​This should be titled chicken and/or eggplant parmigiana. As it can be only chicken parmigiana or only eggplant parmigiana or it can be both.

This is a family favourite, we all love it. Some of us prefer eggplant, some of us prefer chicken. I make both and everybody is happy.

This is in all honesty is usually a leftovers dish for me. On a non busy day when there is no after school training I make a double batch of the chicken and eggplant, you don't need to double the sauce, one batch is usually enough. Then I crumb the chicken and eggplant on the non busy day, pan fry it until cooked all the way through and we eat this with the sauce and a side salad.

​Then with the leftovers, the next day, when I'm busy and have after school training, I get home, preheat the oven, while it is heating, I assemble everything for baking the parmigiana. Then just bake it until it is hot, the cheese is bubbling and dinner is done. Now naturally the crumbs won't be as crispy as when you freshly make it, but it is still delicious.
​
​This is a dish that once you've made it, you don't even need a recipe. You crumb the chicken or eggplant, you make a simple tomato sauce and you top it with cheese (whatever cheese you like to eat, that melts), I don't really measure anything anymore. 

Always have extra breadcrumbs on hand, in case you need it.

This recipe can be halved, doubled, tripled, make as many or as little as you like.

This is a popular and classic dish for a reason, it's simple, it's delicious and everybody loves it.

Serves 6-8

1 large eggplant
6 chicken thigh fillets
1 tablespoon salt
½ cup plain flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup milk
½ cup finely grated fresh parmesan cheese
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil for shallow frying

Tomato Basil Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 x 400g can tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Topping:
500g Cheese-mozzarella, havarti, any cheese you love to eat, that melts
Sprinkle of fresh basil or dried oregano (optional)
​
​Cut eggplants into ½-1cm thick slices. If your eggplants have dark black seeds in them, place slices on wire racks over oven trays; sprinkle with salt. Stand for 30 minutes, rinse under cold water; drain. Pat eggplant slices dry with absorbent paper. If the eggplant does not have dark seeds, I skip this step. 
​​
If your chicken thighs have thick bits, butterfly them open with a knife so they are the same thickness all round. Season with salt and pepper.
​
Coat eggplant slices in flour, dip in combined eggs and milk, then coat in combined cheese and breadcrumbs. Repeat with chicken thigh fillets.
​​
Tomato Basil Sauce: Heat oil in a medium pan; add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until onion is soft. Add undrained crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and stock. Simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in basil. 
​​
Shallow fry eggplant slices, in batches, over medium heat, in hot oil 2-3 minutes each side or until browned on both sides and crisp; drain on absorbent paper. Now shallow fry chicken thighs, in batches, over low-medium heat, in hot oil 4-5 minutes each side or until browned on both sides and crisp; drain on absorbent paper.

​Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and melted, and the eggplant and chicken is completely cooked through.

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Tagliata for Two: I love this one as it is so quick and easy to make. My family love this one to. The flavours are lovely and you can get dinner on the table quickly. This is a great midweek meal as it is takes little effort and doesn't take long to cook.

Burger Night at our House: We just had this yesterday. Our favourite burgers are always home made. I make the patties, I set up all the sides and sauces, the bread rolls are sliced and everyone just makes their own favourite burgers at the table. Everyone is happy and it's like take away food, but better.

Simple Steak Sandwich: Like the burger we love a good steak sandwich. After a few tries, I have found my families favourite steak sandwich recipe. This is loved as much as the burger. Steak sandwiches and burgers allow kids to eat with their hands, it's fun, they get to make it how they like it and it gives a take away feel, but you are actually eating something tasty and home made.

Beef and Mushroom Pie: Who doesn't love pie. This pie is made with a delicious beef and mushroom stew filling. The pastry is my favourite savoury pie pastry and it is so easy to make. I sometimes make one large pie, or I make smaller individual ones. 

Roast Chicken Salad and Chive Mayonnaise: This salad is delicious. Everything works together so beautifully-the chicken-the egg-the salad-the mayonnaise.
This is very easy to make, a great midweek dinner as it really is so easy, while the chicken is baking, you just prepare the other things.

Braised Chicken Marylands with Wine and Tomatoes: This is probably one of my favourite dinners of all time. It is so easy to make, hardly any preparation (I love the simplicity of this dish), it is such a great weeknight meal. This smells amazing while it is cooking, and it tastes amazing once it was done. This absolutely simple recipe is delicious. My kids were placing pieces of bread into the sauce and allowing the bread to get soaked in the sauce and enjoying every single bite.

Chicken, Mushroom and Bacon Pie: This is one of my favourite pies. The filling is so easy to make and is absolutely delicious. The pastry is easy to make also, I mean really easy. This is my kids favourite pie, this gets requested all the time. Quite often I just make one large pie, but if I'm in the mood I make individual ones.

Chicken or Eggplant Parmigiana: Who doesn't love Chicken Parmigiana. It's crumbed chicken with a tomatoes sauce and melted cheese, what's not to love. Why eggplant, not just chicken, because I love eggplant, and if I'm already crumbing chicken I like to throw in an eggplant for me. This is a family favourite in our house. In the introduction this dish is what I  mean when I say it may take a few tries to get kids to eat certain foods. My kids always told me they hate eggplant. But now they are eating my eggplant and loving it.  This is a cheap and easy midweek meal.

Duck Breasts with Red Wine Sauce, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans: My oh my how my family love this. This is what I cook when I don't feel like cooking. This is so quick and easy to make, and tastes so good, my family absolutely love this.
We all love duck breasts in our house and teamed with this red wine sauce and mashed potato and some green beans or asparagus or broccolini, it's all just delicious.

Greek Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki: The best thing about my Eating Around the World Adventure is the discovery of new foods I would never have ever tried, if I hadn't started this journey. This is delicious, the flavour combination here is truly amazing, the chicken with the tzatziki, with the salad, all wrapped up in the best pita bread I have ever had, this is one great dish. This is actually my second gyros recipe on my blog, the other has a Lemon Chicken marinade instead, but as I loved them both so much, I had to add them both. 

Woodman's Chicken: This dish was delicious, I mean really delicious. The aromas that waft through the house promise something special and you hope it will taste as good as it smells, and this one certainly does. It is really, really easy to make. I served it with a green salad, some broccolini, some roasted mushrooms (as we had extra) and some roasted truss tomatoes. You need some crusty Italian style bread or a crisp baguette, to soak up the sauce, it's fabulous.

Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder: This is probably my favourite roast lamb recipe. The meat is so soft and so tasty. I serve it with homemade pita bread and an assortment of dips, tzatziki, eggplant dip, Bean Skordalia and a Capsicum and Feta dip. This was one of those meals where you just watch your family eating your food and the fact they loved it so much, brought joy to my heart.

Lamb Racks with Breadcrumbs, Parsley and Lemon: This dish is really, really nice. My family love it, we all love the crumbs, and the lamb was so soft and moist, it was beautiful. This is definitely something I would cook again and again, as watching my family eat this brought a smile to my face. When I cook and the food is loved by my family, I do get quite excited.

Slow Cooked Lamb Shank and Bean Ragu: This is a great recipe. The meat is soft, falling off the bone, delicious. The sauce is rich and delicious. The polenta a perfect accompaniment. 
Another reason why it's a great recipe is because it's oven baked. Why, I love oven bake stews is that once you do the initial prep work, you place it in the oven and you don't have to do anything else. Well here after one hour you just remove the lid and turn the shanks over, but that's it. 

Spaghetti Bolognese: Let me start by saying I have never really liked spaghetti bolognese, but my kids love it. They would continuously ask for me to make it, and I would dread making it as I never found a way to cook it where I to would like it. It was either too watery, tasteless, just ordinary. Something was always missing for me. Then I came across this recipe that said to slow cook the sauce for 2 hours, and I gave it a try. It was delicious. When you slow cook the sauce for such a long time, the flavours develop and you get a lovely flavoured sauce. You know it is ready when the oils start to surface on the top of the sauce.

Lasagne: This is one really good Lasagne. My family absolutely love it, I love it. My family and friends love it. I use the bolognese sauce that is pictured above and then just turn it into a lasagne. This is great for parties, it is one of those rustic dishes that can feed a lot of people. 

Spaghetti Puttanesca: This is probably my most repeated recipe and one my family requests regularly. This is what I cook when I'm too tired to cook, or when I don't want to go and do groceries so I have nothing to cook with but what I can find in my pantry. With just a few simple ingredients, you can make a quick, flavousome, satisfying meal. If you don't have parmesan cheese but have some bread in the house, I sometimes blitz that up in a food procesor, fry the crumbs in some olive oil, season with a little salt and sprinkle on the pasta instead of the parmesan. Adds crunch and it is delicious.

Short Rib Ragu: Another oven baked sauce. This is my new favourite pasta sauce, I have a lot of favourites. I never thought that beef spare ribs could taste this good and make a sauce that is so rich, yet so tasty, every mouthful was amazing. After a bit of initial preparation, you get to put the sauce into the oven and forget about it for 2 hours. It is so simple. The final thirty minutes to an hour requires you to bring it to the stove top to reduce it into the luscious sauce it will become.

Spaghetti with Clams: Sometimes I get asked what I would consider is my signature dish, now with everything I have cooked I always find that a difficult question, but if I had to choose just one dish, it would be this one. This is a dish I can probably make blindfolded as I have made it so many times and it is so easy to make.
I started cooking this dish many years ago, and it is a hit with all my family and friends. My mother when coming over tells me to cook this all the time. My mother in law asked for the recipe-it was a proud day for me that day. It is so so simple, yet such a great dish. 

Spaghetti Marinara: This one I'm a bit proud of as I made this recipe up. After trying a few recipes, and not liking what we ate, I decided to try and combine a few ideas and this recipe came about. This is as easy as the spaghetti with clams above, just with extra seafood. My family love this and everyone gets to indulge in their favourite seafood.

Creamy Bacon Fettuccine: I had to include a creamy pasta dish, as I love those to. This is by far my favourite creamy pasta dish. This is my kids favourite pasta dish. It is so easy to make, by the time the pasta is cooked the sauce is done. It is a cheap dish to make, just a few ingredients and you get this delicious meal to serve to your family and friends.

Seafood Paella: I have been making this for over 20 years now. This is a really easy recipe and the flavours are so good. The rice is delicious, and the seafood needs to be just cooked and it is perfect. Just have everything ready before you start cooking, and you will have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes. Once you've done the prep work, the cooking part is easy.

Pork Campagnola: Every now and then I get surprised by a dinner I prepare. I expected it to be good, but I didn't expect it to be as good as it was. The meat was super tender and the flavours all worked so well together, my family loved this. This recipe can be made in about 30 minutes if you are organised. It is a perfect mid week meal, when you are tired or busy, but need to feed yourself and your family, it is fast and easy to prepare.

Pork Schnitzel with Lemon and Parsley: Schnitzels, everyone I know has made or had schnitzels. My mum made them when I was growing up, most mum's I knew made them. 
I don't like plain packaged breadcrumbs, I'm always disappointed with the end result (unless they are panko breadcrumbs, they're great). So when watching TV one day I saw a TV chef use fresh breadcrumbs (say 2 day old bread) and I have never gone back. What a difference it makes. The end result is so nice, it is just so worth the extra effort. And by adding a few additional ingredients to the crumbs, you have a simply gorgeous dinner.

Stuffed Peppers-Punjene Paprike: these capsicums are my families version of comfort food. It is a recipe that I got from my mum and now I am happy to share it with the rest of the world. Although it seems like a complicated dish, I found it far easier to make than I expected. It's another baked dish, I really do love oven baked dishes, they make life so much easier.

Roast Pork Belly with Sauerkraut: This a dish my mother has been making us for years, we absolutely love the combination of pork and sauerkraut.
This I love as after a little prep work, it cooks itself and leaves you free to do other things. Simple, delicious, and something you should try soon. Quick tip with crackling, if by chance it isn't perfect, every oven is different, just put it under the grill for a few minutes and watch it go nuts, just keep an eye on it as it will burn quick.

Roast Pork with Garlic and Rosemary: Okay, so here is an easy recipe for you all. I absolutely love this one. This roast pork is so full of flavour, very moist and is one of the easiest dinners you will ever prepare.There is a bit of a trend in my recipes, I love easy recipes. This teamed with some roast potatoes that or a simple green salad, easy dinner and everyone is happy.

Sarma: Here is one that is not easy, but it is well worth the effort. This is the recipe that my mum uses and now I do to. This is very popular at our family parties. This makes a lot, if by chance you are making this just for your family, sarme freeze well, so a little effort on a quiet day, means you have meals in the freezer for busy days.

Fish and Chips: ​ Fish and chips is so easy to make. This recipe produces fish batter that is crisp, but not ridiculously thick. The tartare sauce is my favourite one ever, much better than a store bought one. And the chips are lovely.

Chilli Crab: This is so easy to make, it is simple and fresh. It is an extremely messy dish to eat, but you just don't care as it is that good, and you cannot resist licking your fingers. My 12 year old has loved this from the first time he ever tried it, he was probably 6 or 7. If I ask him what he feels like for dinner, he requests this all the time. Simple, tasty, truly a recipe one needs to try.

Fish Tacos: These Fish Tacos are delicious, they are beyond delicious, they are amazing.
They have spice, they have crunch, they look so pretty, they are a flavour bomb, seriously they are so good. My kids could not stop eating them, they were truly excited by these tacos. But beware, they are really spicy.

Fish with Lemon Butter Sauce: From super spicy tacos to this dish, which is delicately beautiful. The John Dory, it melts in your mouth, it is delicate and every bite is delicious​.
This is a great recipe for novice cooks, it is simple and impressive.

Whole Baked Ocean Trout with Fennel and Pomegranate: This is my Christmas fish dish. I have made this a few times now and I find it amazing. All the flavours work so beautifully together. And it looks spectacular on the Christmas table.

​Prawn Bisque: This soup is so delicious, it is delicate, it is full of flavour, it is just so good. It is so easy to make, my youngest when he was 10 made this. 

Cream of Asparagus Soup: My family are all foodies, everyone likes trying new things and suggest things they'd like to eat. This one came from my husband as he saw I had asparagus in the freezer one day. It took me by surprise how something so simple could taste so great. This is a family favourite and every year it is made during aspargus season, repeatedly.

Smoked Ham, Tomato and Butter Bean Soup: My family are soup addicts, they love soup. Whether it is a clear chicken broth or thick hearty soups like this one, they just love them. If I say we are having soup for dinner, I know everyone is excited. This soup is an entire meal, you don't need anything else. Served with some crusty Italian bread, it is comfort food for us.

Chicken Wonton Soup: I love trying new recipes, cooking things I have never done before, it makes cooking exciting for me. My family love this soup. I combined two recipes to make this one. The wontons are delicious and the soup is delicate and lovely. 

Seafood Laksa Lemak: This recipe gets everybody in my house excited. Laksa night is special. This recipe is an easy one as I use a laksa paste, and I have no problem with that. If it helps me get dinner on the table quickly, I will use it. Even though this is a soup, it is actually a meal with all the sides you add to it. This is loved and requested all the time by my family.

Pea and Ham Soup: If it is cold and wet outside, you need a thick, hearty, delicious soup to warm you up. This is a great recipe here, this one is a winner. 
This soup ticks all the boxes, it is so tasty with so little effort. You just place the ingredients in a large saucepan, cover with water, bring to the boil, simmer for about 2 hours and all you have to do is stir it every now and then.

Chicken Soup with Semolina Dumplings: Croatians and their soups, it's an addiction. This is something you will find in every Croatian house regularly, I mean for some people it is every single day, summer, autumn, winter and spring, good old Chicken Soup, it is the start to every meal. We have this type of soup at least 3-4 times a week in my house. Here I have included a recipe for semolina dumplings, but you can use store bought soup pastas in any shape you like. Also if you prefer, change the meat to beef (use beef spare ribs or veal shanks) or lamb (I like to use either lamb shanks or lamb shoulder) and you have a different soup. 

Lentil Soup: A recipe that came from my mum. I love family recipes, I love that when I make this my kids now love this to. This again is simple and is a meal when served with some crusty bread.

Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks: Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks are delicious. It is the softest meat you will ever try. By gently pressing your knife through the meat, it glides through like cutting butter.
The sauce is rich and needs to be served over a bed of mashed potato. This is great comfort food, perfect on a cold winters day.

Easy Baked Goulash: As soon as this goulash goes into the oven the house has the most delicious aroma going through it. I honestly hoped it would taste as good as it smelt, and it did. This goulash was delicious, every single bite was so good. The meat was soft and tender, the potatoes cooked, but kept there shape, and it was different to my normal stews, this had a very small amount of tomatoes in it, this makes for a completely different stew, it was delicious. I like to put this in the oven before I head off to football training, then when I get home, dinner is done.

Guatemalan Chicken and Tomatillo Stew: This was the first Guatemalan dish I made when our eating around the world adventure took us to Guatemala.
In Guatemala it is called Jocon de Pollo, and it's delicious. The flavours are so good it is like nothing I ever had before. My 12 year old requests this all the time. It is firmly a family favourite.

Beetroot and Feta with Herb and Pistachio Dressing: I make this salad for parties all the time. It is so pretty and everybody loves it. This is a salad you need to try, it looks great and tastes amazing and would be perfect at your next barbecue.

Muffin Pan Potato Gratins: This is a great idea when you are making a roast and you want to serve something different to roast potatoes. They look great, they taste great. It is also great if cooking for one or two people or ten, you make as many as you need. This link is for the potatoes on the left. The centre ones are without cream and the right ones I just added cheese. The recipes can all be found in my sides and salads section.

Crunchy Potato Balls: This is something that gets my kids excited. They absolutely love these crunchy potato balls.
This recipe came about as I needed to use up leftover mashed potato (I hate waste). These are so good with the light and fluffy insides, and the crispy fried breadcrumbs on the outside. A great side to many dishes. Next time you have leftover mashed potato, give this a go (I make extra mash, just so I can make these).

Fried Rice: This recipe was given to me by my mother, this is our families favourite fried rice recipe. My mum has been making this for years, I'm talking at least 30 years now, and when she does make it, her six grandchildren all go crazy for it. And this is requested all the time for parties, it's a real crowd pleaser.

Salt and Pepper Breadsticks: These are great, they are quick to make and great to eat.
They are perfect when you don't have bread in the house, and you don't want to go to the shop.
My family love it with hearty soups but they are also great with antipasti or just as a snack.
If you have never made bread, this is a great way to start.

Green Salad: My family love a green salad most days of the week. Most of the time it is with a simple dressing of extra virgin olive oil, vinegar and salt. This salad is my party version, as it has a few additional ingredients.

I love the dressing in this salad. I love the creaminess the avocado brings to it. We had it with a barbecue the other day and it was lovely.

Potato Gratin: In my house creamy potatoes are always welcomed and loved. The simplicity of this dish is what makes it even more special for me. This is a great dish to serve at parties, it is a real crowd pleasing dish, serves large quantities and really, who can resist a potato bake.
This is my families favourite potato bake and honestly I will not try another version as this is firstly simple, and secondly, tasty.

Josip's Spinach: This spinach is named after my husband. His mother taught him how to make it and he has been making it this way for years, it is our families favourite way to eat English Spinach. Although I know how to make it, I find it always tastes better when he makes it-it means less work for me, as we usually have it with BBQ fish, so I get a night off cooking when he makes it, as he does the BBQ also.

Pommes Anna: Pommes Anna is one of my families favourite ways to eat potatoes. I put it straight from the oven onto the table and we just pick at it piece by piece until it is all gone. The top and sides are crispy, whilst the centre is soft and creamy. This I make instead of the traditional roast potatoes.

Pita Bread: ​This is probably my favourite discovery so far in our Eating Around the World adventure. This Pita Bread is something we love, making this brings a little excitement into our house. This bread is tasty and goes with just about every thing. Super easy, super tasty and you will never not have bread in the house again.

Greek Salad: There are so many different versions of the Greek Salad, this is my favourite.
What I do, that I love, is I crumble up the feta, instead of cube it. The end result is a little messy, but the feta mixes with the dressing this way and you can't help but dip bread into the dressing as it is amazingly delicious. This is a regular party salad for me.

Spinach and Pear Salad: I love this salad. I love this salad a lot. To me this salad is perfect. The flavours are amazing. The pears, the spinach, the dressing and everything else, perfect. This salad is something you really need to make. Make it for your next party, barbecue, dinner and watch your guests fall in love with this salad.

My Dad's Kale Salad-Lastovsko Zelje: Just like my husband has his spinach recipe from his mum, I have my cavalo nero (or kale) salad from my dad. Ever since I was a little girl my dad has made this salad. Usually it is made with my uncle's home grown cavalo nero, but as they live 4 hours away, I now just grow my own cavalo nero. Kale is a good substitute and is more readily available. i can eat this all the time, I absolutely love it.

Potato Gnocchi: My family loves gnocchi, just not the packet ones, so I have been trying out recipes for a while now. I came across this recipe, and have stopped looking for other recipes. They are brilliant, they turn out perfectly every time. 
It is a very simple recipe, by far the easiest way I have found to make gnocchi. I like to get the kids to help out, when they do, they aren't perfectly shaped but no one in my house cares if they are not perfectly shaped, but they all love the flavour and texture. 
The recipe can easily be doubled. Serve with your favourite sauce.

Coleslaw: Growing up my mother made a cabbage salad (coleslaw) all the time, but it was always dressed with oil and vinegar, never with mayonnaise (I have a mayonnaise free recipe on my website also, if you prefer). I had tried store bought coleslaw, but I always found them too sweet. This one with the addition of vinegar, I found perfect. This is great at a barbecue or with pulled pork burgers.

Chef's Salad: the first time I had a chef's salad was in a restaurant. it was delicious, the flavour combination was just divine, every bite was delicious. It had sweetness from the pumpkin, sourness from vinaigrette, the goats cheese, a lovely addition, it was the perfect salad. It was so good I had to try and make it home. 
So I googled the bar, found the menu, and this is what it read
CHEF'S SALAD
ROASTED BEETS & PUMPKIN, CHERRY TOMATOES, GOATS CHEESE. SEASON LEAVES W/ A HONEY MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE
So from this I have come up with this recipe. This to me can be added as a side to a barbecue or it is a meal in itself. And anyone that has never put roasted pumpkin in a salad before, you need to try it, it is just so good.

​This is another recipe from one of my aunts (Teta Marica). I really love the flavours of this dish.

Now I have put this dish in the lunch category, as it is lovely served hot with a salad on the side, but it could just as easily be served as a side dish to a barbecue. I like these types of pasta dishes at parties, as they are not too heavy, and you get bursts of different flavours.

The original recipe says to use tagliatelle, but any pasta can be substituted, and each pasta changes how you serve it. The tagliatelle would be served hot and eaten right away. The elbow pasta or orrechiette I have used was served as a side at room temperature. I prefer to eat it warm, rather than cold. 

If you are going to use it as a salad, add a little extra virgin olive oil to it just before serving to add extra flavour and make it glossy.

Seasoning is important to this dish, if you get it right the pasta is delicious, if you don't, it could be bland and boring. 

So an easy lunch idea or a pasta salad to take to a barbecue, either way this pasta is delicious and needs to be tried.

​Serves 8

400g tagliatelle (or any pasta you like)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 bacon rashers, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 x 250g punnets cherry tomatoes, halved
300g piece firm feta cheese, chopped
1/2 cup pitted black olives
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
​
Add the pasta to a large pan of boiling salted water, boil, uncovered, until just tender, drain.

While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, bacon and garlic, cook, stirring, until onions are soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, cook, stirring, until tomatoes are just softened.

Turn off the heat, add the pasta, cheese, olives and basil, mix it well. Taste for seasoning. Serve garnished with fresh basil leaves.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/tomato-bacon-pasta.html 
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​If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter with #whatscookingella

Madarica: This to me is by far the greatest slice ever to be made. No slice comes close, for me, to perfection as the madarica does. The layering of biscuit and chocolate custard, topped with chocolate, simply amazing. This is a very traditional Croatian slice. This is a must at any festive Croatian occasion. In the introduction I said most of my desserts are easy, this one however, is not. It takes a little practice, and some time, but if you follow the recipe it gets easier and easier each time you make it. 

Chocolate Brownies: Now this one is easy, these brownies are a  bit of a melt and mix brownie. I make these all the time and they are loved by all.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies: These are by far the best cookies I have ever had. They are so chocolaty, any chocolate lover will not stop at one. The salt added balances the sweetness, and when you eat them the saltiness comes through and you get this cross between salty and sweet. These are loved by everyone who has had one. 

Chocolate Cupcakes: ​This is the only chocolate cupcake recipe I make. I have made it for years and am happy with them every time, I no longer even think to try another recipe. They are very quick and easy to make.

Chocolate Salami: This was really easy to make. It just takes a few minutes, then you let it set and it's ready to eat. It's great as you can make it in advance for parties.

Chocolate Mousse: This chocolate mousse is creamy and smooth and absolutely delicious. And can I say this is so easy to make, really easy. It has three simple steps, three really simple steps, it sets in about 2 hours and tastes amazing.

Chocolate Mud Cake: This is my favourite Chocolate Mud Cake recipe. I will even say this is the Best Ever Chocolate Mud Cake. It is not as heavy as some mud cakes I have tried. It is light and fluffy, yet chocolaty like a mud cake should be. This is my go to birthday party cake.

Chocolate Rum Truffles: When I make a mud cake, I usually cut off the top of the cake to make it level before icing it. These truffles are my favourite thing to make with that left over chocolate cake. This is simple and delicious and no waste.

Chocolate Ganache Tart with Oreo Crust: Divine, that is the first word that comes to mind when I'm thinking of a word to describe this dessert. This is divine.
Every single bite of this dessert is fabulous. The slightly salted Oreo base is crumbly and delicious, the smooth chocolate ganache filling will set in the refrigerator but will never set hard, it will slice perfectly, yet be creamy and moreish. The fruit on top, just perfect. I can not praise this dessert enough. And it's so easy to make.

Morenitas: Morenitas are ice cream sandwiches you can buy from ice cream trucks in Guatemala. They are simply vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two biscuits and coated with chocolate. They are delicious.

Flourless Chocolate, Pecan and Raspberry Torte: For a flourless cake this rose perfectly and even after baking it did not sink in the middle, it kept its shape and looked amazing. It is rich, it is moist, it is tasty, it is everything a chocolate cake should be, but even better. It sliced well, didn't fall apart, it really was a lovely cake.

Chocolate Babka: This Chocolate Babka is perfect. The dough is soft and delicious, the chocolate ganache gets into every gap. It is truly something you need to make. We discovered this on our eating around the world adventure and we are so glad we did that.

Chocolate Self Saucing Puddings: My kids request this all the time. It is really easy to make. It is rich, but not too rich, it is sweet, but not too sweet, it is the perfect dessert. This is something that needs to be tried.

Chocolate Cheesecake: The first time I made this was for Easter one year and now it has become an Easter tradition for me to make this. It is divine, it is lush, it is rich, it is creamy, it is smooth, it is perfect. 

Hot Chocolate Ice Pops: This is a really easy, fun recipe. You basically make hot chocolate and then freeze it, it's that simple. You can use your favorite hot chocolate mix year round to make these delicious treats for summer.

White Chocolate Mud Cake: This is by far my favourite white chocolate mud cake recipe and I have been making it for years. This cake is used in a lot of the party cakes I make. It isn't a huge cake, but it layers up well when you need a high cake.

Chocolate Crepe Cake with Hazelnut Cream: This is a cake made with layers and layers of crepes sandwiched together with a nutella cream. On top is a chocolate glaze that is thick and lushes and simply divine. This cake is light and creamy and every thing you want a chocolate cake to be. You can decorate it with toffee hazelnuts or some fresh berries.

Chocolate Portuguese Custard Tarts: These get made any time I have egg yolks that need to be used up. The custard is absolutely delicious and my family absolutely love these.

Chocolate Coffee Fudge Ice Cream Cake: This Chocolate Coffee Fudge Ice Cream Cake is AMAZING!!!! If you love chocolate and you love coffee and you love chocolate and coffee together this is an absolute must for you to make. The ice cream is divine, the fudge magnificent and the biscuit crumb is just lovely. And what is best it is so easy to make. 

Chocolate Strawberries: Here is the simplest treat you can ever make for your family and friends. They look amazing. Both adults and kids love these, and they are not that bad for you, I think, anyway. They are great at parties. They are great after dinner, as a light dessert. They are great as an after school snack. They are great as a cake decoration. They are simply put just great.

So there you have it, my families favourite chocolate desserts. It is not in any order, they are just my go to recipes when I'm making a chocolate dessert for my family, it is food my family love. 

Bacon and Egg Bread Cups: I'll start with these as I really love them. This breakfast has it all, bacon, eggs, bread, cheese and shallots. What I also love is there is very little mess, there is no splattering bacon, no egg frying. Very simple, very tasty. 

Spinach and Cheese Spirals: These are the best spinach and cheese spiralsI have ever had. I know that is a big claim, but they are absolutely delicious. I have placed this in my breakfast section, why, because this is something I would eat for breakfast. 
This is a weekend dish for me. And it starts out as breakfast, but if any are leftover it becomes lunch to. It can be eaten hot, warm or at room temperature, but it is best eaten hot.
Simple and tasty, you have to try this.

Bacon and Egg Roll: In my house this is called the Sunday morning special. My husband usually makes it, this is his thing, I just make the sauce before everyone wakes up. The sauce is delicious, the lemon rind adds a burst of flavour and the egg yolk needs to be runny, it's messy, but delicious.

Best Ever Berry Pikelets: These pikelets are fluffy, these pikelets are light, they are thick, yet so soft to eat. These are simply put, amazing. Give these a go, you will not regret it, and don't wait for the weekend, they are so quick and easy to make, these can be a weekday breakfast to.

Scrambled Eggs with Asparagus: This is one of my all time favourite breakfasts. I first had this on my honeymoon 19 years ago in Croatia, and it has remained an absolute favourite ever since. This is so fast and easy to make, no need to wait for the weekend for this one.

To Die For Cinnamon Buns: So I follow Kristina Kuzmic on social media, I find her quite funny, she has a Croatian background like myself so when I found her recipe I figured I had to try it. One because I like her, two because we have similar backgrounds and three her recipe looked so good. Well, these were the softest Cinnamon Buns I had ever tried, she called them To Die For Cinnamon Buns and I had to as well, they are so good, I mean really really good. This is definitely a weekend recipe. So, if you are like me and have wanted to try Cinnamon Buns but haven't yet, you need to make these, soft and delicious cinnamon buns, and they are simply to die for.

Eggs in Purgatory-Hangover Eggs: My family love this, it is a spicy tomato sauce that is put together in minutes, then you crack eggs into the tomatoes and you poach them for about 5 minutes and that's it, in a total of 10 minutes you have one of the most delicious breakfasts on the table and everyone is mopping up the sauce and eggs. Although this is usually a weekend breakfast for us, it's so easy to make, it could easily be a weekday breakfast.

Acai Bowl: For ages I had heard of acai bowls and had no idea what they were or how to make them. Then one day I discovered they are just smoothies in a bowl made with acai berries and a few other ingredients. This is tasty and fresh and far cheaper to make at home, than buy it out in cafes.
Made in a blender, this takes less than 5 minutes to make, seriously, as I said, quick and easy.
When rushed for time we just have it in a mason jar and drink it like a smoothie.

Medimurske Langusi: I first had these on a visit to Croatia visiting my husband's family, my mother in law made them and my kids loved them. This is like a little fried bread. It has a crispy outside but the middle is so soft and fluffy. We love it for breakfast and each of us like it with a different topping. I like it sprinkled with caster sugar, my kids all love it smeared with nutella and my husband (and boys) love it with jam.

Waffles with Berries, Ice Cream and Maple Syrup: These are so easy to make, about 10 minutes of preparation, another 10 in cooking them and you have waffles. Top them with whatever you like and they become a great breakfast, dessert or snack.

Chicken Livers with Onions: This is one of my favourite things to eat, something I make for my husband and myself on a lazy Sunday. I know some people won't like this, but it is a favourite of mine, so I had to add it.

Bacon and Spinach Omelette: ​Simple and tasty, what more could you ask for in a breakfast. But why stop at breakfast, this is perfect for lunch or even dinner.
This omelette is a favourite with my family, the flavour combination is just so good. 
Give this a try soon, you won't be disappointed.

Crepes: This is my go to recipe when I have no cereal or bread in the house, because I will always find flour, eggs and milk in my pantry. After years of crepe making I can whip these up in no time, I don't even use a recipe anymore. Don't have any fruit, just serve them with jam or nutella. I make a few on weekdays and make a mega stack if it's the weekend.

​Our Eating Around the World Adventure has taken us to Switzerland. One cold evening we were planning on sitting outside in front of our fire pit. My daughter was going to toast marshmallows, my husband was going to roast some chestnuts, so I thought I'd try and make some Mulled Wine.

In my little Swiss cookbook I found a recipe called Vin Chaud du Carnaval. In some parts of Switzerland on Shrove Tuesday, there is a Carnaval and people in costumes and masks take to the streets and hot wine is prepared to help people stay warm. I love old traditions and I love visiting Europe when villages celebrate, there is something beautiful about it, for me.

​Now I know my husband loves mulled wine, as he makes himself a cup every now and then in winter, so I thought I'd try the Swiss version.

We loved it, the flavours were delicious, you could taste the lemon and the orange and the cinnamon.

The longer it was left on the heat, the better the flavours got. So please put it on the lowest heat you can, and allow it to heat up ever so slowly and do not allow it to boil, because if it boils the alcohol will will cook out, and no one wants that. Then leave it on the stove top for hours, it just stays hot, the flavours get better and better and you sip on beautiful mulled wine while toasting marshmallows and roasting chestnuts.

The sugar amount can be reduced, if you want, but I always try recipes as written, then modify if needed next time. The wine does not need to be expensive, you just need to love the flavour of it. Now this recipe is supposed to be an ancient recipe, and it is delicious and I love it, but one day I may add some brandy to it to see if I like it, will let you know, when I do.

If you have any leftovers, please don't throw it out, allow it to cool, I just leave it out overnight. Then in the morning I pour it into a jug and refrigerate it. By evening, I just pour some into a glass, add some sparkling water, as it can be strong and sweet cold, and you now have a delicious sangria. No waste, I'm happy.

​Now winter in Australia is not around Christmas, but I thought I'd use my Christmas cup in June, it made it a little extra special. So this is Christmas in a cup for me, in June and July.

If you want to make it for a winter evening party, the recipe is easily doubled. It gets dark and cold early in winter, so just put the wine on the heat an hour to an hour and a half before people arrive and your house will smell amazing and you will have drinks ready to go, once they arrive. Or finish the night off with this delicious drink.

Here is a lovely recipe which I know my husband and I will be enjoying together for years.

​Recipe adapted from Jacqueline Martinet's cookbook 'A Little Swiss Cookbook'

2 litres (8 cups) red wine
750ml (3 cups) water
500g (2 cups) sugar
1 orange, cut into eighths
1 small lemon, cut into eighths
3 cinnamon sticks
​

Place all of the ingredients into a large saucepan. Place over a very low heat and stir for a few minutes until the sugar has dissolved. After that, keep heating the wine slowly until it is almost boiling, but do not allow it to boil. The longer it is left on the heat, the better it is.

​Then sip and enjoy all night long.

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Prawn and Corn Cakes: These are amazingly delicious. They are so simple to make, and a true crowd pleaser. I have been making these for years, I make them for most of my parties and they are gone so quickly. I always double the recipe as I know they will be eaten. For parties I like to make them smallish as it makes them easier to eat as finger food. 

Tomato and Basil Bruschetta: Another family favourite, I actually make this all the time, party or no party as my daughter loves it. This is simple to make and is so light and fresh, a perfect bite to have with drinks. 

Spinach and Ricotta Rolls: These are great at parties, not only because they are simple to make and taste amazing, but they can be made in advance, frozen and pulled out to bake when needed. But you know what if you don't have freezer space they are quick to make on the day. This is something I always have in the freezer.

Taramasalata Bites: I love these, they look great, they taste great and everything is made for you, there is no cooking involved here, you just assemble three store bought ingredients minutes before you need them. This is great canape to offload to a guest that asks "can I help", you show them how to make one and then they make the rest for you.

Mussels in a Vinaigrette Dressing: This is a new recipe and has yet to make the party scene at my house. This one is my husband's creation and it is delicious. You can either barbecue or cook the mussels on the stove top. Then once they've opened you add the dressing and you get the most delicious mussel ever. This is one of my favourite things to eat.

Oysters the Way I Love Them: This is another recipe from my husband. I love oysters natural, however, by adding a few simple fresh ingredients to oysters, they become amazing oysters. I can never stop at one here. This is perfect for me with a glass of sparkling wine.

Chicken Liver Pate: I love pate, every mouthful is creamy, smooth, delicious and amazing. This is one of those things you put on the table with some crusty bread and some cornichons and you just watch your guests keep going back for more. This is another one of my favourite things to eat.

Salmon Rillettes: I keep repeating myself, but here is another canape that I love. It is so moreish, once you start it, you keep going back for more. I would serve this at a party with drinks and just watch your guests go for it.

Fresh Guacamole: The easiest most delicious dip on the planet for me. This is made in minutes, tastes great and everyone loves it. Serve it with vegetable sticks if you prefer, but I like it with corn chips, some of guests like it with bread. Sometimes I don't add the tomatoes, but most times I do, as I love the tomatoes in it.

Gyoza (Pot Stickers): Oh the Gyoza, this is truly the ultimate finger food. These are so packed full of flavour and so moorish, watch your guests get excited by this one. Now they look difficult, but after you get the knack of making them, they become very easy to make. Now I have yet to do so, but these can be made in advance and frozen, so they are perfect for parties. These are simple, these are delicious and this is something you really need to try.

Artichoke Spinach Dip: This dip is delicious. Super easy to make and my whole family absolutely loves it. You can prepare it in advance, then bake just before serving, so it is a great party dip.

Smoked Salmon and Caper Pizzas: I love smoked salmon and when you team it with ricotta and horseradish cream you get one perfect little bite. This is a great canape and is very easy to make.

Crumbed Prawns: This is my families version of party food. I have been to so many parties growing up where crumbed prawns were served, it is staple in our party scene. They are great for parties as they are bite size, crisp and delicious.

Smoked Salmon Pancake Rolls: These are amazing, one of my favourite things to eat. A hit whenever I make them. They are delicate and delicious, you can never stop at one and the best thing you make them day before which makes things easier on party day.

Buffalo Wings: These buffalo wings are delicious, very easy to make and are a real crowd pleaser. They are baked not fried.  For parties this is truly simple, quick to make, party food. And served with sour and cream and sweet chilli sauce, I absolutely loved it. And partries are always better when there are chicken wings served.

Zucchini Slice: This is delicious, this is moreish, I cannot stop at one slice after I make this. My husband loves it, my kids love it, my mother loves it, I just don't know anyone who has tried it that doesn't love it. And it's so easy to make. this is perfect bite size party food.

Now these next two are not finger food or canapes, but I like to serve at the beginning of a party. As I serve small plates with finger food and canapes anyway, you just make sure you have a few forks available when you serve these.

Cabbage and Prawn Salad: This is a lovely salad, it looks festive and tastes great with very little effort. It adds a little freshness to the table. This is something I grew up on, my mum made it all the time,  and now I have continued making it for my own family and friends. If my mum is at the party, she's in charge of this one.

Octopus and Potato Salad: Another one of my mum's great salads that she taught me how to make. I recently served this at my last party and it was loved by everyone. My mum has taught me how to make the most tender octopus, it melts in your mouth, now I am happy to share this with you.

So there you have it, my favourite finger food and canape recipes. It is not in any order, they are just my go to recipes when I'm planning a party, it is food my family and friends love. 

​It was the Queen's birthday long weekend, and my husband said he would go to the meat wholesalers to get some meat for dinner and for the next few days. He asked what to buy, I just told him what he felt like once he got there. Well he came home with lamb shanks, great choice, as that is what I felt like, and now to find a recipe.

I wanted something that was slow cooked, preferably oven baked and something saucy. I remembered years ago I made this recipe, so I thought I'd revisit it and see if we still love it. Well we did.

The meat was soft, falling off the bone, delicious. The sauce was rich and delicious. The polenta a perfect accompaniment. 

The reason I love oven bake stews is that once you do the initial prep work, you place it in the oven and you don't have to do anything else. Well here after one hour you just remove the lid and turn the shanks over, that's it. 

In this recipe the shanks are not completely submerged in the liquid, so they get a little roasted feel to the outer skin which is magnificent. That is why you turn the meat after one hour, to ensure all the meat gets submerged in the stew during the cooking process. 

This would be a great dinner party recipe as it is quick to assemble, then all the cooking is done in the oven while you hang out with your guests. The hardest part is the polenta. I call my teenage kids into the kitchen for this and we take turns stirring it, as it is an arm workout.

​The original recipe used dried beans, this is what you would do if using dried beans
 
½ cup (100g) dried haricot or cannellini beans
½ cup (100g) dried borlotti beans
 
Place beans in large bowl, cover with water, stand overnight. Rinse under cold water; drain. Place beans in medium saucepan, cover with boiling water; bring to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, about 15 minutes or until beans are just tender. Drain. Then proceed with recipe.

This is so easy to make and the end result not only looks amazing, it tastes amazing.

Recipe adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook 'Stews'

Serves 6
 
400g tin cannellini beans
400g tin borlotti beans
6-8 (2kg) french-trimmed lamb shanks
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large (200g) brown onion, chopped coarsely
1 medium (120g) carrot, chopped coarsely
1 trimmed (100g) celery stalk, chopped coarsely
1 fresh long red chilli, chopped finely
8 drained anchovies in oil, chopped
¼ cup (60ml) balsamic vinegar
425g can crushed tomatoes
½ cup (125ml) dry white wine
1 cup (250ml) water
1/3 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

​​​Soft Polenta
 
3 cups (750ml) water
2 cups (500ml) vegetable stock
2 cups (340g) polenta
1 cup (250ml) milk
¼ cup (20g) finely grated parmesan cheese
​
Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced.
 
Toss lamb in flour; shake away excess. Heat oil in large flameproof casserole dish; cook lamb, in batches, until browned.
 
Cook onion, carrot, celery, chilli and anchovies in same dish, stirring, 5 minutes or until onion softens.
 
Return lamb to dish with beans, vinegar, undrained tomatoes, wine and the water; bring to the boil. Cook ragu, covered, in oven 1 hour. Uncover; turn the shanks over, cook a further 1 hour or until meat is almost falling off the bone. 
​
Make the polenta once the lamb is cooked, the lamb can be left in the oven while you do this:

​Combine the water and stock in large saucepan; bring to the boil.
 
Gradually add polenta to liquid, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring, about 10 minutes or until polenta thickens.
 
Add milk and cheese; stir until cheese melts.

Serve the lamb shanks and ragu over the soft polenta. Sprinkle over parsley just before serving. 

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​Here is a recipe from my husband. On a recent trip to the Sydney fish markets, he came home with some mussels. He found a recipe that he wanted to try, something different to the tomato based sauce ones we usually make.

These were delicious, the mussels were so plump and the vinaigrette dressing added this delicious tangy taste to them, you just can't stop going back for more.

Now he barbecues the mussels, but I have added a stove top method, just in case you prefer that method.

Now I am always on the look out for new ideas to serve at my parties and these would be great as an appetizer for a larger number of guests, as the recipe is easily doubled or tripled, it's perfect finger food.

You can serve these warm straight away or you can refrigerate them one hour before serving them.

Looking for a new party idea, try this, it will not disappoint.

Recipe adapted from https://www.bite.co.nz

Serves 4-6 as a starter

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 red chilli, seeded, if preferred, finely chopped
4 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
Salt & freshly ground pepper,to taste
1 kg mussels
​​
Make the dressing by whisking together the oil and vinegar. Stir in the shallot, garlic, chilli and parsley, then season.
​
Clean the mussels by scrubbing the shells and pulling out any beards.

Barbecue method: Heat a barbecue to hot, then place mussels on barbecue and cook until they open, turn them over every now and then. As they open, remove from heat, and remove and discard one side of the shell. 
​
Stove top method: If you don't want to barbecue the mussels, you can cook them on the stove top, you will need 1/2 cup white wine here 

After you have cleaned the mussels put them in a saucepan. Add the white wine, bring to a boil then cover and cook for approximately 3 minutes or until the shells open. Drain and let cool slightly so you can open up the shells.

To serve: Arrange the mussels in the half shells on a platter, whisk the dressing again then spoon over the mussels.

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​Broccoli and cauliflower is something we have in our house quite regularly. We like it boiled or in recent times baked.

It is a great side to many dishes. My problem is that once I have cooked it, I have very little to put on the table as it gets picked at by various members of my family whilst I'm preparing the rest of dinner. They love it that much.

Broccolini is cooked the same way as broccoli. Just cut off about 1-2cm from the base of the stems, and cook as you would broccoli below. 

This is healthy, simple and tasty.

​Serves 4

2-3 heads broccoli, cut into florets
or 
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
Boiled: Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, you need enough water to cover the florets completely once added.

Add the broccoli or cauliflower into the pot, don't overcrowd, do it in 2 or 3 batches if you need to. Also by not overcrowding, it will come back to the boil a lot quicker. Once I add the broccoli, I set my kitchen time to 4 minutes (5 minutes for cauliflower), and cook for 4 minutes (5 minutes for cauliflower), don't wait for it to come back to the boil before starting your 4 minutes. This you cook to taste, you want it crunchier, cook it less, you want it softer, cook it more.

Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Lightly season with salt and pepper (I prefer white pepper), drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil. Do not mix.

Repeat with next batch of broccoli or cauliflower, each time season lightly with salt and pepper, drizzle with some more oil, don't mix. Mixing breaks up the florets and it looks messy.

Serve hot or cold.

Baked: Preheat your oven to 210C/190C fan forced.

In a large bowl add the broccoli and/or cauliflower, drizzle with a little oil, stir to coat.

Transfer the broccoli and/or to a baking paper lined baking sheet large enough to fit everything in a single layer with a bit of space between the florets, use two baking sheets if needed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

​Roast the florets for 25-30 minutes (switching the trays if using two trays halfway through cooking) bake until the florets are starting to char around the edges.

Serve hot or warm, but it's also good cold.

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