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Keftedes me Prassa

Small crispy croquettes, often called keftedes, are a beloved speciality in Jewish cuisine. These particular leek croquettes deliver a delicious blend of hearty minced beef with the gentle, slightly sweet essence of fresh leeks, rendering them truly irresistible.

Produces 12

• 4 large leeks
• 250g minced beef meat
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, minced
• 1 tbsp parsley, diced
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• Olive oil, for frying
• Lemon slices, to garnish

Thoroughly wash the green leeks well and trim off the roots and the bulk of the green stalk. Chop into halves lengthways then into 1.5cm slices. Put in a deep pan and fill with cold water, then heat over a medium flame for about 20 minutes or until tender.

Drain the cooked leeks and transfer in a big bowl with the minced beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, fresh dill, flat-leaf parsley and sweet paprika and season well with salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly using your fingers then mold a couple of scoops into a ball, pressing a slightly. Put on a plate and repeat for the rest of the preparation.

Heat cooking oil in a pan to a amount of about 2cm over a medium flame. When the heated oil is sizzling, brown the fritters in small batches until crispy on each side. (Avoid overcrowding the skillet as this lowers the oil temperature of the cooking oil.) Take out the cooked croquettes to a tray covered with absorbent paper and permit to drain.

Serve with lemon slices.

Spinach Croquettes

These amazing spinach with cheese patties are a genuine treat. The golden crust opens up to a soft filling. The spinach adds a fresh, somewhat natural note, while the cheese gives a deep, umami smoothness. It's possible to replace the dairy cheese with cooked, pureed potato if you wish.

Yields 16–18

• 1kg spinach leaves (alternatively about 500g frozen leaf spinach, defrosted in the fridge in the fridge)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin oil
• 1 large onion, diced small
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 100g hard cheese, shredded
• 80g creamy ricotta
• ½ tsp nutmeg spice
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• 120g dry breadcrumbs (1¼ cups), with more if needed
• 3 fresh eggs
• Cooking oil for deep-frying (or alternatively sunflower oil)
• Lemon slices, to accompany

If using fresh spinach, clean it carefully, removing any tough stems, and roughly chop it into big pieces. Transfer in a large saucepan with a small amount water over a medium flame. Once cooked, strain in a strainer for about 15 minutes, then press out any extra water and set aside.

When working with thawed frozen spinach, thoroughly press out excess liquid.

Warm the oil in a pan over a medium heat and saute the onion and garlic cloves until translucent, about 4 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Combine the cooked spinach, sauteed onion and garlic, grated cheese, soft cheese, spice, red spice, dry crumbs and eggs in a big mixing bowl and flavor with seasoning. Combine thoroughly until blended. If the dough appears too loose, add some extra breadcrumbs.

By hand, mold the dough into oval shapes a bit bigger than a nut but more compact than an egg, and put them on a tray topped with wax paper. Seal and chill for at least 1 hour.

In a big skillet over medium heat, warm olive oil to a level of about half an inch. Brown the fritters a few at a time for two to three minutes on both sides, turning so they are golden brown everywhere, then put on paper towel.

Offer with lemon wedges.

Lentil Patties

With their golden crust and tender interior, these croquettes are not only tasty but also a extremely wholesome bite or dish.

Yields 12

• 45g dry lentils (0.25 cup)
• 90g cracked wheat (0.5 cup)
• 125ml extra virgin oil (½ cup)
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp mint leaves, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 egg
• Seasoning, to preference
• Greek yoghurt and lemon wedges, to accompany

Put the dry lentils in a pot and submerge with plenty of cold water. Simmer over a medium flame for about 20 minutes or until almost cooked, including additional water to keep the pulses submerged if necessary.

Add the bulgur wheat and keep cooking until softened. Drain the lentils and burghul completely and set aside in a mixing bowl.

Heat a portion of the