​My kids love chicken wings, it is one of their favourite things to eat. Here is a simple, yet delicious recipe that I recently made them and they loved.

You get to control the spice, add more or less chilli flakes, that's up to you. 

I don't bake the wing tips, I freeze them for when I'm making a soup, but you can bake them if you like.

​Serves 4-6

1/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1/2-1 teaspoon chilli flakes, to taste
1kg chicken wings
​
In a bowl combine barbecue and Worcestershire sauces with spring onion and chilli flakes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir to combine. Add chicken wings, toss to coat all over. Refrigerate for 2 hours, turning occasionally.
​
Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Place chicken in a single layer, presentation side down. Bake for 25 minutes, turn chicken over and bake a further 25-30 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/bbq-chicken-wings.html 
Pin it: www.pinterest.com.au/pin/399413060713349048/

​​​​​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

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

Makes 1 drink

ice
30ml tequila
30ml Cointreau
20ml strawberry liqueur
45ml orange and mango juice
4 strawberries
​

Combine ice, tequila, Cointreau, strawberry liqueur, orange and mango juice and strawberries in a blender. Blend well. Pour into a margarita glass.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/sombrero-spinner.html 
Pin it: www.pinterest.com.au/pin/399413060713349324

​​​​​​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

​Recipe adapted from Clodagh McKenna's cookbook Clodagh's Kitchen Diaries

Serves 6

50g butter
100g smoked streaky bacon or pancetta, diced
240g potatoes, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, chopped
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
300g tomatoes, chopped
400g cabbage, shredded
Salt and pepper, to taste
​

Put a heavy bottomed saucepan over a medium heat. Add the butter, and when it has melted, stir in the bacon, potatoes, garlic and onion. Cover and cook, stirring, occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Add the stock, thyme and tomatoes, bring to the boil. Add the cabbage, bring back to the boil, reduce heat and cook for about 20 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve hot with crusty bread.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/cabbage-and-bacon-soup.html 
Pin it: www.pinterest.com.au/pin/399413060713340884/

​​​​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

​Simple and delicious.

You can make a sparkling version by using sparkling apple juice.

If making it like a martini use the method below, but if you like it like a drink, pictured, just add all ingredients straight into a glass.

Recipe adapted from Clodagh McKenna's cookbook Clodagh's Kitchen Diaries

Makes 1

ice
30ml gin (or vodka)
​100ml good quality apple juice
thin slice of apple
​
Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice and add gin and apple juice. Shake, pour and garnish with an apple slice.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/appletini.html 
Pin it: www.pinterest.com.au/pin/399413060713341122

​​​​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

​​Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawsons cookbook Feast

Serves 14-16

250ml guinness
250g unsalted butter, cut up into slices
75g cocoa powder
400g caster sugar
140ml sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
275g plain flour
2½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

Frosting:
300g cream cheese
150g icing sugar
125ml double cream (or thickened cream)


Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan forced, and line a 23cm springform tin with baking paper.

Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter and heat until the butter's melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar.

Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, beery pan and finally whisk in the flour and bicarb.

Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for 50 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.

​When the cake's cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get make the icing.

Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the icing sugar and then beat to combine.

If using double cream, add it and beat until you have a spreadable consistency. If using whipping cream, whisk first to soft peaks, add a couple of spoonfuls into the cream cheese mixture and once this is combined, fold in the rest.

Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/chocolate-guinness-cake.html 
Pin it: www.pinterest.com.au/pin/399413060713323585/

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

Makes 1 drink

ice
30ml Bacardi
15ml blue curacao
15ml lime juice
75ml pineapple juice
​

Place ice, Bacardi, blue curacao, lime juice and pineapple juice in a highball glass. Stir.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/envy.html 
Pin it: www.pinterest.com.au/pin/399413060713317264

​​​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

​I was going through my recipe clippings pile and came across this recipe and they looked so good, I had to give them a try. They are so quick and easy to make, and the kids simply loved them.

The original recipe only added 1/2 teaspoon Baileys, I felt it needed more, so add alcohol of your choice, to taste.

If once you have mixed it all together the mixture is too wet to roll. Just refrigerate them for 10-20 minutes until the mixture is easy to roll.

These are suitable to freeze, but in my house I don't see this happening.

Quick and easy to make, give these a try soon.

​Makes 40 truffles

250g plain biscuits, crushed
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1½cups desiccated coconut
395g sweetened condensed milk
2-3 tablespoons Croatian Rum or Baileys, to taste
​
​In a large mixing bowl, add the crushed biscuits, cocoa, 1 cup of the coconut and sweetened condensed milk. Add 2 tablespoons Croatian rum (or Baileys). Mix well to combine. Add more rum (or Baileys), if you like.

Put the remaining 1/2 cup of coconut in a small bowl.

Using wet hands, roll a measured tablespoon of the biscuit mixture into a ball, roll in the extra coconut to coat, place in a container. Repeat until all the biscuit mixture is used up. Refrigerate 15 minutes to firm up before serving.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/coconut-truffles.html 
Pin it: www.pinterest.com.au/pin/399413060713316987

​​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

​I'm constantly cutting recipes out of magazines and this one I came across recently while I was sorting through a large stack of clippings.

My kids absolutely love this, as do I.

At first I was worried about adding cinnamon, I didn't think I'd like it, but it's great. We added in extra 1/2 teaspoon of chilli flakes and the cayenne, as we love it spicy.

You can mash the avocado or chop it, your choice.

My kids say they can never go back to packet mince type tacos once you've tried these.

​Recipe adapted from a Coles magazine

Serves 6

For the Pulled Pork:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1.2kg Pork (neck) Scotch Roast, cut into 5cm pieces
2 red onions, cut into thick slices
1 tablespoon ground paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
400g can diced tomatoes
1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
400g can black beans, rinsed, drained

Coleslaw:
1/2 red cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 cup coriander leaves
Juice of 1 lime juice
2-3 teaspoons olive oil

12 hard taco shells, toasted or flour tortillas or corn tortillas, toasted
6 radishes, thinly sliced
2 avocadoes, stoned, peeled, chopped
lime wedges, to serve
extra coriander leaves, to serve
4 spring onions, sliced
sour cream, to serve, optional


To make the pulled pork: heat half the oil in a large flameproof casserole pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate.

Heat remaining oil in the pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 mins or until onion softens. Add the paprika, cumin, coriander, oregano, cinnamon, chilli flakes and cayenne. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Return the pork to the pan with the tomato, stock and 1 cup water, or just enough water to cover the pork. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Cover and cook for 2 hours, then uncover and cook for a further 30 minutes or until the pork is very tender. Use tongs to transfer the pork to a heatproof bowl. Use 2 forks to coarsely shred the pork. Return pork to the pan with the beans. Taste for seasoning, cook a further 10 minutes.
​
Combine cabbage, coriander, lime juice and oil in a bowl. Season with salt and white pepper, to taste. 

Divide cabbage mixture among taco shells with pulled pork, radish and avocado.

Serve with extra coriander, sour cream and lime wedges.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/spicy-pulled-pork-and-black-bean-tacos.html 
Pin it: www.pinterest.com.au/pin/399413060713309786

​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

​Our Eating Around the World Adventure has led us to Poland. This is our 17th country in our adventure. So far we are loving the food. For us the food is very similar to continental Croatian food that my mother in law makes.

Bigos is a dish that would be served at a Polish Christmas, it's comforting and warm. It uses a combination of fresh cabbage and sauerkraut, something I've never thought to do before, and we loved it. Here I used store bought sauerkraut, and it was delicious, but I think it would be fabulous with homemade, as it's a bit crunchier.

This makes a huge batch of bigos, you will need an extremely large pot, which luckily I have. Now my family love this sort of food, but we did have it for a few days. You can absolutely halve the recipe, no reason why it wouldn't work, or if you have room in your freezer, make the large batch, it freezes well according to the original recipe.

​You can use pork neck instead of chuck steak, if you prefer, or use a combination of both. You can also make this with leftover roast meats.

With the smoked speck, you can use smoked bacon or pancetta.

Some people add prunes, I chose not to. If you want to add it, add 5-6 prunes, cut each prune into 3 pieces. and add it when you add the bay leaves.

Now I also added more liquid than  the original recipe as we like this sort of food as stew/soup. Just add less water if you want it thicker, or just reduce it more.

This is a great dish to cook on the weekend, then eat it during the week, when you don't have as much time to cook.

This is hearty and delicious, something I will definitely be making for years to come.

Recipe adapted from www.polishyourkitchen.com/ 

​Serves 12-15

1½ cups of dried porcini mushrooms
500g of beef chuck steak, cut into bite sized pieces
​2 tablespoons sunflower oil
2cm thick piece of smoked speck, about 150g, cut into thick lardons
2 larges onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped​
225g of fresh button mushrooms, sliced
1 small cabbage, shredded
About 500g of smoked sausage, I used kransky, thickly sliced
350g tomato passata
1-2 teaspoons vegeta, to taste
4 bay leaves
1-2 small red chillies (optional)
1-2 teaspoons of salt
10 peppercorns
6-8 allspice seeds
1/2 tespoon of pepper
About 1.5kg of sauerkraut
​
Place dried mushrooms in a bowl, pour over boiling water, to cover, soak for about 30 minutes. When soft, remove mushrooms, reserve water from soaking mushrooms, roughly chop the mushrooms.

Season meat with salt and pepper. Heat a really large pot over medium high heat, add oil and brown meat. Remove meat from pan, add bacon and render for a few minutes. Add onion and garlic, saute for 2-3 minutes. Add fresh mushrooms. Sauté until golden brown, for about 3 minutes.
​
Add fresh cabbage to the pot, return the meat, add the dried mushrooms. Add smoked sausage, tomato passata, vegeta, 2 cups water, bay leaves, chillies, if using, 1 teaspoon salt, peppercorns, allspice seeds and pepper. Now add the dried mushroom water, just pour it in slowly, you don't want to add the grit that collects at the bottom of the bowl. Now add just enough water, if needed, to cover the cabbage, mix to combine. Cover and cook on medium to medium low heat for about 15 min (until cabbage is soft). Stir occasionally.
​
Add sauerkraut, mix, add more water, only if needed. Cover and cook for 1 hour. Taste for seasoning, add more vegeta, salt and pepper, if needed, cover and cook for another 30 minutes. If your bigos has too much liquid at this stage, and you want it thicker, cook it uncovered for the last 30 minutes instead, or longer, if needed, you can cook it how you like it.

Serve hot, with crusty bread.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/bigos-polish-hunters-stew.html 
Pin it: www.pinterest.com.au/pin/399413060713308857/

​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

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

Makes 1 large drink

Ice
60ml bacardi
30ml dark rum
15ml Cointreau
15ml lemon juice
90ml pineapple juice
90ml orange juice
15ml sugar syrup
dash grenadine
​

Half fill a large goblet with ice.

Add Bacardi, dark rum, Cointreau, lemon juice, pineapple juice, orange juice and sugar syrup and grenadine. Stir.

To save the recipe to your favourites go to www.whatscookingella.com/mai-tai.html 
Pin it: www.pinterest.com.au/pin/399413060713309416

​​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