Meatball soup for couscous.

Another variation on meatball soup. Same meatballs, different vegetables - new soup. Easy and convenient to serve over couscous or quinoa.

meatball soup with squash and cabbage
Turkey meatballs soup with butternut squash, green beans, carrots, zucchini and cabbage


Turkey Meatballs Soup with butternut squash, carrots, cabbage, zucchini and green beans
(суп с фрикадельками)


Ingredients

For the meatballs
- ground turkey, dark meat, 1 pound (or other meat of your choice)
- onion, 1 medium chopped
- carrot, 1 grated
- 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)
- butternut squash, 1/2, peeled and cut to bite size pieces
- cabbage, about half a pound, chopped
- green beans, 1/4 a pound, cut to bite size pieces
- zucchini, 1 medium, cut to bite size pieces
- sea salt, to taste
- tamari or soy sauce, 1 tablespoon (optional)
- bay leave, 1-2
- parsley strings (optional)
- oregano, dry, 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
- chilli flakes, to taste (optional)
- sea salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- turmeric, to taste

Method

In a large pot, boil water. Put in carrots, butternut squash 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 meatballs. As you form them, 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 rest of the vegetables, salt and salt and cook for another 15 minutes. The vegetables can be easily pierced with fork.


Enjoy over couscous, white or wholewheat or cooked quinoa for gluten free version.

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.

chicken meatballs in a soup
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!

how to add more greens to your diet
Turkey meatball soup with potatoes and carrots. With green kale.

Pan fried wild salmon. With soy sauce.

Another take on wild salmon preparation. Wild salmon is really a super food. Since I cook it only for David, individually packed frozen wild salmon fillets work the best.

salmon with black pepper
On the skillet, cooked and ready
This easy recipe has two advatages over the steamed version. The first one is that my son leaves no leftovers and the second is the amount of dishes, just one small skillet.


Wild salmon, pan fried with soy sauce

Ingredients
wild salmon fillet, 1
soy sauce, 1 tablespoon (I used gluten free tamari sauce)
oilve oil for frying, about 1/2 tablespoon
salt, to taste (needs very little, if at all, depends on the saltiness of the soy sauce)
black pepper, to taste
lemon juice, optional

Method
Heat skillet with lid on medium heat for about 30 seconds. Add  olive oil. Place the fillet skin side up. Close the lid and let it fry for about 1 minute. Open carefully and add soy sauce. Let it simmer and cook the salmon with the lead closed for another 3 minutes. Flip salmon fillet skin side down, season with black pepper and salt and cook for about 4 minutes. To be sure it is cooked properly, use food thermometer to check the internal temperature in the thickest part. It should measure 145F. When ready squeeze some lemon juice, if you choose.



This wild salmon is delicious hot or cold. For my convenience I have cooked it day before school and packed cold. With plenty of vegetables. 

wild salmon in a lunchbox
Lunchbox with pan friend wild salmon, beets salad and steamed broccoli

The lunchbox came out completely empty.

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.

beets salad for lunch
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?

Getting ready to bake. With frozen orange zest.

Orange zest can infuse almost any cookie recipe. It also work well in many savory recipes, like pasta, chicken and fish.

Many times I am short in time and do not add orange zest.
Is there any simple solution?

easy lunches for tots and children
Grating orange zest
Yes!

Making a batch! 
Whenever you have oranges and few spare minute, grate orange zest using microplane zester and freeze it in tight closing container for up to 6 months.

The same can be done for lemons. Conventional lemons, oranges and other citrus are heavily sprayed. Use organics, when possible. 

And whenever you are in a mood to add a little zest to your cooking - it is quick and easy.

Mixing chocolate milk. With maple syrup.

Making chocolate milk is easy. My daughter loves to mix. She enjoys stirring cocoa with a splash of water and maple syrup to make thick brown paste, to add milk to it and to watch how it dissolves. And the best part - drinking it with a spoon!

Making and enjoying homemade chocolate milk


By making my own chocolate milk, I can control the amount and the quality of the sweetener in it. More than that, it gives me a possibility to choose what milk and cocoa powder to use. I have made chocolate milk with regular unsweetened cocoa powder and even with raw cocoa powder. 

Ingredients

cocoa powder, 1 full teaspoon
maple syrup, 1 teaspoon
water, hot or very warm, about 1 tablespoon
milk, one cup (your choice, I have used organic whole milk)

Method

Place cocoa powder, maple syrup and water in a cup. Mix thoroughly until becomes dark brown.
Add warm or cold milk. Mix and enjoy.

chocolate milk with maple syrup
After and before mixing cocoa powder, water and maple syrup


Note: you can make a bunch and store in refrigerator. Mix or shake before serving.





Making popcorn together.

It was a celebration when my grandmother popped popcorn for me. It was long before microwaves made their way to the modern kitchens.

healthy snack for children
Popcorn from scratch

It was a magic ritual. She got this strange looking corn dried on the cob  from the market and popped it for me. With me! The sounds it made - tra-ta-ta-ta-ta! The special attention I got. Priceless. 

Invite your child to join you in making popcorn. Explain everything - to stay away from heat, to listed to the sounds, to pay attention to the interval between the sounds. Invite him/her to examine the size of popcorn before and after popping. Bring their attention to few grains that won't pop - make sure they don't eat it. This whole popping ritual is an adventure.

Popcorn from scratch

Ingredients

popcorn, 1/4 - 1/3 cup  (preferable organic, since corn is usually heavily sprayed)
coconut oil, 1/2 tablespoon (or other heat resistant oil of your choice)
sea salt, optional
seasoning of your choice, optional

Method 

In large pot heat the oil on medium heat for about 1 minute. Add popcorn. Lower the heat to medium low. Stir or shake the pot to cover the grains in oil. Close the lid and wait together. One pop, few more, an artillery... And here is continues. When the interval between the pops starts to get longer and longer, remove the pot from heating element completely. Wait few seconds for it to stop. Transfer to serving bowl. Season, mix and enjoy.