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Leek Croquettes

Small crispy patties, often known as keftedes, represent a treasured signature dish in Jewish cooking. These particular leek croquettes present a flavorful blend of hearty beef with the gentle, mildly sweet essence of fresh leeks, rendering them absolutely addictive.

Makes 12

• 4 leeks
• 250g minced beef meat
• 2 fresh eggs
• 1 tbsp dry breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, minced
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• ½ tsp mild paprika
• Extra virgin olive oil, for cooking
• Lemon wedges, to garnish

Clean the fresh leeks carefully and remove the base and most of the dark green parts. Slice in half along the length then into 1.5cm pieces. Place in a large skillet and cover with fresh water, then heat over a medium flame for about 20 mins or until cooked through.

Strain the leeks and put in a large mixing bowl with the minced beef, eggs, matzo meal, chopped dill, chopped parsley and spice and flavor liberally with salt and pepper. Mix well using your hands then shape a few spoonfuls into a patty, shaping a little. Put on a platter and continue for the remaining of the ingredients.

Preheat oil in a frying pan to a amount of about 2 centimeters over a moderate heat. When the heated oil is sizzling, fry the patties in batches until golden on both sides. (Do not fill the frying pan as this drops the heat of the cooking oil.) Transfer the ready croquettes to a dish topped with absorbent paper and permit to drain.

Serve with lemon slices.

Spinach Patties

These spinach with cheese croquettes are a genuine treat. The crispy crust gives way to a creamy filling. The fresh spinach brings a fresh, slightly natural note, while the grated cheese offers a savory, savory smoothness. You can substitute the cheese with boiled, crushed spuds if you wish.

Makes 16–18

• 1kg spinach leaves (alternatively about 500g iced spinach, softened overnight in the fridge)
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 yellow onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 100g hard cheese, grated
• 80g ricotta
• ½ tsp nutmeg spice
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• 120g dry breadcrumbs (1 and ¼ cups), with more if needed
• 3 fresh eggs
• Oil for pan-frying (or vegetable oil)
• Lemon wedges, to serve

If using leafy greens, clean it thoroughly, discarding any stalks, and roughly chop it into big pieces. Place in a big pot with a little liquid over a medium heat. Once softened, strain in a sieve for about 15 mins, then remove any extra water and put aside.

When working with defrosted spinach, thoroughly squeeze out extra water.

Warm the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium flame and fry the chopped onion and garlic cloves until softened, about 4 minutes. Remove from the stove.

Place the wilted spinach, fried onion and sauteed garlic, hard cheese, creamy cheese, nutmeg, red spice, dry crumbs and eggs in a container and season with seasoning. Stir thoroughly until incorporated. If the mixture appears too wet, add some extra breading.

By hand, shape the mixture into oval croquettes a bit bigger than a nut but less bulky than an large egg, and place them on a baking sheet topped with wax paper. Seal and chill for at least 1 hour.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm olive oil to a amount of about 1 centimeter. Brown the croquettes a few at a time for a couple of minutes each side, flipping so they are golden all over, then put on kitchen roll.

Present with lemon wedges.

Lentil Patties

Featuring a crispy exterior and tender interior, these patties are not only delicious but also a highly nutritious snack or meal.

Yields 12

• 45g dried brown lentils (0.25 cup)
• 90g burghul (half a cup)
• 125ml extra virgin oil (half a cup)
• 1 large onion, chopped small
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp chopped mint, diced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, diced
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper, to preference
• Yogurt and fresh lemon, to garnish

Place the brown lentils in a pot and submerge with enough water. Boil over a moderate heat for about 20 mins or until partially softened, including additional water to maintain the legumes immersed if needed.

Mix in the bulgur wheat and proceed cooking until tender. Drain the ingredients thoroughly and put aside in a mixing bowl.

Heat half of the