Simply best baked potato "fries". Skins on.

In my search for perfect potato chips, I came to try this technique. The result is crispy, delicious potato fries with very little oil.

Baked organic potatoes skins on with olive oil and sea salt

There are few steps, but the result worth it.

Simply best baked potato "fries"

Ingredients

Potatoes, organic - 2 pounds, skins on, cut to wedges (half and then half each piece again)
Olive oil - 2 table spoons
Sea salt - to taste
Spices - to taste

Method

Begin by heating the oven to 400F. In a large pot, boil about 5 quarts of water, adding salt as for cooking pasta, about 2 tea spoons. Prepare a cookie sheet or baking dish, lined with parchment paper. Brush the paper with olive oil. When the water is boiling, add the potatoes and cook for 5-10 minutes, just till they start to soften. Drain the water. The potatoes will dry out, since they are so hot. Place the potatoes in one layer onto the cookie sheet. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt. Add spices of your choice, if desired. Good match might be rosemary, oregano, chili flakes. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden. Serve immediately. 

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.

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.