Delight in These Triple Greek Keftedes Creations

Keftedes me Prassa

Bite-sized pan-fried fritters, commonly known as keftedes, represent a beloved signature dish in Sephardic Jewish culinary traditions. These particular leek croquettes offer a flavorful blend of hearty ground beef with the subtle, mildly sweet essence of tender leeks, making them utterly irresistible.

Yields 12

• 4 leeks
• 250g ground beef
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, diced
• 1 tbsp parsley, minced
• ½ tsp paprika
• Extra virgin olive oil, for cooking
• Lemon slices, to garnish

Clean the fresh leeks carefully and trim off the base and the majority of the green stalk. Chop into halves lengthways then into 1.5-centimeter slices. Transfer in a deep frying pan and submerge with fresh water, then cook over a medium flame for about 20 mins or until tender.

Drain the cooked leeks and place in a big bowl with the beef, eggs, crumbs, fresh dill, parsley and sweet paprika and spice generously with seasoning. Stir well using your hands then mold a couple of tablespoonfuls into a ball, shaping a bit. Set on a platter and repeat for the remaining of the preparation.

Warm cooking oil in a pan to a depth of about 2 centimeters over a moderate heat. When the oil is sizzling, cook the patties in batches until crispy on each side. (Avoid overcrowding the skillet as this reduces the heat of the oil.) Remove the ready fritters to a dish topped with absorbent paper and let to cool.

Present with lemon wedges.

Spinach Patties

These delightful cheesy spinach patties are a genuine treat. The golden crust opens up to a creamy center. The spinach imparts a vibrant, slightly earthy taste, while the cheese provides a rich, flavorful smoothness. Feel free to swap the cheese with cooked, pureed spuds if you like.

Produces 16–18

• 1kg baby spinach (or about 500g frozen leaf spinach, defrosted overnight in the refrigerator)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 100g hard cheese, grated finely
• 80g ricotta
• ½ tsp nutmeg spice
• ½ tsp mild spice
• 120g dry breadcrumbs (1 and ¼ cups), additional if needed
• 3 eggs
• Olive oil for frying (or alternatively sunflower oil)
• Fresh lemon, to accompany

For fresh spinach, rinse it thoroughly, removing any hard stems, and roughly chop it into large chunks. Place in a deep pan with a bit of liquid over a medium flame. Once softened, strain in a strainer for about 15 minutes, then squeeze out any remaining moisture and set aside.

For defrosted spinach, carefully remove excess liquid.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium flame and cook the chopped onion and minced garlic until softened, about 4 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Put the wilted spinach, fried onion and sauteed garlic, grated cheese, creamy cheese, nutmeg, red spice, breadcrumbs and eggs in a container and spice with seasoning. Stir thoroughly until incorporated. If the dough seems too loose, add some additional crumbs.

Using your hands, form the mixture into oval shapes somewhat larger than a walnut but smaller than an large egg, and set them on a tray lined with parchment paper. Seal and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes.

In a wide pan over medium heat, preheat olive oil to a depth of about 1cm. Brown the croquettes a few at a time for 2–3 minutes on both sides, flipping so they are golden completely, then transfer on absorbent paper.

Serve with fresh lemon.

Lentil Croquettes

Featuring a crispy exterior and soft inside, these croquettes are not only tasty but also a wonderfully nutritious bite or main course.

Produces 12

• 45g dry lentils (one-quarter cup)
• 90g cracked wheat (0.5 cup)
• 125ml oil (half a cup)
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp cumin spice
• 1 tbsp chopped mint, diced
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, minced
• 1 fresh egg
• Pepper and salt, to liking
• Greek yoghurt and fresh lemon, to garnish

Put the dry lentils in a pot and fill with plenty of cold water. Simmer over a medium heat for about twenty minutes or until nearly done, adding extra liquid to ensure the pulses immersed if needed.

Add the burghul and continue cooking until tender. Remove the water from the lentils and burghul completely and put aside in a bowl.

Heat a portion of the