Cooking Class: Easy does it

Use frozen vegetables on those days when you’re too tired to shop for fresh produce and to cook complicated recipes.

By NERIA BARR
Homemade homous 370 (photo credit: Kfir Harbi)
Homemade homous 370
(photo credit: Kfir Harbi)
Chef Amit Donsky of Sunfrost suggests a few easy recipes that will take you through the hot weeks of August.
HOMEMADE HUMOUS
An easy recipe for the most Israeli of all dishes, and the taste is far better than the store bought kind.
✔ 1 bag frozen cooked chickpeas (800 gr.) ✔ 1 garlic clove, minced
✔ 1 cup prepared tehina sauce ✔ Juice of 1 lemon ✔ Salt Sauce ✔ 1 cup chopped parsley ✔ 1⁄2 cup olive oil ✔ Juice of 1 lemon ✔ 3 cloves garlic, minced ✔ Salt For serving: ✔ 3 pitot, halved ✔ 3 Tbsp. olive oil ✔ 1 Tbsp. kosher salt ✔ Sweet paprika
Cook chickpeas according to instructions. Strain and cool.
Take 2-3 Tbsp of chickpeas out and reserve in a small, bowl.
Using a hand blender or food processor, grind the rest of the chickpeas until smooth. Add tehina sauce and garlic and continue processing 3-4 minutes. Add lemon juice and salt and mix well. Refrigerate in a covered bowl until ready to eat.
To make the sauce: Mix all the ingredients together.
Drizzle the pita with a little olive oil and sprinkle salt.
Bake in a pre-heated 180º oven for 15 minutes.
To serve: Arrange the humous on a plate, top with whole chickpeas, drizzle sauce and sprinkle a little paprika. Arrange grilled pita around the plate and serve.
The humous will keep up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
CORN CAKES
Makes 20 small cakes Make these cakes in no time for a light supper.
✔ 3 cups frozen corn kernels ✔ 150 gr. 16% sheep feta, grated ✔ 150 kashkaval (Gilad) cheese, grated ✔ 3 eggs ✔ 11⁄2 cups flour ✔ Salt, pepper, nutmeg ✔ Oil for frying
Cook the corn and drain.
Mix the cheeses in a bowl; add beaten eggs, flour, cooled corn and seasoning. Mix well.
Heat a skillet; add 1-2 Tbsp.
oil. Using a tablespoon, make small heaps of the mixture a few centimeters apart.
Fry about 1 minute on each side. Remove from the skillet and place on a paper towel.
Serve warm with sour cream or yogurt.
BEEF/LAMB KEBABS ON A BED OF FAVA BEANS AND ARTICHOKES Makes 10
A festive dish that only looks difficult
✔ 1 bag frozen fava beans (800 gr.) ✔ 1 bag frozen artichoke hearts (400 gr.) defrosted and halved ✔ 5 Tbsp. oil ✔ 5 cloves garlic, peeled ✔ 1 tsp. turmeric ✔ 1 tsp. cumin ✔ Salt ✔ 1⁄2 cup water ✔ 1⁄2 lemon, peeled and sliced ✔ Nutmeg ✔ Black pepper ✔ 1⁄2 cup coriander leaves, chopped Kebabs ✔ 250 gr. ground beef ✔ 250 gr. ground lamb ✔ 2 matzot, crumbled, soaked in water and then squeezed dry ✔ 1 onion, chopped ✔ 1 egg ✔ 1 Tbsp. matza meal ✔ 1 Tbsp. oil ✔ Salt ✔ Black pepper ✔ Oil
To make kebabs: Mix all ingredients together, roll into small kebabs and fry in oil until golden.
In a heavy saucepan, heat oil, add garlic cloves and fry about 1 minute. Add turmeric, cumin and salt. Add fava beans, artichokes and water and cook over low heat about 30 minutes.
Shake the pot from time to time.
Add lemon, nutmeg and black pepper and mix. Add the kebabs and cook 30 more minutes. Place on a serving plate, garnish with coriander and serve hot.