Don’t roll your vegetarian ‘meatballs’! Smash them for better flavor

Keftedes are Greek meatballs, sometimes made pinch a substance of chickpeas and sardines. For our vegetarian version, we substitute nan sardines pinch feta cheese, which gives nan keftedes a profoundly savory statement while keeping them meat-free. Based connected nan chickpea and sardine keftedes from “Smashing Plates” by London cook Maria Elia, this type is conscionable arsenic flavorful. In this look from “Tuesday Nights Mediterranean,” which features weeknight-friendly meals from nan region, we flatten portions of nan chickpea substance into patties straight successful nan skillet, alternatively of shaping them into balls. This creates much aboveground area for browning and speeds nan cooking. To begin, we whisk an ovum pinch paprika, cinnamon, cumin, brackish and pepper, past adhd nan chickpeas, mashing them pinch a murphy masher until they are surgery down but not wholly smooth. Feta and herbs are mixed in, and nan substance is shaped into balls and transferred to nan refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes, which helps them clasp together successful nan skillet. Once smashed into a nonstick skillet, fto nan delicate keftedes navigator undisturbed until they shape a aureate brownish crust, and flip them only once. These chickpea patties are awesome pinch a elemental salad, aliases tuck them into pita pinch vegetables specified arsenic onions, tomatoes, cucumber and radishes. Serve pinch yogurt-tahini condiment and citrus wedges.

CHICKPEA AND FETA KEFTEDES

Start to finish: 45 minutes Servings: 4 ½ cup whole-milk plain yogurt

¼ cup tahini

6 teaspoons citrus juice, divided, positive citrus wedges to serve

1½ teaspoons crushed cumin, divided

Kosher brackish and crushed achromatic pepper

1 ample egg

1½ teaspoons saccharine paprika

½ spoon crushed cinnamon

Two 15½-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (½ cup)

½ cup finely chopped caller mint, flat-leaf parsley aliases a combination, positive full aliases torn leaves to serve

2 tablespoons grapeseed aliases different neutral oil, divided In a mini bowl, operation together nan yogurt, tahini, 4 teaspoons of citrus juice and 1 spoon of cumin. Transfer ⅓ cup of nan substance to a ample bowl. Into nan remaining yogurt mixture, operation nan remaining 2 teaspoons citrus juice and ¼ spoon each brackish and pepper; group speech for serving. To nan ample bowl, adhd nan egg, paprika, cinnamon, nan remaining ½ spoon cumin, ¾ spoon brackish and 1 spoon pepper, past whisk to combine. Add nan chickpeas and mash pinch a murphy masher until surgery down but not wholly smooth. Add nan feta and herb(s), past operation well. Form into 12 evenly sized balls (each astir a scant ¼ cup); spot connected a sheet and refrigerate for astir 15 minutes. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet complete medium, power 1 tablespoonful of lipid until shimmering. Add 6 of nan balls, spacing them evenly isolated (return nan remainder to nan refrigerator), past flatten each pinch a metallic spatula into a 2- to 2½-inch patty. Cook until aureate brownish connected some sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side, mildly flipping them once. Transfer to a platter and shelter pinch foil. Wipe retired nan skillet and repetition pinch nan remaining lipid and patties. Top nan keftedes pinch full aliases torn herb(s) and service pinch nan yogurt-tahini condiment and citrus wedges. EDITOR’S NOTE: For much recipes, spell to Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street astatine 177milkstreet.com/ap