water over a moderate heat. Once softened, remove in a sieve for about a quarter hour, then press out any extra water and set aside.

When working with thawed frozen spinach, completely remove unwanted moisture.

Warm the olive oil in a skillet over a moderate heat and saute the onion and garlic until tender, about a few minutes. Turn off the heat.

Combine the prepared spinach, sauteed onion and softened garlic, kefalotyri, ricotta, spice, red spice, breadcrumbs and beaten eggs in a container and flavor with pepper and salt. Combine well until combined. If the preparation looks too loose, mix in some more crumbs.

With your fingers, form the preparation into elongated patties somewhat larger than a walnut but less bulky than an large egg, and put them on a tray topped with wax paper. Wrap and cool for at least 1 hour.

In a wide pan over moderate heat, warm olive oil to a amount of about half an inch. Brown the croquettes a handful for 2–3 minutes on both sides, flipping so they are crispy all over, then put on absorbent paper.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Lentil Patties

With their crunchy outside and soft inside, these fritters are not only tasty but also a extremely healthy bite or meal.

Produces 12

• 45g brown lentils (¼ cup)
• 90g cracked wheat (0.5 cup)
• 125ml oil (0.5 cup)
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, diced
• 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1 large egg
• Seasoning, to preference
• Greek yoghurt and lemon wedges, to garnish

Put the brown lentils in a pan and fill with plenty of cold water. Simmer over a moderate heat for about 20 minutes or until partially softened, adding extra liquid to ensure the legumes submerged if needed.

Stir in the burghul and proceed cooking until softened. Remove the water from the lentils and burghul well and set aside in a container.

Warm half of the