​I love homemade lemonades, they always taste so fresh.

This raspberry version is delicious, it looks beautiful and more importantly is so easy to make.

The sugar content is up to you, it really depends on how sour your raspberry and lemons are. But how I fix it, if I feel it is too sweet, just add more water, or I add a glassful of ice, then top up with strawberry lemonade and allow the ice to not only chill your drink, but also dilute it also. So add more or less sugar, that is really up to you and how you like it.

It makes about 6 glasses, so when I have guests over I would make it in a large jug. But if I'm just making it for my kids, what I do rather than make a large jug of it, I pour the mixture without the water into a bottle and my kids make it when they are thirsty and use it like you would cordial, and add water when needed.

I also have recipes for traditional lemonade and a strawberry lemonade. Both delicious.

This is a drink that would look good served up at a party, looks beautiful, tastes even better. Give it a try.

​Recipe adapted from Family Circle Cookbook 'Juices, Smoothies and Shakes'

Makes 6 x 375ml glasses

300g fresh or frozen raspberries, (thawed if using frozen)
1 1/4 cups (310g) caster sugar
2 cups (500ml) lemon juice
1.5 litres cold water
ice cubes, to serve
mint leaves, to garnish
​

Combine the raspberries and sugar in a blender and blend until smooth.

Place a fine sieve over a large bowl and push the mixture through to remove the seeds. Discard the seeds.

Add the lemon juice and mix well. 

Pour into a large jug and stir in the cold water. Refrigerate until cold.

To serve, pour over ice cubes and garnish with mint leaves.

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​My oldest son was sick with a cold. Whilst flicking through this cookbook, I came across this recipe. I had all the ingredients at home, so I figured I'd make this for him. He loved it.

This has now become something that I constantly have in the fridge. If it's in the fridge he doesn't look for sugary juices, he goes straight for this.

I don't add mint, as he doesn't love it, but if I was making it for me, I probably would.

​Recipe adapted from Family Circle Cookbook 'Juices, Smoothies and Shakes'

​Makes 3-4 glasses

2cm (15g) piece fresh ginger, finely sliced
1/2 cup (125ml) lemon juice
2 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves (optional)
3 cups (750ml) boiling water
​

Place the ginger, lemon juice, honey and mint (if using) into a heatproof jug and pour over the boiling water. Leave to infuse for 2-3 hours or until cold.

When the mixture is cold, strain into another jug and chill in the refrigerator.

Serve in chilled glasses over ice.

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​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 what my kids breakfasts look like recently, they love these. They are so easy to make and so quick to make that even I prefer this to making toast or even cereal.

Acai berries a small fruit native to Central and South America and are considered a superfood because of their high antioxidant levels. You can find packets of acai berry puree in the freezer section of most supermarkets.

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.

Make sure you freeze your bananas peeled, it's hard to peel a frozen banana. Always have frozen berries in your freezer. You want your acai smoothie to be on the thick side because you’re going to pour it into bowls and eat it with a spoon. If you don't freeze your bananas you can still eat it in a bowl, it just won't be as thick as when they are frozen.

The topping possibilities are endless, fresh berries, fresh bananas, nuts, granola, shredded coconut and chia seeds to name a few toppings. 

You can also change the frozen mixed berries with frozen peaches, pineapple or mango id you want to try this in other flavours. You can use vanilla Greek Yoghurt if you prefer.

This is a perfect start to the day.

​Recipe adapted from www.dinneratthezoo.com 

Makes 2-3 acai bowls
​
1 cup of apple juice
1 large frozen banana, cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups of frozen berries
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 frozen packet of acai berry puree (100 grams), broken into pieces

Assorted toppings such as sliced almonds, berries, shredded coconut, granola, chia seeds, sliced banana, mint sprigs, etc.
​

Place the apple juice, banana, frozen berries, yogurt and acai puree in the blender.

Blend until thoroughly combined and smooth, I like to do it in bursts.

Pour the smoothie into 2-3 deep bowls.
​
Arrange the desired toppings over your smoothie bowls and serve.

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Our Eating Around the World adventure took us to the Ukraine. When looking for things to try I came across a few vareniki recipes. I liked the idea of vareniki, it looked like something we would like. I had seen a few Polish pierogi recipes that I wanted to try one day and this seemed like the Ukranian version of pierogi.

After trying these a few times, I have now combined two recipes to make my own version of vareniki.

The first time I made them I followed one recipe and although we loved the dough, it was amazing, I didn't love the filling. So the dough remained, but I played with the filling and now I'm happy with both the dough and the filling.

 The dough is easy to make and work with, shaping the vareniki however, does takes a bit of practice, it does get easier and easier the more times you make them. There is a video you can watch here, I didn't follow this recipe but it does show you how to make them and give you an idea how it works. Just remember when rolling out the dough, add extra flour if it is sticky, then it is easy.

The filling needs to be like the best mashed potato you have eaten, don't skimp on the butter or the cheese or your filling will be bland. The caramelised onion is essential it makes then filling so much better.

Now the dough and filling are great, next issue, was to fry or not to fry the vareniki, some people do, some people don't. 

So what I discovered if I don't want to fry the vareniki, I serve them with a sauce, like tortellini. I went with a Creamy Mushroom Sauce for a vegetarian option, not on purpose, it just happened because I love this Creamy Mushroom Sauce and I also served it with my Short Rib Ragu to see what it would be like with a meat sauce. ​

I invited my parents over and we had both, some of us preferred the mushroom sauce some of us preferred the meat sauce but we all agreed both were great.

Now to fry the vareniki. One of the first times I made vareniki I didn't fry them but I served them with a bacon, onion and butter 'sauce'. ​

​I like the butter sauce idea, but I felt it could be better. I felt the vareniki needed to be fried, I'd seen it before, but was scared to try it thinking it wouldn't work. I was wrong, they were delicious. Fried vareniki with a bacon and onion butter sauce and a dollop of sour cream and chives, pure genious. These were moorish and so tasty. Again don't skimp on the butter sauce, no it's not a light meal, but you don't have it every day so enjoy and eat it properly. I may even add mushrooms to the butter sauce next time, it would work well here.

You can add more of the topping if needed, it all depends on how much you love bacon.

Now vareniki they say can me frozen uncooked, once formed, you  just freeze them in a single layer on a baking paper lined baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, then when they are frozen transfer to snap lock bags and freeze for up to 3 months. I haven't frozen them as yet, but I will next time.

So fry them, don't fry them, serve them with a mushroom sauce or a tomato meat sauce, or with a butter sauce, all is up to your personal taste, but I loved them all.
​
So if you like dumplings, pierogi, vareniki, try these, they do take a little time, there is a bit of work involved, but my goodness they were good.

Recipe adapted from www.foodiewithfamily.com and natashaskitchen.com 

Serves 10-12

For the dough: 
1 large egg
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup water
1 cup full cream milk
5 cups plain flour, plus about 1 cup more for dusting

For the filling:
8 medium desiree potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-3cm pieces
100g butter, melted
55g cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
3 medium sized onion, sliced
2 tablespoons canola oil, for frying
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Topping/Zazharka: 
4 rashers bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
​60g butter


For the dough: Place the egg and sour cream in a large mixing bowl, whisk together with a fork until well combined.

Add water and milk, mix to combine.

I like to use an electric mixer with a dough hook. Now with the motor running on low, add the flour, 1 cup at a time. Once all incorporated allow the mixer to knead the dough. If your dough is sticking to the bowl, add a little more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl. Once it is no longer sticking to the bowl, continue to knead the dough for 5 minutes.

Cover the dough in the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Now make the filling: Saute the onions slowly in the canola oil, until they have caramelised, this takes care and patience, you don't just want burnt onions, slow caramelisation is what is needed.

Place potatoes in a pot, add enough water to cover potatoes then bring to a boil over medium/high heat and continue cooking 15 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Drain and cool for 5 minutes.

Mash in 1/2 tsp salt, pepper to taste, 1/2 of the melted butter and the cream cheese, mash to combine. Mash in the shredded mozzarella cheese. Stir in the caramelised onions, taste, add more butter if you feel you need it. Remember this has to taste great now for great vareniki later, don't make it a wet mixture though as it will be hard to form the vareniki with a wet filling. Set aside while rolling out the dough. 

Divide dough into 2 pieces. Cover the second piece with the mixing bowl and thinly roll the first piece out onto a floured surface to just under 0.3cm in thickness.

Use a 7cm diameter round cookie cutter to cut circles from the dough, keeping them as close as possible (collect scraps and place under the bowl to re-use). Add 1/2 teaspoon of potatoes over each round.
​
​​Fold the dough over the filling to form a crescent and seal the edges tightly with your fingers. Now you can pinch and twist the vareniki edge to make a nice pattern, this takes practice and gets easier and easier everytime. (If I make it with a mushroom sauce or the meat sauce I sometimes pinch the two edges together to make it look like tortellini other times I just leave it in a crescent shape).

Place the finished vareniki on a sheet of baking paper dusted with flour until ready to boil. Keep refrigerated if making them ahead of time.

​​Make the Topping/Zazharka: Saute bacon and onion in butter, until the onion has softened and the bacon is cooked. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Once boiling, place the vareniki in boiling water. After they float to the top, cook about 2 to 3 minutes more, then remove them with a slotted spoon to a bowl. 

Drizzle the vareniki with melted butter and bacon topping.

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WOW Guatemala, you sure did impress us.

Week 9 of my Eating Around the World adventure took us to Guatemala.

When we started this little Eating Around the World Adventure we could never have imagined that we would be so surprised by the food we are eating. But you follow a recipe, as you have to, as you have no idea what the food is supposed to taste like, so you go by trust and instinct and you get to taste for the first time, something new, something different and it's exciting.

So far, I have picked well, after looking at a recipe, I read it and think would my family like it, and mostly I have been right.

Guatemalan food is delicious, it is fresh and so tasty. 

So here is what I cooked on our little adventure into Guatemala
​

Jocon de Pollo: Guatemalan Chicken and Tomatillo Stew. This was the first thing I made and my goodness we were impressed. My family loved this. It is simple to make and tastes so good.

Kaq'ik: Another hit with my family, they love tomato based soups and this one did not disappoint. I loved the addition of rice to the soup instead of pasta. The flavours were lovely and it was really easy to make.

Hilachas-Guatemalan Stew: Here is another dish we absolutely loved. Hilachas served with Guatemalan style rice is easy to make and truly delicious.

Pepian: This was nice, really nice, it was a flavourful stew, my family really enjoyed it. Pepian is considered Guatemalas national dish, their most famous stew. I couldn't find all the chillies the recipe used, but I substituted with what I could find. A nice stew that is kind of like a soup, with lovely flavours. We would definitely make this again.

Tostadas: Tostadas are a traditional Guatemalan food. I found this is a great afternoon snack for my kids before they go off to sports. You make a few different toppings, my kids picked their favourites. It's all simple to make, my kids are happy, I'm happy. Leftovers can be eaten the next day, it's a great quick snack idea, anytime.

Here is how you make it:

12 thin corn tortillas
Light olive oil, for frying

Toppings:
Guacamole
Red Sauce
Refried Beans
Queso fresco (crumbly cheese)
Spring onions or red onions, thinly sliced
Fresh Coriander, to serve

Guacamole:
3 ripe avocados
1/2 large lemon, juiced
2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped finely
4 shallots, cut in half lengthways, finely chopped
Salt and white pepper, to taste

Scoop the flesh out of the avocados and place in a medium sized bowl with the lemon juice. The juice is not only for flavour, but it also works to stop the avocado browning. Mash it up well with a fork.

Add the tomatoes and shallots. Season well with salt and white pepper, to taste.

You can prepare this in advance but keep it in the refrigerator in an airtight container, until needed.

It is at its best if used the same day, but it can be used the next day also.

Red Sauce:
6 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
 1 red capsicum, roughly chopped
1 small white onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon of Adobo seasoning
 1 bunch of coriander
1 tablespoon of light olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium saucepan add the tomatoes, garlic, capsicum, onion and 3 cups of water. Bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce thickens, remove from heat, allow to cool. Blend all of the ingredients and put them through a sieve.

In a large pan heat the light olive oil, add the tomato sauce, the adobo, season with salt and pepper, to taste and bring it to a boil moving it until it thickens.

If you can't find Adobo seasoning, just make your own like I did:

Mix together:
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 1⁄2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1⁄2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder

For the Refried Beans:
2 teaspoons, Light olive oil, for frying
1 x 400g tin refried beans
1 onion, finely chopped

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onion. Let it fry until golden. Don’t let it burn. Add the beans and stir them until they acquire the desired consistency. Really they just need to be warm.

To assemble: 

Fry the tortillas in vegetable oil until crispy. Transfer to paper covered plate. Once they have cooled down spread some with guacamole, some with refried beans and some with red sauce. Garnish with thin slices of onion, queso fresco and coriander.
​

Guatemalan Pupusas: We first made pupusas in our week in El Salvador, as we liked them, I thought I'd try the Guatemalan version. Now I really liked these, it reminded me of polenta, if it were fried and with a filling.  I have yet to truly master pupusa making, so I will share a link to the recipe, but I found rolling out two circles and joining them together easier than making it in the palm of my hands and enclosing the filling. This is something I would definitely make again. I liked the bean and cheese fillings. Serve it with a tomato sauce or salsa, it needs it.

Shucos: Guatemalan Inspired Hot Dogs. I love this, I love this a lot. I love when a simple hot dog turns into a delicious meal. I love how guatemala has changed the way I eat hot dogs, just adding a few delicious, fresh toppings, transforms this simple meal into something special . Pictured I used a tortilla, I didn't feel like a lot of bread that day, but please feel free to use regular hot dog buns.

​Here is the recipe:

Hot Dog Buns (or tortillas)
Your favorite Frankfurts and/or Chorizo sausages
Freshly made guacamole

Suggested toppings:
Sauerkraut or coleslaw (with oil and vinegar dressing)
Mustard
Tomato Sauce
Mayonnaise
Your favorite hard cheese
Pico de gallo-salsa
Jalapeños
Coriander
Chimichurri sauce

Heat the buns on the grill or the oven until they are golden brown

Grill the frankfurts and/or chorizo.

Spread on a big spoon full of guacamole on to the bread, add a sausage or chorizo and pile high with your favorite ingredients.

Crazy Corn: My newest food love. At first when I saw this recipe I was unsure about trying it, but as I love corn, I had to. I loved it. It has so much flavour, it was just delicious. You roast the corn, then brush on mayonnaise, sprinkle on chilli powder, cheese and coriander, then add on a burst of lime and you get a flavour bomb in your mouth. It's messy to eat, but I don't care. This is definitely going to be made again again in my house.

Tres Leches: I love a tres leches cake, I discovered it years ago when I was going to Mexican party at a friends and I made it, as I offered to bring a dessert, I loved it. Here I found a Guatemalan version, very similar. Tres Leches is like a pudding and a cake wrapped up in one dessert. After you make it, you wonder how the cake doesn't fall apart with all the milk added to it, but it doesn't. It's light, it's delicious. 

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.

Hot Chocolate Ice Pops: Simple and delicious, making hot chocolate ice pops, brilliant. This was very well received by my kids, they did not last very long.

Next stop: Switzerland

​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.

I had never cooked with tomatillos before and as I can't buy fresh ones where I live, so I bought tinned ones. The sauce was really green, but really nice. I love trying new things and dishes like this is the reason why.

My family loved this, they keep requesting I make it again, I hope you love it to.

​Recipe adapted from blog.arousingappetites.com 

Serves 6

450g chicken thighs, chopped into bite size pieces
Salt & pepper, to taste

The Sauce:
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large white onion, roughly chopped
4-5 medium-sized tomatillos, hulled and quartered (use tinned tomatillos, if needed)
1 green capsicum, roughly chopped
3 jalapeño chillies, deseeded and sliced
1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped
1 bunch shallots, chopped
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted and then ground
2 cups chicken stock

To serve:
Sour cream
Sliced fresh shallots
Lime wedges
​
Start by putting a deep frying pan over medium-high heat. When it's heated up, add in your sesame seeds and dry-toast them for 1-2 minutes until they start to brown.

When the seeds have browned, remove them from the pan and set them aside, until needed.

Add a teaspoon of olive oil into your pan, add the onions. Cook the onions, for 1-2 minutes as they begin to sweat and become translucent.

As the onions soften, add in your garlic, jalapenos, capsicum, tomatillos, coriander and half of the shallots into the pan as well. Mix everything well together and cook for 3-4 minutes as everything begins to soften.

Add in your stock and cook everything together for another 5 minutes before taking your pan off the heat. Taste for seasoning.

Carefully transfer your mixture and the toasted sesame seeds into a blender or food processor, then blitz everything until you get your thickened sauce for jocon de pollo. Set aside until needed.
​
Take the same frying pan back onto your stovetop at medium high heat, and add a tablespoon of olive oil.

When the oil's nice and hot, add in your chicken and begin to sear for 3-4 minutes. Re-season your chicken with salt and pepper along the way.

Now add your green sauce back into the pan and cover your chicken completely with it.

Reduce the heat to a medium-low setting, and simmer the entire jocon de pollo together for about 15 minutes.

Serve hot with sour cream, extra sliced shallots, some lime wedges and some cooked rice.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/guatemalan-chicken-and-tomatillo-stew.html 
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​​This one is sweet, fruity and so easy to make.

It's a great party drink. It's perfect for casual summer entertaining. It's a great drink to serve when guests arrive, to kick start your afternoon lunch, or serve it up at your next brunch. It's perfect at any summer gathering.

Make a glass or make it in a jug, just make it.

​​​Recipe adapted from the Family Circle 'Cocktails and Party Drinks' Cookbook

Makes 1

Ice Cubes
45ml Peach Schnapps
​Fresh Orange Juice, to top up


Three quarters fill a highball glass with ice. Pour in the peach schnapps and top up with fresh orange juice. Garnish with a cocktail umbrella and a swizzle stick.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/fuzzy-navel.html 
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​A quick and easy salad to go with your next barbecue, or simply serve with some corn chips as a dip.

This is so good.

​Recipe adapted from the Family Circle 'Fast Kids Food'

​Serves 4

2 ripe avovados, peeled, stoned and diced
2 ripe tomatoes, finely diced
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 lebanese cucumber, finely diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
​
​In a large bowl add the avocado, tomato, spring onion and cucumber. Add olive oil and white wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, toss gently to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/avocado-and-tomato-salsa.html 
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​This cocktail is refreshing and very easy to drink.

​​Recipe adapted from the Family Circle 'Cocktails and Party Drinks' Cookbook

Makes 1

Ice cubes
15ml Malibu
15ml dark rum
15ml Kahlua
15ml white rum
Crushed Ice
Pineapple juice, to top up
Thin pineapple wedge, to garnish
Mint sprig, to garnish
​

Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in the Malibu, dark rum, Kahlua, and white rum. Shake well to mix, then strain into a highball glass half filled with crushed ice. Top with pineapple juice. Garnish with a thin pineapple wedge and a small sprig of mint on the rim or simply pop in a little cocktail umbrella. 

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/bahama-mama.html 
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Well now,  I do like this kind of iced tea. ​

​Recipe adapted from the Family Circle 'Cocktails and Party Drinks' Cookbook

Makes 1

Ice Cubes
15ml white rum
15ml vodka
15ml gin
15ml Cointreau
15ml tequila
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
Cola, to top up
Lime wedge, to garnish
​

Half fill a highball glass with ice.

Pour in the white rum, vodka, gin, cointreau, tequila and lime juice. Top up with Cola. Stir well with a swizzle stick to combine.

Garnish with a lime wedge.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/long-island-iced-tea.html 
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