Most of us take lunch boxes to the office. Some lucky people can warm their food up at work The rest have to eat sandwiches. Sandwiches are great, but even if we absolutely love them we could get fed up with them in the end. Regardless of where we work we can save the situation with salads. Every day we can prepare a different one and we have an entirely new lunch. If we also take an attractive dish, we have something that is not only tasty but also glamorous.

I would like to share with you the recipe for a salad which looks equally as beautiful as it is yummy. The chickpeas and groats make it a satisfying and balanced meal, after which we won't be hungry. I think that if you prepare your lunch in the morning and plan to eat it at lunchtime, we should keep the salad and the dip separately. Otherwise, after a few hours in the jar, we have an unappetising dish with squishy lettuce, which isn't what we want, is it?

Ingredients (for 2 people)
1 beetroot
200g of tinned chickpeas
100g of bulgur
1 carrot
1 fresh green pepper
4 lettuce leaves
200g of natural yoghurt
handful of minced chives
1 small chili pepper
salt and pepper

One day in a restaurant in Warsaw a waiter recommended black pudding with raspberries as a starter. This combination sounded so exotic that we had to try it. The dish was surprisingly tasty. Such seemingly strange combinations require courage, knowledge and intuition from the chef. Essentially, we can put into a pot or onto a plate anything we want. The combination is not always edible. The real masters of fusion food mix ingredients from different cultures and traditions to make new culinary goodies. Lobster with strawberries, chocolate with chili, vegetables as desserts – some of the combinations are on the menu, but there are as many countries as there are possible combinations. We have to dare to experiment.

Today I would like to share with you my proposal for an unusual combination: salad with figs and white beans in a spicy parsley sauce. I recommend adding colourful cherry tomatoes to balance the floury taste of the beans and the gently sweet taste of the figs. They will be equally beautiful as a decoration on the dish.

Ingredients (for 2 people)
200g of white beans
2 fresh figs
12 cherry tomatoes
a fistful of blueberries
dip:
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of water
half a chili pepper
2 tablespoons of minced parsley
1 clove of garlic
salt and pepper

I think that sometimes everybody is hungry but doesn't know what to eat. We open the fridge and although there is everything inside, we are not in the mood for anything in particular. Salads save the day. You only have to think for a while and with the main ingredients you can prepare a yummy dish. Add egg, beans, chickpeas, or any meat to the salad and you have a rich and equally light and beautiful dish.

Sometimes a combination of ingredients which seemingly don't go together make a yummy and surprising effect. Today I would like to share with you the recipe for a salad with this kind of unusual combination: fruit, pepper, smoked salmon, mozzarella cheese and a spicy sweet-and-sour dip. In my opinion, it tastes heavenly, and you will have to admit it looks beautiful.

Ingredients (for 2 people)

1 yellow pepper
5 strawberries
2 peaches
200g of mozzarella cheese
200g of smoked salmon
peppermint and basil leaves

It is common knowledge that strange cravings are the preserve of pregnant women. You don't need to be pregnant to want to a few things at the same time. There are two kinds of dishes which you may prepare in this situation: salads and baked goods. You may prepare surprising and yummy meals with products which seemingly don't go together. Try to experiment and maybe you will create something special. At worst you will make a dish "with an interesting taste" (this is what we call less successful culinary experiments in my family).

Today I mixed fresh spinach leaves and green asparagus spears with fruit: juicy pomegranate and sweet blueberries. Add poached egg or pieces of hard-boiled egg if you want to make a more filling dish. This salad is an excellent proposal for a light dinner on a hot summer day.

Ingredients (for 2 people)
2 fistfuls of spinach
a bunch of green asparagus spears (about 12 pieces)
half a pomegranate
two fistfuls of blueberries
4 eggs
salt and pepper
dip:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of honey
1 tablespoon of water

Some time ago, I was a spectator at a bake-off of the most well-known chefs in Poland. The winner was a dish which consisted of a minimum of ingredients. It was a simple dish, but it was excellent due to the high quality products used to prepare it. In my opinion, choosing the right ingredients to make the ideal dish is a sign of artistry. The dish should stimulate all our senses.

My recipe today is for a salad which is a combination of ingredients which seemingly do not go together well. You will need kiwi fruit. I used golden ones, but for this salad green ones would also be fine. You have to buy radish shoots and slices of smoked bacon or raw smoked ham. Strange ingredients? Try them; they greatly complement each other.

Ingredients:
rocket
2 golden kiwis
radish shoots
4 big slices of raw smoked ham
a fistful of almonds
dip:
3 tablespoons of olive oil