Fragrant ground turkey "stir in". With vegetables.

When I want something quick, easy and pleasing to both kids and parents I cook group turkey with fragrant spices and a lot of vegetables. This versatile dish can be used as pasta sauce, as a filling for tortillas, as an aromatic for plain rice or other cooked grains. Just stir in.
 

Almost ready! Ground turkey stir in with vegetables.

Fragrant ground turkey stir fry

Ingredients
ground turkey, 1 pound
onion, 2 small, sliced and diced
carrot, 1 grated
zucchini, 1, sliced to bite size pieces
olive oil, 1 table spoon
soy or tamary sauce (for gluten free), 1 tablespoon
turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon
sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon
garlic, 1 clove, diced
sea salt, to taste (reduce due to saltiness of soy sauce)
cumin seeds, whole, 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
adjwain seeds, 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
parsley, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup water

Note:
Add more vegetables! Green peas, asparagus, shredded cabbage, bean sprouts. Everything works.

Method
In large skillet heat oil on medium heat. Add the seeds, if using, and let them the flavor the oil - heat them for about 30 seconds. Add onions and stir fry them for about 5 minutes. Add carrots and stir fry for another 2 minutes. Add turkey and cook it till no longer pink. Break large pieces as you stir.

Add soy sauce, zucchini and rest of the spices. Add 1/2 cup water, stir. Cover and let cook for 8-10 minutes. Add parsley and serve.

Will go into lunchbox tomorrow with basmati rice and side of raw vegetables.

Rice pilaf. With chicken, onions, garlic and carrots.

Here is an easy, light and tasty rice and chicken one pot dish inspired by traditional Uzbekistan dish - "Plov".  This dish is comforting, satisfying and extremely delicious. Make it for dinner and pack for lunch the next day. My family asks to prepare it again and again.

Chicken rice pilaf served, carrot and onion mix, chicken precooked

Chicken Carrot Rice Pilaf (Plov - Плов)

Ingredients
rice, basmati 1 1/2 cups
olive oil, about 3 tablespoons
chicken meat, 1 pound  cut to bite pieces (dark meat or chicken breast)
carrots, 5-6 peeled and grated
onions, medium 4-5, cut to half rings
garlic, 7-12 gloves, peeled and roughly diced
sea salt
black pepper
bay leaves, 2 (optional)

optional spices
cumin, ground
coriander seeds, ground
turmeric
thyme 
chili flakes

Method
Wash the rice under cold water. Cover with water and leave to soak while preparing other ingredients. In big heavy pot, heat 1 tables spoon olive oil on medium low heat. Add chili flakes, if using. Add onions and cook until the onions are soft and slightly brown for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove onions from the pot to plate. Add 1 table spoon of olive oil and carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onions back to pot and turn off the heat. Heat large skillet on medium heat, add oil and chicken. Add salt, black pepper and other spices, if using. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, to brown the chicken. No need to cook it completely. Add the chicken to onion carrot mixture and mix. Add garlic on top. Discard rice water and place rice on top of the mix. Carefully, without destroying the structure (rice on top of vegetables and chicken), add water to cover the rice. This is how it will look.

chicken carrot rice pilaf assembled (plov)

Add salt and spices, cover and cook on low heat for about 20-30 minutes, till rice is cooked. Let rest for 10 minutes, if you can. Mix and serve. 



I will tell you a secret - this chicken carrot rice pilaf is delicious cold. As a child I used to eat it straight from the pot in refrigerator.

Pickled cabbage

Russian Sauerkraut (квашенная капуста)

Pickled cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin C. It is a fermented food and has active probiotic cultures to aid healthy digestion, similar to yogurt.  I love adding pickled cabbage to salads or to serve it as a small dish side. For me it is the easiest serving of vegetables available.

The recipe I provide here for pickled cabbage is for small jar, simple enough to prepare in 20 minutes. It is not a project that takes hours as when my parents made it. Sure, they prepared it to last for the entire winter in almost commercial amounts!

Packed cabbage in a jar; lemon squeezer; shredded cabbage and carrots mix

 

Pickled cabbage (Russian Sauerkraut)

Ingredients
cabbage 2 pounds
carrots, 2 small
sea salt, 20 grams (2% to the weight of vegetables) make sure salt has no additives, as they might interfere with fermentation process

3 days after
honey, 1/2 teaspoon (preferably raw)

Method
Wash cabbage head. Remove outer leaves and any damaged leaves. Using sharp knife or food processor, shred the cabbage. Shred the carrots. Mix cabbage and carrots together. Mix with salt and press with your hands to break and soften vegetables until small amount of juice is released.

Tip: Use small Mason jar to pack the cabbage using hand lemon squeezer.  The recipe is enough to fill 24 ounces canning jar. Put 1 cup of cabbage and carrot mix in and press it into bottom of the jar to pack tightly. Use lemon squeezer.  Continue with the same method, putting one cup of the mixture at the time till you fill the jar. There should be some juice on top. If the cabbage is relatively dry and there is no juice, cover with small amount of boiled and cooled water. Cover jar with paper towel and a rubber band and leave on counter for 3 days. After 3 days, take small amount of liquid with spoon, dissolve honey in it and return it back to jar. Place jar in refrigerator. Ready to eat after a week, best aged for 3 weeks.

For salad, my favorite combination is pickled cabbage, cooked beets, arugula and scallions, seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper.

For kids lunch, pack pickled cabbage as is or mix with cubes of cooked beets. Season with extra virgin olive oil or sunflower oil for better vitamins absorption.

Keeping it simple. With hummus.

How often do you ask yourself - does all this effort worth it?

Do I spend my time enjoying what I do or am I just making it complicated and myself overwhelmed?

This question is applicable to many ares of life, from choosing a daycare or a family vacation to selecting a recipe for weekday dinner or making a meal plan for a week. 

Some of the best meals are the simplest to prepare. Keeping it simple and pure can be quick and relaxing leaving more time for what is really important. Fresh vegetables are delicious and beautiful on their own. I often cut a variety of vegetables up in patterns - wedges, sticks, bites or wheels. My family loves them simply arranged on a plate. With hummus.

Hummus with cucumbers and carrots; gather it all together; ready to blend

There are many cut and serve vegetables. All of them will benefit your body and energize you.
Here are the most common ones that children and adults will enjoy in their lunchbox:

- cucumbers
- carrots
- bell peppers
- celery
- cabbage
- broccoli 
- beets
- radishes
- cauliflower
- lettuce
- tomatoes
- continue the list with whatever you like or want to try (jicama?)

A look in the fridge...  Moment of quick choice...  Sharp knife comes to action...
Half of the meal (or may be more) is ready in minutes.
How simple is that?

Hummus (Mediterranean chickpeas dip)

Ingredients
chickpeas, 1 can cooked - or you can choose to cook your own by soaking 3/4 cup dry chickpea beans overnight, boiling them for about 1 hour until soft, then straining them
1/4 cup of tahini (sesame paste)
1-2 cloves of fresh garlic
lemon juice of 1/2 lemon
water, 1-2 table spoons
spices to taste: salt, turmeric, cumin, coriander, chilies, paprika, etc
small bunch of parsley (optional)


Method
If using canned chickpeas - wash them in colander under running cold water.
Place all the ingredients in a food processor or a blender and puree them to a thick paste.
Taste the hummus to see if the consistency and spices are to your liking. If too thick add more water or lemon juice. Correct the seasoning if needed.

Eat!

To make it even simpler grab prepared hummus in the store. To make it all a nourishing vegan meal, you might add sprouted whole grain tortillas from a freezer section of your supermarket.

Only, but ONLY if you enjoy it and find that additional nutrition value will make your heart sing and your spirit elevate: 

Sprout chick peas for 24-72 hours. Small tails will show up. Sprouted chickpeas should be cooked for 1 hour. Add 2 inch square of kombu (dried sea weed) while cooking the chickpeas.
Blend cooked kombu into hummus together with other ingredients.

Great packed for lunch. 

Homemade baked chicken nuggets with potato and carrot

My husband said: "What is THAT?"

I replied: "My friend, Hila, has shared a baked chicken nuggets recipe when we had tea in Crema cafe today. I have noted to myself - it is time to do something different and new. So here it is".

My husband: "It is really good. Can you make it again?".

I am taking risks from time to time making new recipes. I am calling it risk because my family is not shy in letting me when I "ruin" their meal. So sometimes it is a success, sometimes it is a failure, but how will I know if I don't try? Even though I can have an idea for what my family might like, but I can get too excited with a new recipe. Like a little boy with a new fire truck toy. And it is OK.

David and Mai both loved the nuggets. I know it, they were dipping the chicken nuggets in organic ketchup and licking their fingers. The kids had those healthy baked chicken bites for lunch 2 days in the row, with great enthusiasm.

Baked chicken nuggets served with curry basmati rice, zucchini and shiitake mushrooms and cucumber, chicken nuggets before baking, mixture and bread crumbs in background

Healthy, filling and easy recipe.

Ingredients
ground chicken breast or dark meat, 1 pound
bread crumbs, 3 table spoons (I used homemade whole wheat sourdough breadcrumbs)
potatoes, 2 small
carrots, 2 small
1 table spoon olive oil (optional)
sea salt
black pepper
paprika (optional)

To coat - more bread crumbs

Method
Peel or scrab potatoes and carrots, cut to 8 pieces.
Put in small pot, cover with cold water.
Boil for 10-15 minutes, until soft when pierced with fork.
Remove from the heat, pour out the liquid.
Mash the vegetables to puree using masher or fork. Although it is tempting to use food processor to achieve homogeneous mass, don't. Potatoes contain a lot of starch and using food processor will make them into thick glue.
Let cool.
Add all the rest of the ingredients and mix through.
In a shallow plate, put bread crumbs.
Prepare large baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn oven to 395F.
With a real table spoon, scoop chicken-potato-carrot mixture.
Form nugget and coat it in bread crumbs. Place on the baking sheet. Repeat till all the mixture is done.
Bake for 10 minutes in 395 F on each side, for total 20 minutes.
You might need to adjust the time according to nuggets size. Safe internal temperature for chicken is 165F. When in doubt, use cook thermometer.

Note
To pack for lunch, I have reheated the nuggets in toaster and packed them in thermoses. 3 nuggets for Mai, 5 nuggets for David. Zero came back. Success!

Questions? Comments? Let me know what you think. 

Light Bolognese Sauce - Cooking once, eating twice

Tomorrow and day after tomorrow there is no school. Anyway I have cooked Bolognese sauce with whole wheat spaghetti for lunch today.  It is a time saver - I will use the sauce again this week. During school days, I pack it with whole grain pasta or brown rice. You can adopt it and serve any way you like - with couscous or rice noodles, with basmati rice or polenta. Everything works.

My version of the sauce is lighter than traditional with carrots and zucchini. 

Light Bolognese sauce with zucchini added, cooked sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
1 medium onion - diced
1 glove of garlic - diced
1/4 teaspoon of chili flax
1 pound ground beef (grass fed)
1 (24 ounce) bottle tomato puree or can of crushed tomatoes
2 medium carrots, peeled and cubed
1 zucchini, cubed
1/2 cup wine
cumin
turmeric
black pepper
salt
bay leaf

Method:

In big skillet heat the oil on medium heat for a minute. Add garlic and chili flakes. When fragrant, add onion and saute for about 5 minutes, until softened and golden. Add ground beef and saute until cooked through. Add tomatoes and spices and let simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Add everything else and let simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water or broth, if needed.  

The longer this sauce cooks, the better. If using frozen peas, add them 10 minutes before turning off the heat. You may choose to garnish with parsley for added minerals and vitamins.

Bolognese sauce served with whole grain pasta and vegetables side

For lunch, reheat in the morning and pack in thermos with pasta (or gluten free pasta) or your favorite grains.