​Roasted capsicums are amazing, they are so full of flavour and need to be served with any antipasto platter.

This to me is not only food for entertaining, I am quite happy to top a slice of bruschetta bread and eat them as a snack or as a light lunch.

When capsicums are in season and quite cheap I like to buy them in bulk and roast the capsicums, peel the skins, allow them to cool, then place in snap lock freezer bags and freeze. When needed, simply defrost, dress it and serve.

You can roast just red capsicums, or use half red and half yellow capsicums or even some orange capsicums, for additional colour. They look amazing when the colours are mixed.

​Simple and tasty.

​Recipe adapted from a Family Circle cookbook

4 medium red capsicums (800g)
4 medium yellow capsicums (800g)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
Salt and pepper
​

Quarter capsicums, remove and discard seeds and membranes.

Roast under a hot grill or in a very hot oven, skin side up, until the skin blisters and blackens. The skins need to be black to be able to be removed from the roasted capsicums easily.

Place the capsicums in a bowl or plastic snap lock bag. Cover the bowl with cling film or close the snap lock bag. Leave the capsicums covered for 5 minutes to steam a little.

After 5 minutes the blackened skin should be easy to peel off. Peel off all of the blackened skin.

Slice capsicums into thick strips. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the garlic and parsley, drizzle over the extra virgin olive oil. Toss to combine.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/roasted-capsicums.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

Week 5 of Eating Around the World led us to South Sudan.

I can honestly say the only thing I knew about this country prior to this was that it was in Africa. Now I know exactly where it is Africa and the kind of food that is eaten there. I know a few more things, but this blog is about the food after all.

I searched for recipes and came up with the list below. The people who posted these recipes actually omitted many steps along the way, so I found I had to improvise or combine two recipes to complete a dish. Rarely were there accurate measures, everything was, to taste. So I would add spice, little by little until I got the right spice mix for my liking.

The food I found to be very flavoursome and I quite enjoyed eating the different spice mixes.

The dishes we tried were

Mahshi (Stuffed Capsicums)
Tamayya (Broad Bean Falafel)
Al Aswad Salad-Eggplant Dip
Kofta Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
​Sudanese Chicken Mafe

Overall Sudanese food is something we enjoyed. Some dishes I would definitely make again.

​Mahshi (Stuffed Capsicums): I grew up on the Croatian version of stuffed capsicums and when I made these, I can tell you, except for a few different subtle spices, they were very similar. So much so that my husband actually said if I didn't tell him they were south sudanese, he wouldn't known. I'll share the recipe here as I had to combine two recipes for this one, it is not easy finding well written, complete recipes for south sudanese cooking.

Here is the recipe:

Mahshi (Stuffed Capsicums)

9-10 capsicums, combination of red, orange, yellow and green

Meat filling
1kg of ground beef
1 red onion, chopped
 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground Coriander, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground Cumin, to taste
black pepper, to taste
½ cup white rice

Tomato Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons oil
340g tomato paste
350ml water
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon garlic powder
8 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
 
Prepare the capsicums: With a small knife take out the top stem, make a hole big enough for you to be able to remove the seeds and membrane. 
 
Make the tomato sauce:
Place butter and oil in a large frying pan, add your roughly chopped tomatoes, saute for 4-5 minutes until the tomatoes begin to release their juices and start to soften.
Add the tomato paste, stir for 30 seconds, add the water, salt, cinnamon and garlic powder.

Simmer the sauce, gently over low flame for 10 to 15 minutes until sauce is cooked. Pour into the base of your baking dish.

Make the filling:
Place 1/2 cup of white rice in water, bring to a boil, simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, drain.

In a large pan add 1-2 tablespoons oil. Add onion, saute over low-medium heat for 3-4 minutes, add the garlic, saute for 1 minute,  increase the heat , add the minced beef, fry just enough to remove the redness, breaking it up with your spoon.

Now add the salt, pepper, coriander and cumin, cook stirring for 1 minute.

Add the rice to the mince mixture and mix well.

Stuff the capsicums with the mince and rice stuffing.

Place over the tomato sauce in the baking dish pan.

Place in a preheated oven 175C/155C fan forced and bake covered for 1.5 hours to 2 hours, until the  peppers are soft and roasted. During the last 10 minutes of baking, remove the cover and roast.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!

​Tamayya (Broad Bean Falafel). I do like falafel, they are quite nice. It isn't something I would want to eat regularly, just a kind of sometimes food. The recipe for this dish came from www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/broad-bean-balls-tamayya I served it with tahini and a yoghurt and cucumber salad, fresh tomato and sliced onion.

​Al Aswad Salad-Eggplant Dip. I love eggplant, truly one of my favourite vegetables, so when this recipe came up I had to try it. I really liked it. I eat it as is, but it is lovely as a side dish or in a sandwich.

​Here is the recipe: 

​Al Aswad Salad-Eggplant Dip

1 large eggplant, diced
2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 green onion, diced
1 teaspoon lime juice, to taste
2 teaspoon peanut butter
water to liquefy peanut butter
Oil for frying

Shallow fry the eggplant in oil and keep stirring until it is golden brown, set aside.

Place the tomatoes in food processor or blender, and pulse.

Pour the tomatoes in a saucepan, bring the tomato sauce to a gentle boil.

With a fork, mash the aubergine, then add to the simmering tomato sauce.

Add lime juice and garlic, stir and remove the pan from heat.

Liquefy the peanut butter in some water and add to the eggplant mixture.

Add the diced green onion and mix well.

Chill in your fridge and serve with pita bread.

Enjoy!

​Sudanese Chicken Mafe: This one surprised my husband, when I told him what we were having for dinner, he didn't seem to impressed, but once he tried it, he really quite liked it, the whole family did. Now I love peanut butter, can eat it all the time, so I figured I would like this and we did.

Here is the recipe:

​Sudanese Chicken Mafe

  1/3 cup chunky peanut butter
   1 cup chicken stock
   6-8 chicken thigh fillets 
Cajun seasoning, to taste
   1 teaspoon oil
   1 medium onion, chopped
   1 large capsicum, chopped
   1 clove garlic, chopped
   1 x 400g can diced tomatoes
  1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
   1 large sweet potato, cubed
   1 large carrot or turnip, cubed
  230g fresh baby spinach

Put peanut butter and stock in bowl and whisk till combined thoroughly.

Pat chicken dry and season Cajun seasoning. 

Add oil in a saucepan, over medium heat, add chicken pieces in batches, brown on both sides for 2 minutes, set aside. 

 Add onion and capsicum, saute until onion begins, softens and is translucent.  Add garlic, saute for 2 minutes. 

Stir in peanut butter mixture, tomatoes with juice, and cayenne.   

 Bring to boil,  add chicken with accumulated juices and cover pot with lid. 

Lower heat and braise until chicken is tender, about 15 minutes.  Remove chicken to bowl and keep warm.

Add sweet potatoes and carrot/turnip to pot and simmer uncovered till tender. 

Add spinach, once it has wilted, add back the chicken to reheat.  Check the spice now, add more cayenne needed, season with salt and pepper.  

Serve with white rice.

Enjoy!

Kofta Meatballs in Tomato Sauce. This ones for my kids, they love meatballs. Kofta is a very common dish in south sudan. This had a lovely spice mix to it, the meatballs were not dry, and the sauce was flavoursome. I would make this again.

​Here is the recipe.

Kofta Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

700g beef mince
1/2 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup of rice, boiled in water for 10 minutes to get it halfway cooked, cooled
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Tomato Sauce:
1 teaspoon oil
1 small onion
4 large tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 green capsicum, sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley


In a large bowl add mince, onion, garlic, cooled rice, salt, pepper, coriander, cumin and cinnamon. Mix thoroughly using hands. I now get a small amount of mixture and quickly pan fry it, taste the meatball mixture, add more spice or seasoning, if needed.

Shape into oval meatballs.

Add 1-2 teaspoons oil in a cast iron pan on medium heat, add meatballs, fry to brown the outside takes about 4-5 minutes. Remove meatballs, set aside, until needed

Make the tomato sauce: Add 1 teaspoon of oil to a pot, if needed, fry the diced onion for 3-4 minutes, add the garlic, saute for 1 minute.
.
Add the diced tomatoes, keep stirring, if it is catching, add a small amount of water to prevent burning. Cook until the tomatoes start to soften and release their juices.

Add the tomato paste and tomato sauce. Add the coriander, cumin, cinnamon and sliced capsicum. Give it a stir, taste, season with salt and pepper, add more spices, if needed.

Return the meatballs to the stew, cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley, just before serving. Serve hot with bread.

Enjoy!

​​Now to add another sticker to my world map.

Next stop Greece.

Recipe adapted from amiraspantry.com

​Serves 10-12

500g packet penne pasta
500g beef mince
1 medium onion, diced
4 tablespoons tomato paste
5 cups milk
12 tablespoons plain flour
1/4 cup of unsalted butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
1 cup tasty cheese (optional)
​
Fill a large saucepan with water, season with some salt, bring to the boil.
​
In a pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoon of oil, then sauté onion until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add minced meat and brown, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.

Add 2 tablespoons of the tomato paste, mixing everything well together. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

One your water has come to the boil, cook the pasta according to package directions, make sure it is al dente, as it will continue cooking in the béchamel sauce in the oven. Drain and do not rinse.
​
In a pan over medium heat, melt butter, add flour and whisk, for about 1 minute.
​
Add the milk gradually, one cup at a time whisking vigorously as the sauce thickens. When it is bubbly and thick, turn off the heat, season with salt and pepper and let it cool down.
​
Preheat your oven to 175C/155C fan forced.

​Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of tomato paste to the pasta and about half a cup of the béchamel sauce, season with salt and pepper, mix well.

In a 22xm x 33cm baking dish, spread another 1/2 cup of the béchamel sauce evenly on the bottom, just to cover the base.

Spread half the pasta, then layer the entire meat mixture over the pasta. Top that with the remaining half of the pasta and level.

Crack an egg over the remaining béchamel sauce and whisk well.

Pour the béchamel over the pasta and spread evenly.

Bake in oven for almost 45 minutes or until it is golden brown.

​Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Slice and serve with a green salad.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to ​www.whatscookingella.com/baked-bechamel-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

Week 4 of Eating Around the World took us to Egypt.

​Egypt is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia by a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt is a Mediterranean country bordered by the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Gulf of Aqaba to the east, the Red Sea to the east and south, Sudan to the south, and Libya to the west. Across the Gulf of Aqaba lies Jordan, and across from the Sinai Peninsula lies Saudi Arabia, although Jordan and Saudi Arabia do not share a land border with Egypt.

So with all that, it is no wonder I was surprised by the food eaten in Egypt. It's food influences are middle eastern, but it does have Mediterranean influences also and influences of all of its surrounding countries.

I was pleasantly surprised by Egyptian food, I got to try things I had never eaten before and I really liked it.

So for Egypt I decided to make

​ Egyptian Lentil Soup
Egyptian Hummus
​Salatet Zabadee (Egyptian Cucumber Salad)
Tahini
Egyptian Spiced Carrot Puree
​Egyptian Beetroot Dip
Egyptian Dukkah
Taameyya (Egyptian Falafel)
​Egyptian Kofta
Baked Bechamel Pasta
Egyptian Limoonada (Orange Blossom Lemonade)

There was a few things I didn't get around to trying but I will one day, and they are
Mesa'a'ah, an Egyptian Spicy Eggplant dish
Koshary: This is considered the national dish of Egypt and a very popular street food.

So here is run down of the food I cooked for Egypt week.

Egyptian Lentil Soup: I really quite liked this soup, it was really thick, like a pumpkin soup, it had a similar sweetness to it also, the spices were delicious in the soup, I would definitely make this again.

Egyptian Hummus: who doesn't love hummus, simple, healthy and delicious. I really prefer homemade to store bought. This is one of my sons favourite things to eat. This recipe uses tinned chickpeas, it is great when you have unexpected guests pop around and you can throw this together quickly.

Here is the Egyptian version that I found:
​

Egyptian Hummus

​1 x 400g tin Chickpeas, drained and washed
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Tahini (sesame paste)
3 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
¼ Teaspoon of Salt
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
Pinch of Cumin
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
1 Sprig of Chopped Parsley (optional)
Extra Olive Oil, to drizzle over the top

Add the chickpeas (save a few for decoration), extra virgin olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, salt and garlic into the blender and blend into a fluffy paste.
If the hummus looks too dry, add a little more oil and lemon.
Put the blended paste into a serving bowl, add a pinch of cumin and stir.
Create a whirlpool effect in your bowl of hummus with a spoon and then drizzle extra olive oil on top as shown in the picture below. Sprinkle on a pinch of cayenne pepper, decorate with the reserved chickpeas.
Serve with fresh, warm pita bread.
You can also experiment with toppings and seasoning. A sprinkle of Egyptian dukkah also works rather well too.

​Salatet Zabadee (Egyptian Cucumber Salad): This was my daughter's favourite, she could eat this all of the time. This was a perfect addition to the kofta wraps. It is great summer salad.

You could add 1 small minced garlic clove, but I chose not to as I had garlic in other sides.

Once you squeeze the liquid out of the cucumber, don't discard it, my daughter happily drank it.

​Here is the recipe:

Salatet Zabadee (Egyptian Cucumber Salad)
​
1 cucumber
1 cup yogurt
4-5 mint leaves, to taste, minced
Salt to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to garnish
Ground Paprika, to garnish​

Shred the cucumber and leave aside for 15 minutes.

Place the yoghurt in a medium sized bowl, stir until smooth. Squeeze the juice out of the cucumber and add the cucumber flesh to the yogurt. Add the minced mint leaves. Add salt to taste, stir to combine. The dip is now ready.

Serve on a platter garnished with olive oil and paprika.

Tahini: This was another great side to the kofta wraps I made, also a favourite of mine. This was delicious also. So far Egypt has been great.

​Here is the recipe:

Tahini

1/2 cup tahini.
1/4 cup water - plus or minus depending on your preferred sauce thickness.
2 Tablespoon white vinegar.
2 teaspoon lime juice.
2 garlic cloves- minced.
1/2 teaspoon coriander.
1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste.
1/4 teaspoon cumin.

For garnishing: Extra Virgin Olive Oil and any or all of coriander/cumin/red pepper flakes, paprika, cayenne…​

In a small food processor add all the ingredients, except for the garlic. Mix well until everything is well combined.

Pour contents in a bowl, add the garlic and mix.

Pour into serving bowls, add a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle some coriander/cumin or red pepper flakes on top.

Serving suggestions: as a dip with pita bread, or use it instead of mayonnaise in many sandwiches especially falafel and kofta, serve alongside seafood dishes or with grilled meat/chicken.

​Egyptian Spiced Carrot Puree. And then we get to the carrot puree. I'll start by saying I really don't like carrots, but I go to a Turkish restaurant near me (Pasha's in Bondi) and they make this Carrot Dip which is the most delicious thing to eat. This was nothing like that, I had high hopes for it, but it was just all carrot. I can assure you this will not be made again.

Egyptian Beetroot Dip: My youngest son loved this, but overall it was not a favourite with my family. I will explain though that recently I made a huge beetroot salad for a party I was attending, and just before we had to go to the party I came down with a stomach bug, beetroot was the last thing I ate, this happened over 3 months ago, but I still get a queezy feeling when I see beetroot. So although I may not try this recipe again, once I get over my beetroot issues, I would probably try another version.

Egyptian Dukkah: Well this one surprised my family. When I put it on the table, my family at first were like 'what is that', but after trying it, they kept going back for more. This is a great snack food for me.

​Here is the recipe:

Egyptian Dukkah

100g sesame seeds
100g blanched almonds
50g coriander seeds
10g cumin seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Bread
Olive Oil

Toast all seeds and almonds together in a hot dry pan. Keep stirring until fragrant.

Cool, then coarsely grind with salt and pepper.

To serve, dip the bread into the olive oil and then into the dukkah.

​Taameyya (Egyptian Falafel). First time trying falafel. The Egyptians make it with dried broad beans instead of chickpeas. I have to say I quite liked them, they had a great crisp outer coating and were quite tasty. Was it the greatest thing I have ever eaten, no, but I would definitely eat them again. This recipe can be found at www.mattersofthebelly.com/taameyya-the-original-egyptian-falafel/

Egyptian Kofta Rolls: Now this one surprised us all, first time making kofta. We loved them. Now I only made the amount the recipe suggested, but my family could have eaten so much more. The koftas were soft and moist, had a great flavour to them. I'll definitely be making this dish again and again. 

Baked Bechamel Pasta: This is Egypts version of the Greeks Pastitsio. The difference is this one is 'cheeseless' (although in the end I did sprinkle a little over the top). With the little ingredients that went into making this, this was actually delicious. I would definitely make this again.

​Egyptian Limoonada (Orange Blossom Lemonade). In my house we love homemade lemonade, and this version with the addition of the orange blossom was delicious. Add orange blossom to taste, use the recipe as a guide.

​Here is the recipe: 

​Egyptian Limoonada (Orange Blossom Lemonade)

1/2 cup sugar
1 cup boiling hot water
10 lemons
2 tsp orange blossom water
1/2 bunch mint, roughly torn

Ice & soda water, to serve

 Dissolve the sugar in the boiling hot water and set aside to cool.

Juice the lemons and tip into a jug. Add the sugar and orange blossom water and stir well. Chill until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, stir through the mint.

Pour a small amount over ice in a glass and top up with soda water. Enjoy!

If you'd like to make this a bit more adult you can add a splash of vodka, gin or white rum.

​​Now to add another sticker to my world map.

Next stop Sudan

​Kofta is a very popular dish in many Middle-Eastern countries, and it is huge in Egypt.

Kofta is basically the middle eastern version of a burger patty. It is made of minced meat that is mixed with spices, herbs, onion and garlic, it is then shaped into a log or patty if you prefer, heck it can be made into the shape of a meatball if you like, but generally I found they are log shaped. 

This is a simple recipe, each step is fast and easy to make, even the sauces are easy, I know you can buy tahini and yoghurt and cucumber dip, but it is so easy to make your own. If you prefer hummus to tahini, use that instead.

​The whole recipe comes together in about 20-30 minutes, and you get to feed you and your family (or friends) middle eastern burgers.

Adding lamb to the recipe gives it a richer flavour, but feel free to leave it out and just use beef mince, if you prefer. Also buy regular mince, you want a little fat in this dish, otherwise your kofta could taste dry.

My husband prefers the Kofta served as a meat dish at dinner, with the salads and dips on the side, everything separate, my kids loved it as a wrap.  So serve it however you prefer.

Try these soon, they were truly delicious and something different to the regular burger or wrap.

Recipe adapted from www.foodofegypt.com

500g beef mince
120g lamb mince
1/2 cup minced parsley
1 small onion, grated or blitz in a food processor
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon salt
1 tsp crushed black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Extra virgin olive oil Spray

​Tahini Sauce:
1/2 cup tahini.
1/4 cup water - plus or minus depending on your preferred sauce thickness.
2 Tablespoon white vinegar.
2 teaspoon lime juice.
2 garlic cloves- minced.
1/2 teaspoon coriander.
1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste.
1/4 teaspoon cumin.
For garnishing: Extra Virgin Olive Oil and any or all of coriander/cumin/red pepper flakes, paprika, cayenne…​

Cucumber and Yoghurt Sauce: 

1 cucumber
1 cup yogurt
4-5 mint leaves, to taste, minced
Salt to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to garnish
Ground Paprika, to garnish​

To Serve:
Small pita loaves or wraps of choice (I like to use small pita loaves or mini wraps)
Fresh tomato slices
Fresh red onion slices
Fresh greens, such as parsley, rocket or lettuce
​
​Make the kofta: In a food processor, combine the onion, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and nutmeg. Process until very finely chopped, scraping down the sides as needed.

​Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, along with the beef and lamb mince. Use your hands to mix and knead everything together until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Try not to over-mix or overwork the mixture once it is uniform, as this may result in tough kofta.
​
Shape the koftas: Shape handfuls of the kofta mixture into logs. The size of the logs is up to you. I prefer smaller ones, as they cook faster but you could make them slightly bigger than the loaves or wraps you plan to use for an easily-held sandwich. I just put two smaller ones in the wrap. If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate, until needed.

To make the tahini: ​In a small food processor add all the ingredients, except for the garlic. Mix well until everything is well combined.

Pour contents in a bowl, add the garlic and mix.

Pour into serving bowls, add a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle some coriander/cumin or red pepper flakes on top.

​Assemble the rolls: Smear a generous amount of the tahini sauce onto your pita loaves/wraps. Add a few slices of tomato & onion and a small handful of greens, then top with a kofta while it is still super hot. Drizzle with some cucumber and yoghurt sauce.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/egyptian-kofta-rolls.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

​Week 3 of my Eating Around the World challenge took us to Andorra. After a little research, I realised Andorran cuisine shares a lot of similarities with its Spanish neighbour, Catalonia. So knowing that, I had to make this Crema Catalana.

This is the Spanish version of the Creme Brulee.

The custard is perfectly creamy, hinted with a subtle aroma of lemon and cinnamon. The hard caramelised sugar coating, gives a little bitterness to the dish. 

Simple, elegant, beautiful, these are the three words I would use to describe this dessert.

I thought with 8 egg yolks it would be 'eggy' but it really isn't, it really is a beautiful custard.

Leftover egg whites can be frozen, make a Pavlova with them or Almond Bread.

When you add the hot milk into the whisked eggs make sure you are adding it slowly and whisking the whole time, you don't want scrambled eggs.

I don't personally strain the mixture into a jug, I just remove the cinnamon stick and that's it, I'm ok with the lemon rind in the custard, especially as I microplane it so it is superfine.

When you are heating the custard, as soon as the mixture thickens and you feel resistance while stirring, remove the pot from the heat or the mixture may curdle or separate! The texture of the finished crema will be grainy instead of smooth and creamy as it should be. It thickens further whilst cooling.

If you don't have a blowtorch, I suggest you buy one, they are great for this recipe, but you can place the cremas under a hot grill instead, top shelf and caramelise the sugar that way. Just watch it doesn't burn.

Trying to impress someone, or looking for a simple dinner party dessert, try this, it's simple, elegant and beautiful.

Recipe adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook 'World Table'

Serves 8

8 egg yolks
220g (1 cup) caster sugar
1.25 litres (5 cups) milk
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
1 cinnamon stick
75g (1/2 cup) cornflour
75g (1/2 cup) caster sugar, extra

​Fresh Berries, to serve.
​

Beat egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl with electric beaters (or a balloon whisk) until creamy.

Place 1 litre (4 cups) of the milk, rind and cinnamon in a large saucepan; stir over medium heat until the mixture just comes to the boil. Remove immediately from heat.
​
Strain milk mixture into a large heatproof jug; pour milk into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Stir remaining milk and cornflour in a small jug until smooth; add to egg mixture.
​
Return mixture back into your saucepan, stir constantly over low heat until the mixture boils and thickens.

Pour mixture into a 26cm heatproof pie dish (or individual ramekins). Allow to cool slightly, then cover, refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
​
Sprinkle custard with extra sugar. Using a blowtorch, carefully heat the sugar until it is caramelised. 

​Serve immediately with some fresh berries.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/crema-catalana.html 
Pin it: ​www.pinterest.com.au/pin/399413060697865265/

Week 3 of eating around the world took us to Andorra. Now when my random shuffle generator selected Andorra, I will admit, I had to look up where it was. So I found out it was that tiny dot between France and Spain. It is actually a principality as it is a diarchy headed by two co-princes: the Catholic Bishop of Urgell in Spain and the President of France. See eating around the world helps with Geography and it is educational as well as tasty.

Finding authentic Andorran food was a bit of a challenge as most of their food has Catalonian influences, now I could have picked those as there are so many delicious foods to try, but I did want to keep it more Andorran. So I came up with three things to try.

Escudella
Trinxat
Crema Catalana

Escudella: Now I had high hopes for this one, this is a hearty soup/stew that is eaten around Christmas time, it is considered the national dish of Andorra.

So off I went to the butchers to buy the crazy amount of different meats that go into this dish, I mean it has pork sausages, ham, beef and chicken. I came home and started cooking. The initial stock was fatty, but I figured it would be, as all the descriptions I’ve read of this soup describe it as fatty. But I just skimmed off the fat as it rose to the surface and it was fine. The stock itself was very tasty.

And this is where it went wrong for me, I loved that it had beans in it, I loved the cabbage, I loved the pasta, but as I measured out the rice, my gut feeling was don't add it, but as it was in the recipe and I wanted to make it as it was eaten in Andorra, I added the rice, and for me what I got was a delicious stock that turned gluggy and grainy, if I hadn't added the rice I probably would have thought this was a great dish.

Would I make this again even without the rice, I would say no, for me there was far too much meat in this dish. Would I make a variation of this, probably as ultimately it is a thick hearty stew with cabbage and beans in it, which we love.

So although edible, this was not a recipe I would try again.

Trixat: is an Andorran specialty. It is where potatoes, cabbage and bacon get fried together in a hash "pancake", it is Andorra's version of bubble and squeak. It is comfort food.

Now my pancake failed, it wouldn't crisp up, I couldn't flip it, but the dish was not a fail, the flavours that you get from these three simple ingredients are just amazing. Now I forgot to take a photo, as it did technically fail, but this dish I am going to try again and again until I get it right, as this flavour combination was delicious. Will update you when that happens. 

Crema Catalana: For dessert I had to make the Crema Catalana, it is Spain's version of the creme brulee. I did find an Andorran version, but it was the same. This is so easy to make, looks amazing and tastes delicious. 

This is simply a custard, that is topped with some caster sugar that you blowtorch. The custard is smooth and luscious and the slight bitterness from the caramelised sugar compliments the dish. I love to serve it with fresh fruit. 

So overall, I had an okay dish in the Escudella, a lot of potential in the Trinxat, will definitely work on that one and a very delicious dessert in the Crema Catalana. 

​Now to add another sticker to my world map.

Next stop Egypt.

Week 2 of our eating around the world journey has led us to Japan. We were excited by this one, we have had Japanese take out before and quite liked what we have tried.

What I try and cook during this one week stop over is something that I haven't cooked before. After a bit of research I decided on the following dishes to try

​Gyozas (Pot Stickers)
Okonomiyaki-Japanese Pancake
Teriyaki Chicken and Beef
Japanese Beef Curry with Kachumber
Miso soup
Miso Roaste Eggplant
Ginger Pickled Cucumber

I didn't do a dessert, but if I had more time I did want to try a Japanese Cheesecake, maybe next time.

Overall Japan week was a huge success, I've added four new dishes to the blog, as I know I will be making them again and again, and the ones that didn't make it were still delicious, I just can't add anything that I truly didn't love. 

Gyoza. ​I was most excited about trying to make Gyozas. These were amazing. After watching a video for about 30 minutes of a Japanese woman making them, I decided I was ready to try and make them. I have made these so many times since discovering this recipe and they are loved by all who have tried them. With a bit of practice making them became very easy.

Okonomiyaki. These are Japanese Pancakes, street food for them, or their version of a pizza. This is a nice dish to clean out the fridge and use up some leftovers. Simple but very tasty.

Teriyaki Chicken. This was absolutely loved by my family. It is super easy to make and truly is a delicious dish. I served it with rice and the ginger cucumber pickle.

Teriyaki Steak. Not as popular as the chicken with my family, even though the dressing is the same. This was still delicious and I will be making it again, but I didn't feel I wanted to add the recipe to the blog. If you have Adam Liaw's cookbook, Adam's Big Pot, the recipe can be found in there. I can post the recipe upon request.

Ginger Pickled Cucumber. This was super delicious. This was delicious as a side to the Teriyaki Steak, but it would compliment many Asian dishes. I'll put the recipe here as I know I'll want to make it again and again.

Ginger Pickled Cucumber:

3 Lebanese cucumbers, peeled at intervals
1 teaspoon salt
5cm ginger, peeled and sliced into very thin matchsticks

Slice the cucumbers on a steep diagonal into 5mm slices. Place in a snap lock bag and scatter with the salt and ginger.  Massage for a minute to mix the salt, then squeeze as much air as possible out of the bag and seal firmly. Allow to stand in the fridge for 3 hours. When ready, the cucumber should be slightly softened and swimming in released liquid.

I don't like eating the ginger, but it gives an amazing flavour to the cucumbers.

Japanese Beef Curry with Kachumber. This beef curry was delicious, it is nothing like an Indian or Thai curry it is more of a European style curry. Paired with the Kachumber I quite enjoyed this dish. The Kachumber was absolutely delicious, we really loved this as a side. I didn't add the curry recipe to the blog as although I really liked it, I didn't feel I wanted to add it here. If you want the recipe it can be found in Adam Liaw's cookbook Asian After Work, or if someone requests it, I'll put it up for them. But I will put up the Kachumber recipe as this is a simple salad that can be eaten with almost anything and with many different cuisines from Mexican, Indian or African for instance.

Kachumber:

1 continental cucumber or 2 Lebanese cucumbers, peeled and deseeded
3 Roma tomatoes, peeled and deseeded
1/2 red onion, peeled
1 bird's eye chilli, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves
1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt flakes
A pinch caster sugar

​Cut the cucumber, tomato and onion into a 5mm square dice and combine in a large bowl. Ad the chilli, coriander and mint to the bowl and mix together. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Miso Roasted Eggplant. I love eggplant and this miso roasted eggplant was so addictive for me. I ate it hot and any leftovers I ate cold straight from the fridge. Super easy to prepare. I know I'll be making this again and again.

Now to add another sticker to my world map.

Next stop Andorra.

​I make the cake in a springform tin, just smaller than the crepes, if you don't have a springform tin, don't fret, you can just make it directly on a plate, it still looks fabulous and the flavours are obviously the same.

​This is delicious, looks amazing, tastes amazing and is something you need to try.

Crepes: makes about 20, you will need 12-15
320g plain flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Pinch of salt
750ml full cream milk
250ml mineral water
Canola cooking spray

Filling:
300ml thickened cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250g cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Berry Salad:
300g frozen mixed berries
2 tablespoons icing sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
½ cup small mint leaves, torn (optional)

Decorations:
Fresh Berries
300ml thickened cream, extra
¼ cup flaked almonds, toasted
Icing sugar, to dust
​
Make the crepes: In a bowl whisk the eggs and the salt, then, alternating, slowly add the flour, milk and water. Whisk well until there are no more lumps of flour. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes.
 
Heat a crepe pan, spray or brush with oil, using a ladle pour batter into the top side of the pan, swirl quickly around pan to just cover the base of the pan.
 
When the bottom side has browned and has loosened from pan, flip the crepe over and let brown. Stack crepes on a plate. Repeat with remaining batter. Allow to cool completely.

​Make the Berry Salad: Combine berries, sugar and juice in a bowl. Stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or until sugar dissolves and berries have thawed. You can keep it refrigerated, if making it in advance. Sprinkle with mint before serving.

​Make the filling: Using an electric mixer, beat cream and extract in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and zest in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat in juice. Fold in whipped cream.
​
To assemble: Place 1 crepe on a serving plate or in a baking paper lined springform tin. Spread with 1/3-1/2 cup cream mixture (depends on size of crepes, may even be more). Top with another crepe. Repeat layers, using remaining crepes and cream mixture, finishing with a crepe. Cover; chill for at least 4 hours.
​
​Just before serving, (if using a springform tin, remove sides and paper and invert cake onto your serving plate), then place extra whipped cream in a mixing bowl, beat until just thick enough to spread. Spread on to the crepe cake. Place on some fresh fruit, sprinkle crepe cake with almonds; lightly dust with icing sugar. Serve with berry salad.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/crepe-cake-with-citrus-cream-and-a-berry-salad.html 
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​My oldest son was turning 17 and every time I asked him what cake he would like for his birthday I got an 'I don't know' kind of answer. On the morning of his birthday, this is what I decided to make him.

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.

After you have made the crepes, the rest of the recipe is super easy. It is a cake you can make the day before, so it's great if you are having a party, as you can make it in advance.

Now for the crepes, below is the recipe I used when I first started making crepes. I double this recipe, I even triple this recipe when needed. I have made it with full cream milk, skim milk or a combination of milk and mineral water, all depends on what I have in the refrigerator on the day I'm making crepes. The consistency needs to be like pouring cream. If you fry the crepes and you get a lot of holes in it, you need more flour, if it spreads to slow, it needs more liquid. This is something that comes with practice, but after you have made a crepes a few times, you'll get it.

​Mineral water, adds extra lightness to crepes, I use it if I have it at home. 
​
You will make more crepes than you need, but just use leftover crepes for breakfast or as a snack filled with jam, nutella or freshly squeezed lemon juice and caster sugar.

The crepe pan needs to be hot, quite often the first one is just a tester. I fry them over a medium heat, I don't like burnt crepes.

For an extensive look at how I make crepes and more tips, click here, it will lead you to my crepe page.

If you don't use up all the chocolate glaze, any leftovers is delicious on ice cream, so much better than store bought toppings.
​
I make the cake in a springform tin, just smaller than the crepes, if you don't have a springform tin, don't fret, you can just make it directly on a plate, it still looks fabulous and the flavours are obviously the same.
 
This is delicious, looks amazing, tastes amazing and is something you need to try.

​Crepes: makes about 20, you will need 12-15
320g plain flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Pinch of salt
750ml full cream milk
250ml mineral water
Canola cooking spray

Hazelnut Cream:
600ml thickened cream
1 cup Nutella

Chocolate Glaze:
300ml double thick cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup or liquid glucose
Pinch salt
¼ teaspoon instant coffee granules
225g bittersweet dark chocolate, finely chopped

Candied Hazelnut:
12 hazelnuts
1 cup sugar

Strawberries, to decorate


Make the crepes: In a bowl whisk the eggs and the salt, then, alternating, slowly add the flour, milk and water. Whisk well until there are no more lumps of flour. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes.
 
Heat a crepe pan, spray or brush with oil, using a ladle pour batter into the top side of the pan, swirl quickly around pan to just cover the base of the pan.
 
When the bottom side has browned and has loosened from pan, flip the crepe over and let brown. Stack crepes on a plate. Repeat with remaining batter. Allow to cool completely.

Make the Hazelnut Cream: Using an electric beater, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the nutella, fold in gently to loosen the nutella, then fold in the rest of the cream until well incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Chocolate Glaze: In a small saucepan over medium high heat, bring cream, corn syrup, and salt to a boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and coffee. Stir until all chocolate is melted and the glaze is glossy. Let cool completely, it thickens while cooling.

Candied Hazelnut: Thread each hazelnut onto tip of a long wooden skewer; set aside. Place a cutting board along the edge of a counter top; set a baking sheet on the floor next to the edge, directly under the board. 

In a heavy saucepan, cook sugar and ¼ cup water over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook, without stirring, until syrup comes to a boil. With a wet pastry brush, brush the sides of the sugar mixture to prevent crystals from forming. Let it boil until syrup turns light amber, about 5 minutes; remove from heat. Let it stand until slightly cooled, 6 to 8 minutes.
  
Dip 1 skewered hazelnut into syrup, coating completely and letting excess syrup drip back into pan. When dripping syrup becomes a thin string, secure end of skewer under cutting board. Let caramel drip over edge onto prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining hazelnuts. Let stand until caramel has hardened, about 5 minutes. Break strings to about 8cm. Carefully remove skewers.

To assemble: Place 1 crepe on a serving plate or in a baking paper lined springform tin. Spread with 1/3-1/2 cup cream mixture (depends on size of crepes, may even be more). Top with another crepe. Repeat layers, using remaining crepes and cream mixture, finishing with a crepe. Cover; chill for at least 4 hours.

Drizzle ½ of the thickened chocolate glaze on top of the cake and let it drip to the sides. Spread remaining glaze around the sides of the cake and make sure all crepes are covered completely. Decorate with strawberries. Refrigerate until glaze is firm, about 30 minutes.

Garnish with Candied Hazelnuts.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/chocolate-crepe-cake-with-hazelnut-cream.html
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