Mama's turkey meatball soup. With vegetables.

Similar to Italian wedding soup, there are many variation on meatball soup with vegetables in many traditions.
My mom makes this incredible,  warming, soothing soup. I loved it as a child, I love it now.

Pot with turkey meatballs soup with potatoes and carrots

Different types of meat can be used for this soup. My mom uses turkey or chicken. Italian classic version is a mix of pork and beef.

My mom came and cooked. I asked her to add more carrots. Kids love soup with carrots. I am happy.

Turkey Meatballs Soup with potatoes and carrots
(суп с фрикадельками)

Ingredients for meatball soup, before mixing

Ingredients

For the meatballs
- ground turkey, dark meat, 1 pound
- onion, 1 medium chopped
- parsley, 2 tables spoons chopped
- egg, 1
- sea salt, 1/2 tablespoon or to taste
- black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
- turmeric, to taste 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
- paprika, to taste 1/2 teaspoon or to taste

For the rest of the soup
- carrots, 2 small, peeled
- parsnip, 1, peeled (optional)
 - potatoes, 5 medium, peeled and cut to bite size cubes
- sea salt, to taste
- bay leave, 1-2
- parsley strings (optional)
- oregano, dry, 1/2 teaspoon or to taste

Method

In a large pot, boil water. Put in carrots and parsnip. Place all the ingredients for the meatballs in large mixing bowl and mix well with your hands. Wet your hands and form small balls. As you form, gently drop each meatball into boiling water. Lower the heat to low. Add the spices - bay leaves, oregano and parsley strings and let the soup simmer to 15 minutes. Add potatoes and salt and cook till potatoes are soft. They can be easily pierced with fork. Turn the heat.

Use thermos to send to school for lunch. The soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

When I reheat meatball soup for lunch for myself, I like adding leafy greens. Kale or collard greens compliment this soup really well. Try it!

Turkey meatball soup with potatoes and carrots. With green kale.

Surprise. With beets salad.

My son has surprised me. He came back from school and asked for beets salad for snack. He said "It was SOOOOO good. I ate everything in my lunchbox. Give me more."
I had kept my jaw from dropping down and served it to him. Like it was a bowl of strawberries.

"Here you go, dear."

What is this magical salad?

It is a short version of Russian "vinеgret" (винегрет), usually made from beets, carrots, potatoes, green peas, pickled cabbage and cucumbers, simply seasoned with sunflower oil and salt. This salad is often eaten during the Great Fast, important fasting season for Eastern Christianity, when almost only vegan food is allowed for 40 days.

Satisfying and filling, beet salad keeps well in refrigerator for few days, making it easy alternative for lunch box. Healthy and delicious.

Beet salad with pickles (винегрет)

Ingredients

Beets, 5-6 medium size, cooked and diced
pickled cabbage and/or cucumbers, about 1 cup
green peas, 1 cup, cooked (I used organic frozen peas, cooked according to package instructions)
scallions, 1/3 cup, cut small (may substitute with red or regular diced onions)
sunflower oil, unrefined, 1 tablespoon (may substitute with olive oil)
sea salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Method
Mix everything and serve.

Packed for lunch with pan fried wild salmon, steamed broccoli and yellow pepper

Variations
- this beets salad delicious served with tahini (sesame seeds) sauce.
- for traditional version, add 2 diced boiled potatoes and 1 carrot. Cook them in their skins.

Questions? Comments?

Healthy chocolate balls. With dates, almonds and coconut.

Do you want something sweet and satisfying, yet healthy and delicious?
Make chocolate balls with almonds and dates.

Vegan and almost raw chocolate balls. Why almost? I am out of raw chocolate powder. I didn't let it stop me and used regular cacao powder instead. If you can get your hands on raw cacao powder, by all means go for it. It is an excellent source of manganese and iron.

I am happy when my children eat chocolate balls. The reason is that every ingredient is nutrition dense - soaked raw almonds, hemp seeds, unsweetened coconut, goji berries, dates, raw cacao. I serve them for snack and for breakfast.

Chocolate ball, covered, ingredients, chocolate date almonds mass

Raw chocolate snow balls

Ingredients

For 'dough':
almonds, raw - 1 cup
dates, pitted 1 - 1 1/2 cups (I used Medjool extra moist dates)
raisins, 1/3 cup
raw cacao powder,  2 table spoons
vanilla extract, few drops (optional)
shredded coconut, 1/3 cup 
goji berries, 2 table spoons 
raw shelled hemp seeds, 2 table spoons (optional)
cacao nibs, 1 table spoon (optional)

For coating:
1/2 cup  shredded coconut

Method

Soak nuts for 12-24 hours in cold water in refrigerator. Drain. Nuts can be kept for few days at this point.  Process nuts in food processor until coarse ground. If you process everything together, nut pieces will end up big and you will need to open food processor and move the dough closer to knife and operate it again. Add the rest of dough ingredients and process to sticky mass.  Put coconut for coating in a small bowl. Take small amount of dough and form it into bite size ball with your hands. 

Place balls, one at the time, into shredded coconut bowl and rotate it gently to cover in coconut. Do the same with the rest.

Enjoy or refrigerate. Chocolate balls will keep well for few days.

Served!

Another coating idea - use cocoa powder.

If you or your family member has a nut allergy or no nuts are allowed in lunch box sent to school - almonds in the recipe can be replaced with raw sunflower seeds. Use the same method to prepare, including soaking of the seeds for a shorter period of time. 5-6 hours is enough.