Hello, my friends!

If you are fasting like I am for Greek lent well you must be here looking for a lent friendly recipe. I am absolutely in love with kolokithokeftedes which are zucchini fritters typically served with tzatziki dip or feta cheese. I have been experimenting in the kitchen to make a new kind of fritter with the classic take on “kolokithokeftedes.” You can use practically any vegetable you like to make this kind of vegetarian fritter but I must say beet and spinach are such a lovely match.

Beet Spinach Fritters- Greek Style Vegetarian Keftedes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of cooked and peeled beets, quartered
• 2 cups of spinach chopped
• 1/2 cup of leeks finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves finely minced
• 1/2 cup of mixed fresh herbs (dill, mint, parsley)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Salt & Pepper for seasoning
• 2 eggs
• 3 teaspoons of heavy cream
• 1 cup of dry sourdough bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 lemon reserve juice to serve
• Crumbled Feta or Greek yogurt to serve
• 1/2 cup Olive oil for frying

Method:

1. Prepare the cooked beets. Grate the beets using a grater with wide holes, or you can grate using a food processor.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and cream, then add the spinach, beets, leeks, garlic, herbs, seasoning, and bread crumbs.
3. Add a little bit of the all-purpose flour if the dough seems too wet. Roll the patties into a ball-like form and then press down. Place patties on a lined baking sheet and chill baking sheet for about two hours so flavors come together.
4. Once ready to cook patties, prepare a frying pan with olive oil over medium heat. Lightly place each patty in the all-purpose flour on each side then fry about 4 patties at a time. Cook until each side is lightly golden brown in color. Repeat, and then place cooked patties on a plate lined with a paper towel.
5. Serve with fresh lemon juice and Greek yogurt. Really good with crumbled feta too!

Tips:

• You can add the crumbled feta to the mix if you prefer for extra flavor!
• If you like you can use vegetable oil or a mixture of vegetable and olive oil to fry.
• These can be good for up to 2-3 days!

**If you happen to make this recipe then I would love to see your work!! Share on Instagram or Facebook using hashtag #kouzounaskitchen.