Autumn is the golden season, perfect for comfortable afternoon walks and cozy family dinners at home. During this time, the most nutritious vegetables, berries, and mushrooms ripen, making it the ideal time to prepare interesting and authentic Ukrainian dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, like soups, porridge, and pies. We invite you to discover a tasty fall menu and cook something delicious.

We offer you an autumn menu for the day – 3 traditional Ukrainian dishes. The main ingredients for these recipes are seasonal foods that are full of vitamins and minerals.

Cranberry jam for breakfast 

While jam isn’t a complete meal, it can add significant value to any breakfast. Pair it with porridge, pancakes, or bread for a tasty and nutritious morning meal. 

In general, cranberries are very useful berries because they contain a whole range of organic acids (malic, glycolic, citric, oxalic, etc.), vitamins (C, E, B2, P, etc.), as well as many essential minerals, for example, magnesium, iron, calcium, sodium, phosphorus, etc. They are believed to affect arthritis, cystitis, and other diseases positively. For those, who want to go even further, we have the recipe for a marvellous cranberry pie.

Ingredients:

• 500 g cranberries 
• 200 g sugar 
• 1 lemon 
• 1 apple 

Cooking

1. Grate the lemon peel on a medium grater and squeeze the juice separately.
2. Wash the cranberries thoroughly and let them dry. Then, transfer them to a bowl and add lemon juice and sugar. Mix the berries and leave them overnight.
3. Peel the apple and remove the core, then grate it. Add the lemon zest and pour the mixture into the pan.
4. Pour all the juice from the berries into a pan with an apple, and add 2 spoons of berries and 150 ml. water. Now, it is necessary to bring the mixture to a boil and cook for about 25 minutes. At the end, add the rest of the berries and boil the jam for another 5-10 minutes.
5. Cranberry jam is ready! If you plan to enjoy it in the winter, put it in sterilized jars, close it tightly, and leave it for storage in a cool place. If you plan to eat it shortly, any container in the refrigerator will work.

Pumpkin soup

Pumpkin, rich in vitamins E, A, K, and B, is a healthy vegetable choice. It does not contain starch and is very popular among people who monitor their diet. Pumpkin is versatile and can be used in various courses, from soups to desserts. Here’s a simple and delicious pumpkin soup recipe for your lunch. By the way, we have the recipe for one more yummy fall main dish – creamy pumpkin soup with prawns.

Ingredients:

• 500 g pumpkin 
• 2 liters vegetable or chicken broth 
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 bulb onion
• 200 ml cream 
• Salt, pepper – to your taste

Cooking

1. Peel the pumpkin and cut it into medium pieces. In general, the size does not matter, but the smaller the pieces, the faster the pumpkin will cook.
2. Peel and chop the garlic separately. The onion should be peeled and cut into half rings.
3. Now, put pumpkin, garlic, and onion in a saucepan and pour broth or water. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Focus on the consistency of the pumpkin – it should become soft.
4. Allow the soup to cool and grind it uniformly. This can be done with a pestle or blender.
5. Add salt, pepper, and other spices. At this stage, you need to pour cream into the soup, mix well, and bring it to a boil. Serve pumpkin soup with hot croutons or fresh bread.

Mushroom pie

Autumn in Ukraine is synonymous with forest mushrooms, especially boletus mushrooms. These mushrooms are one of the most beloved and popular ones in Ukraine. They are rich in vitamins (C, E, PP, B group) and essential minerals (phosphorus, calcium, iron, magnesium, copper, potassium, sodium, zinc, etc.). We suggest you try a nutritious dinner recipe – a pie with mushrooms. And if you would like to add some veggies to your bakery, then welcome to discover a tasty cabbage and mushroom pie.

Ingredients:

• 800 g boletus mushrooms
• 650 g flour 
• 250 ml water 
• 150 g hard cheese
• 50 g dairy butter 
• 50 ml sunflower oil 
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon sugar 
• 1 tablespoon dry yeast 
• Salt, pepper – to your taste

Cooking

1. First, let’s make the pre-dough. To do this, mix 3 tablespoons of flour, a third of a glass of warm water, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of dry yeast. Leave in a warm place for 30 minutes.
2. Pour 600 g of sifted flour into a container, add one egg, pour in two-thirds of a glass of water, and previously prepared pre-dough mixed with a pinch of salt. Knead the dough and leave it for 30 minutes.
3. Put mushrooms in boiling water, bring them to a boil, remove with a slotted spoon, and remove excess moisture with a paper towel. Then fry the mushrooms in vegetable oil until done.
4. When the dough has increased by 2-3 times, combine it with melted dairy butter. Next, mix and put it in a bowl, cover it with a towel, and leave it in a warm place for 30 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into two unequal parts. Roll out the larger one into a thick layer and place it on the grill or in a baking dish. Place the mushrooms on top, cover with grated hard cheese and the second part of the dough, and secure the edges.
6. Immediately before baking, brush the cake with a beaten egg and put it in an oven heated to 180°C (356°F)  for 40-45 minutes. Bake until golden brown.

As you can see, the autumn menu can be very diverse and nutritious. Try these three recipes to prepare a Ukrainian-style breakfast, lunch, and dinner!