A few weeks ago we visited the Pumpkin Farm near Warsaw. It was a beautiful trip: the sunny weather and the many kinds of colourful pumpkins invited us to look at them, take photos and buy them. It was a very nice time. We got back with a couple of colourful pumpkins which for a few days decorated our balcony. Slowly but surely, I used up my pumpkin supply preparing soups, salads and muffins. Of course, I also had to have my favourite risotto with pumpkin. I added a bit of curcuma to make the colour of the dish stronger. We had a real autumn dish on our plates.

Ingredients (for 4 people):
200 g of arborio rice
1l of vegetarian bouillon
1 big onion
2 cloves of garlic
1.5kg of pumpkin (before peeling)
half a teaspoon of curcuma
200ml of dry white wine
3 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of parmesan
3 tablespoons of almond flakes

October and November taste of pumpkin and plums. During the rest of the year we hardly eat pumpkin. Occasionally I buy a butternut pumpkin when I would like to eat some pumpkin soup. Thanks to Halloween and jack-o'lanterns, pumpkin salads, pancakes, muffins, tarts and soups reign in my autumn kitchen.

I remember sweet pumpkin soup cooked with milk from my childhood. I honestly don't like it. In my home I prepare spicy pumpkin soup with coconut milk. This time I prepared pumpkin soup with tomatoes and orange juice. My soup was really spicy. My lesson for today is: always check how spicy your chili pepper is before you add it to your meal 

Ingredients (for 4 people)
half a pumpkin (about 2.5kg before peeling)
1 tin of tomatoes
1 chili pepper
2 cloves of garlic
1 small onion
1 tablespoon of butter
juice from one orange
1l of vegetable stock
150ml of sweet cream (optional)

We like fish, especially fresh fish just from the boat in a fish and chips shop at the Polish seaside. Unfortunately, the holiday doesn't last the whole year, so we prepare fish dishes in our kitchen. The salmon is our favourite fish. Cooked, fried, roasted or smoked – we love them all.

Today I served the fishy king of the table – fried salmon with cranberries. Because the devil is in the details, I served it with pearl barley, kale and roasted sunflower seeds. It seems ordinary, but a little bit different. It was yummy and healthy. I recommend it!

Ingredients (for 2 people)
salmon
2 pieces of salmon
salt and pepper
your favourite herbs for fish
1 tablespoon of clarified butter
cranberries
2 fistfuls of fresh cranberries
4 tablespoons of maple syrup
2 tablespoons of orange peel
50 ml of orange juice
1 twig of rosemary
pearl barley
100g of pearl barley
2 big fistfuls of kale
4 tablespoons of sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons of butter
2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper

Today I would like to share with you the recipe for a thick and rich one-pot meal: Mexican soup with a large amount of beans and meat. It has a strong tomato flavour, pepper, a beautiful smell and is easy to reheat. There are as many recipes for Mexican soup as there are housewives. You may prepare this soup with or without meat, chorizo or bacon. You always you have to use beans (one or more kinds of them), spicy peppers (jalapeno is excellent), smoked paprika, onion and tomato. I add cubed turkey thigh and very fragrant smoked bacon to my soup. The dish was excellent and very spicy, to the delight of my daughter.

Ingredients (for 4 people)
600g of cubed turkey thigh
250g of smoked bacon
1 tin of red beans
1 tin of white beans
250ml of tomato passata
1 big onion
3 cloves of garlic
chilli pepper
2 teaspoons of sweet smoked paprika
2 twig of rosemary
2 twig of thyme
a pinch of ground cumin
a pinch of ground coriander
1l of beef stew
3 tablespoons of chopped parsley
salt and pepper

School lunches really make parents' life a lot easier. It is very comforting to know that our children eat a warm meal at school. When this is for some reason impossible, we have to prepare lunch or a warm dinner for the children ourselves. For busy parents, the solution is swift dishes which we can prepare the day before and then heat up. Also excellent are easy dishes which you can prepare in 20 minutes.

Today I would like to share with you the recipe for a swift dinner. Penne with spinach pesto, crunchy chips with smoked ham or bacon and cherry tomatoes caters for all tastes - even the most particular person. You can prepare it very fast, it is yummy and looks beautiful. I prepare it sometimes even if I am not in a hurry. It is really great.

Ingredients (for 2 people):
150g of penne noodles
3 fistfuls of fresh spinach
3 tablespoons of sunflower seeds
4 tablespoons of parmesan
100ml of olive oil
a clove of garlic
salt and pepper
100g of smoked ham or bacon
a couple of cherry tomatoes