🔗 Share this article

Leek Patties

Bite-sized fried croquettes, typically referred to as keftedes, stand as a treasured speciality in Jewish cooking. These wonderful leek fritters deliver a delicious fusion of hearty beef with the delicate, mildly sweet taste of fresh leeks, and they are absolutely crave-worthy.

Makes 12

• 4 leeks
• 250g minced beef meat
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp dry breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp dill, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, diced
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• Extra virgin olive oil, for frying
• Fresh lemon wedges, to accompany

Wash the green leeks carefully and trim off the root ends and most of the green stalk. Chop into halves longways then into 1.5-centimeter slices. Put in a deep frying pan and submerge with cold water, then heat over a moderate heat for about 20 minutes or until softened.

Drain the leeks and transfer in a big bowl with the beef, eggs, matzo meal, fresh dill, parsley and paprika and season liberally with seasoning. Stir completely using your palms then shape a couple of tablespoonfuls into a ball, pressing a slightly. Put on a tray and proceed for the remaining of the preparation.

Preheat oil in a skillet to a depth of about 2 centimeters over a medium heat. When the heated oil is ready, brown the fritters in small batches until golden on each side. (Do not fill the skillet as this drops the temperature of the cooking oil.) Remove the ready patties to a plate covered with paper towel and let to cool.

Offer with lemon wedges.

Spinach Patties

These delightful spinach and cheese fritters are a true treat. The golden outside reveals a smooth center. The leafy spinach imparts a fresh, slightly green note, while the cheese provides a savory, flavorful smoothness. It's possible to replace the dairy cheese with cooked, mashed potatoes if you like.

Makes 16–18

• 1kg spinach leaves (or about 500g frozen spinach, thawed for several hours in the fridge)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced small
• 2 garlic pieces, crushed
• 100g hard cheese, grated finely
• 80g creamy ricotta
• ½ tsp nutmeg spice
• ½ tsp mild spice
• 120g breadcrumbs (about 1.25 cups), additional if necessary
• 3 eggs
• Cooking oil for frying (or sunflower oil)
• Fresh lemon, to accompany

When using leafy greens, rinse it well, removing any stalks, and roughly chop it into sizable portions. Transfer in a deep pan with a small amount hot water over a medium heat. Once wilted, remove in a strainer for about 15 mins, then remove any extra water and put aside.

When working with thawed frozen spinach, completely remove extra water.

Preheat the oil in a frying pan over a moderate heat and fry the onion and garlic cloves until tender, about a few minutes. Turn off the flame.

Put the wilted spinach, fried onion and sauteed garlic, hard cheese, soft cheese, spice, sweet paprika, dry crumbs and beaten eggs in a big mixing bowl and season with seasoning. Mix completely until incorporated. If the dough looks too loose, incorporate some extra crumbs.

With your fingers, mold the preparation into oval croquettes somewhat larger than a walnut but smaller than an chicken egg, and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Wrap and chill for at least 60 minutes.

In a big skillet over moderate heat, preheat cooking oil to a depth of about half an inch. Brown the croquettes a few at a time for a couple of minutes each side, rotating so they are golden completely, then transfer on kitchen roll.

Serve with fresh lemon.

Lentil Croquettes

With their crunchy outside and soft inside, these croquettes are not only flavorful but also a wonderfully healthy snack or dish.

Produces 12

• 45g brown lentils (¼ cup)
• 90g burghul (½ cup)
• 125ml extra virgin oil (½ cup)
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp mint leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 large egg
• Pepper and salt, to liking
• Yogurt and lemon wedges, to garnish

Put the dry lentils in a pot and cover with plenty of water. Cook over a moderate heat for about twenty minutes or until nearly done, pouring more water to ensure the legumes covered if necessary.

Stir in the bulgur wheat and keep cooking until fully cooked. Remove the water from the lentils and burghul well and reserve in a mixing bowl.

Preheat 50% of the