As part of our calorie-deficit diet we make a lot of homemade soup and salads, and one delicious favourite is a Polish-style Tomato Soup. This is a comforting lunchtime dish that is simple yet packed full of flavour. The inspiration came from suppers with my family in Poland from when I was younger, with my aunties making various different types of noodle soup, the tomato flavour being my favourite. I hope you like it! Total calories = Approx 140 calories per portion. Ingredients (for 4/5 lunches); 400g tin plum tomatoes 1.5L chicken stock 2 carrots, diced 40ml sour cream 2 tbsp butter Handf ..read more

Don’t be misled by the name of this recipe, if a meal entitled “broccoli” always tasted like this one, I’d be very happy! I got the inspiration for this one from my Polish cookbook by Alina Kowalska (with the odd tweak) and loved it – the added crushed cumin to the mashed potatoes was a lovely addition. Such a tasty and warming dish for all to enjoy. Total calories = Approx 709 per person. Ingredients (for 2 people); 1 tbsp “easy garlic” paste 1 bay leaf 1 tsp All Spice 1/2 tbsp black pepper 100g smoked bacon lardons 120g Tenderstem broccoli & 200g broccoli florets 1/2 tbsp dried Marjora ..read more

This delightfully warming home-made soup is a simple, humble recipe but delicious all the same. No need for a food processor as long as you don’t mind a chunky veggie soup. The flavours and aroma of the dill, gherkins and sour cream take me back to visiting family in Poland. A yummy, easy to make lunch for anyone to try. Total calories = 158 per portion. Ingredients (for 6 portions); 1700ml chicken or vegetable stock 450g peeled and diced potatoes Two large peeled and diced carrots One large peeled and diced parsnip Six grated dill pickles (I used gherkins that I had in) 220g/240ml sour crea ..read more

This simple yet very effective recipe is a great accompaniment to any baked meat or salad. The ingredients & herbs used really do remind me of my time visiting family in Poland and eating my Auntie’s home-cooked feasts. I served this with the Polish Baked Chicken Reuben, you can find this recipe here, but I would actually enjoy something like this as a quick lunch option too! For 2 people this was quite a large portion but it was so yummy I couldn’t leave any of it. Total calories = Approx 240 per portion. Ingredients (for 2 people); 3 large potatoes (about 500g) 2 eggs 1 large gherkin o ..read more

Having Polish family and being a quarter-Polish myself (if that’s a thing? – My Grandad was from Poland), I have been meaning to cook some authentic Polish cuisine, I have no idea why it’s taken me so long! The ingredients and flavours really do take me back to being a little girl going to visit family in Turek, Poland and staying with my Great Auntie who would cook us all these amazing feasts for breakfast and dinner, the table laid with so many different dishes and treats. My favourite times in Poland were always based around eating (naturally). I do miss Poland and visiting the family, but ..read more