XMAS SWEETS | 4 RECIPES

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• Roscos de vino (Sweet wine doughnuts) / vegan

• Chocolate Cake Pops /+vegan version

• Polvorones (Spanish crumble cakes) /+vegan version

• Chocolate Turrón /+vegan version

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• DECEMBER MENU

APPLE CAKE | VEGAN RECIPE

WIKI NOTE: Apple Cake VS Apple Pie - The apple cake differs from the apple pie in that it is a sponge cake baked with fresh apple pieces in it. An apple pie is a fruit pie (or tart) in which the principal filling ingredient is apple. The pastry is generally used top-and-bottom, making it a double-crust pie, the upper crust of which may be a circular-shaped crust or a pastry lattice woven of strips.

APPLE CAKE

YOU WILL NEED:
DRY INGREDIENTS:
1 and 1/4 cups wheat flour (plain or all-purpose)
1 cup panela sugar or unrefined cane sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
A pinch of salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup roughly chopped apple
1 cup walnuts, chopped  (optional)
WET INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup sunflower oil (or veggie oil, any neutral flavored)
3/4 cup vegetable drink (oatmeal, soy or hazelnut to taste)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
NOTE: Put raisins in a glass with a dash of water and the raisins plump up.
TOPPING
Thin apple slices, to decorate
Sprinkle brown sugar on the top

NOTE: Homemade measurement units



LET´S COOK!

1. Preheat the oven to 180 º C. Grease a bread pan with margarine or sunflower oil.
NOTE: Standard dimensions for bread and loaf pans start at 8 ½ by 4 ½ inches. It's the perfect size for that amount of ingredients. If you multiply the amount by the number of times that you want,  you will get a bigger cake. You have tons of different sizes of baking pans depending on the final amount.

2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl: brown sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom), and a pinch of salt until well-mixed. Optional: add chopped walnuts.
NOTE: Sift the flour for cakes. Sifting helps to remove any lumps and/or unwanted debris from the flour and also helps to combine the flour with any dry ingredients. If you don't have a strainer handy, you can also mix flour with a wire whisk or a fork.
3. Add roughly chopped apple to the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix it well with a wooden spoon.

4. Combine wet ingredients in a bowl:  veggie oil, and vegetable drink (oatmeal, soy, or hazelnut) until well mixed. Optional:  add raisins.

5. Pour the wet mix into the dry bowl. Mix everything slowly with a wooden spoon.

6. Pour the mix into the bread pan.
7. Arrange the thin apple slices around the cake decoratively. Sprinkle brown sugar on the top. 

8. Bake for around 40 minutes, until browned.

NOTE: Don't open the oven, you can always leave the cake in the oven for a few more minutes.

9.  Remove from the oven. Leave to cool.
NOTE: Serve as is or with vegan custard.

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• DECEMBER MENU

DECEMBER MENU | 4 RECIPES

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STARTER: WINTER SOUP

YOU WILL NEED: 
2 medium potatoes
1 or 2 cloves garlic, to taste
A half onion
1 leek, white part  (optional)
A generous splash (about 50g) of extra virgin olive oil or olive oil, to taste
A bunch of parsley
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Water (to boil)

LET´S COOK!
1. Wash the vegetables well. Peel potatoes, leek, onion and garlic. Cut the potatoes into big pieces. Chop the onion, leek and garlic.
2. Heat the olive oil in the pot. Saute the onion, leek, and garlic until transparent.
3. Add the big pieces of potatoes. Stir for several minutes with the rest of the ingredients.
4. Cover with water (the water has to exceed a couple of fingers the ingredients) and cook the vegetables for approx. 20 minutes. When the veggies are tender, turn off the kitchen and remove the pot from heat.
5. Mix everything with the blender until it is the consistency of a soup. Add black pepper and salt, to taste.
NOTE: If the texture of the soup is too liquid, add a few tablespoons of cornstarch (corn flour refined).
6. Serve the soup warm. Chop a bunch of parsley and sprinkle it on the top of the soup plate. Add some crunchy popcorn because it makes the soup more yummy, yummy!


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MAIN COURSE: FISH PÂTÉ 

YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe replace fish pâté for hummus
1 slice of hake (whiting family)
1 slice of salmon
4 crab sticks
3 eggs
10 tablespoons of tomato sauce, either store-bought or homemade.
200ml double cream
Grated nutmeg, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste


LET´S COOK!
1. Preheat the oven to 180 º C. Grease a baking pan with olive oil.
2. Place the slice of salmon hake fish and bay leaves in a saucepan, and cover with salted water.
3. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer over low heat for 5- 10 minutes, until the fish is cooked.
4. Drain in a colander. Place it on a plate. Remove skin and any bones. Allow the fish pieces to cool.
5. Put the eggs, crab sticks, fish pieces, tomato sauce, and double cream on the base of the blender. Mix everything with the blender, until obtain the desired texture (pâté) Season with ground black pepper, grated nutmeg, and salt, to taste.
6. Pour the mix into the baking pan. Place the baking pan in the oven baking tray. Fill the oven baking tray with water.
7. Bake it for around 1 hour. Check it until browned.
NOTE: Open the oven and prick the fish pâté in the middle with a needle knit. You can check it many times until the needle knit is clean. It means that the pâté is well done. 8
8. Remove the baking pan. Let cool the fish pâté for a while.
9. Cover the bowl with cling film and put it in the fridge for a while. The fish pâté has to be cold to serve. It is yummy, yummy with tomato salad.
NOTE: You can also spread the fish pâté on toasts.

• LET'S MAKE THE RUDOLPH RED-NOSED REINDEER FACE!

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer face: fish pâté (face), cherry tomato (nose), lettuce leaves cut into julienne (hair and horn) teaspoon of mayonnaise, and raisins (eyes).


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DESSERT: POLVORONES (SPANISH CRUMBLE CAKES)

YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe

200g plain flour

100g lard /*vegan margarine

150g icing sugar /*icing brown sugar, to sprinkle

Cinnamon powder, to sprinkle (optional)

LET´S COOK!

1. Preheat the oven to 180 º C for around 15 minutes. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2. Add the white flour to a big saucepan over medium heat. Mix it slowly with a wooden spoon, until brown. 

3. Put toasted flour in a big bowl and leave to cool. 

4. Put lard in a small saucepan. Warm gently, stirring until all melted. Set aside and leave to cool. 

5. Pour cold melted lard into the big bowl. Mix it well with a wooden spoon.
6. Add icing sugar. Mix it and knead for 10 minutes.

7. Let mixture dough rest for 30 min. 

8. Using hands, divide and roll mixture dough into small balls (same size approx.)
9. Carefully place onto the baking tray and flatten each ball a bit.
NOTE: balls will flatten out more during baking.

10. Bake crumble cakes for 30 minutes oven at low temperature (approx. 140 º C).
11. Set aside and leave to cool. Sprinkle icing sugar over crumble cakes.
NOTE: Mix some icing sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon powder in a cup. Sprinkle mixture over crumble cakes (optional). 

12. Serve and place it on the Xmas plate.

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DRINK: SOFT TURRON MILKSHAKE (ALMOND BUTTER MILKSHAKE)

YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe
300 g soft turrón (turrón de Jijona) or almond butter
350ml of milk /*almond milk
2 tablespoons of honey /*agave nectar, to taste (optional)
Cinnamon powder, to sprinkle (optional) 

NOTE: The soft turrón (turrón de Jijona) is made with ground almonds. Almond butter instead of soft turron works well for this recipe, just add some honey. 

LET´S COOK!
1. Chop the soft turrón into small pieces. Put half of it into the measuring cup of the blender. 

2. Add half milk. Mix everything with the blender until foaming.

3. Mix everything well with the blender, at the same time add the remaining milk and pieces of soft turrón, until foaming. Rectify the taste by adding honey.

4. Serve it in a glass with straw. Sprinkle cinnamon on the top of the glass.

NOTE: Put the glasses in the freezer for a while, the soft turrón milkshake has to be cold.

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• NOVEMBER MENU

• JANUARY MENU

•  Xmas sweets | 4 recipes 

• Fruit hedgehog /New Year´s Eve special 

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• CALENDAR: 12 MENUS (PLUS HALLOWEEN + EASTER)

CHURROS | VEGAN RECIPE

WIKI NOTE: The origin of churros is unclear. One theory is that the churro was made by Spanish shepherds, to substitute for fresh bakery goods. Churro paste was easy to make and fry in an open fire in the mountains, where shepherds spend most of their time. Churros are popular in Spain, France, the Philippines, Portugal, Ibero-America and the United States. In Spain, churros are thin (and sometimes knotted) and porras are long and thick. They are normally eaten for breakfast or merienda (meal between lunch and dinner) dipped in hot chocolate or caffè latte (¨café con leche¨). Specialized churrerías can be found in the form of a shop throughout the streets or a trailer during the holiday period.

CHURROS 

YOU WILL NEED:
200g wheat flour (plain or all-purpose) 
A pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
320 ml water
Olive oil, for deep-fat frying
Caster sugar, to sprinkle /*panela sugar or unrefined cane sugar
Cinnamon, to sprinkle (optional)

LET´S COOK!

1. Put water in a saucepan, add baking powder and a pinch of salt. When the water is boiling, add the plain flour and stir it with a wooden spoon until it comes off the saucepan. If you see that it is very hard, you can add a little more water.

2. Let the mixture stand until lukewarm.

3. Fill the churrera or pastry bag or piping bag (asterisk or star shape - plastic tip) with the pastry. The good thing is that the pastry bag avoids the air gaps in the pastry.

4. Heat the oil in a deep pan (wok-type pan) to 170ºC. Put a lid on the pan. 

NOTE: Use a fryer machine for home, if it is possible. 

5. Cut and place the churros, 2-3 at a time, carefully into the hot oil on a pan and cook for 3-4 mins with the lid on, until golden. Turn them over and cook for a further 2-3 mins, until they are an even golden colour. 

NOTE: It is really dangerous once you are frying the churros, especially because sometimes the churro could explode and hot oil could splash everywhere. Kids are not allowed in the kitchen. 

6. Lift onto kitchen paper to drain. Toss them in the caster sugar until evenly coated. Shake off any excess. Sprinkle over a little cinnamon (optional).

HOT CHOCOLATE (OPTIONAL)

YOU WILL NEED (6-8 PEOPLE):

Dark chocolate *Vegan recipe

400g of dark chocolate

1.200ml of milk or soya / *almond milk

60g of cornstarch (corn flour refined)

A pinch of salt

50g of caster sugar or brown sugar (optional)
Cocoa powder *Vegan recipe

500g of cocoa powder

1l of milk or soya / *almond milk

Caster sugar or brown sugar, to taste

LET´S COOK!

Dark chocolate
1. Put the milk in a saucepan and warm gently.
2. When the milk is warm, add the chocolate chunks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
3. Stirring until it's all melted (the consistency of a soup)
NOTE: If the texture of the hot chocolate is too liquid, add a few tablespoons of cornstarch.
 Cocoa powder
1. Put the milk in a saucepan and warm gently.
2. When the milk is warm, add the cocoa powder and sugar (optional).
3. Stirring with the whisk until it's all melted (the consistency of a soup)
NOTE: If the texture of the hot chocolate is too liquid, add a few tablespoons of cornstarch.

• DIP CHURROS INTO HOT CHOCOLATE!

Serve the hot chocolate in mugs with teaspoons. Place the churros on the plate with a sugar jar.
NOTE: It is better to know the amount of churros per person.

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• NOVEMBER MENU

PUMPKIN SOUP | VEGAN RECIPE

WIKI NOTE: The word pumpkin originates from the word pepon (πέπων), which is Greek for “large melon", something round and large. The French adapted this word to pompon, which the British changed to pumpion, and later American colonists changed that to the word that is used today, "pumpkin".

PUMPKIN SOUP

YOU WILL NEED: 
1/3 pumpkin
2 medium potatoes
1 or 2 cloves garlic, to taste
1 leek (white part)
A generous splash (about 50g) of extra virgin olive oil or olive oil, to taste
A pinch of smoked paprika, to taste
A pinch of turmeric, to taste
A pinch of ground cumin, to taste
A pinch of hot chili powder, to taste
Salt, to taste
Water (to boil)
Parsley and lemon seasoning (optional)
Crunchy roasted corn (optional)

LET´S COOK!

1. Wash the vegetables well. Peel potatoes, leek, pumpkin, and garlic. Cut the potatoes and pumpkin into big pieces. Chop the leek and the garlic.

2. Heat the olive oil in the pot. Saute the leek and garlic until transparent.

3. Add the big pieces of potatoes and pumpkin. Stir for several minutes with the rest of the ingredients.

4. Cover with water (the water has to exceed a couple of fingers the ingredients) and cook the vegetables for approx. 20 minutes. When the veggies are tender, turn off the kitchen and remove the pot from heat.

5. Mix everything with the blender until it is the consistency of a soup. Add a pinch of smoked paprika, turmeric, ground cumin, hot chili powder,  and salt, to taste.

NOTE: If the texture of the soup is too liquid, add a few tablespoons of cornstarch (corn flour refined).

6. Serve the soup warm. Sprinkle parsley & lemon seasoning on the top of the pumpkin soup. Add some crunchy roasted corn because it makes the soup more yummy, yummy!

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• NOVEMBER MENU

NOVEMBER MENU | 4 RECIPES

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STARTER: QUESADILLAS

YOU WILL NEED:*vegan recipe
Large flour tortillas
Several generous handfuls of grated cheese (queso Oaxaca) /*vegan grated cheese
NOTE: If you don´t find Mexican cheese, you can use any kind of grated cheese.
Sliced ​​cooked ham /*handful of drained red beans
Black olives, sliced (optional)
Fresh tomatoes, diced (optional)
Ground black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

LET´S COOK! 
1. Preheat the oven to 180 º C. Place the tortilla on a tin foil sheet.
2. Place it in the oven and cook for 7-10 minutes, until the tortilla begins to visibly brown.
3. Remove from the oven, top with sliced ​​cooked ham, and sprinkle cheese over the tortilla. Add salt and black pepper, to taste.
4. Top with another tortilla. Return to oven for an additional 2 minutes.
5. Cut the tortilla into triangle pieces. Serve immediately.

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MAIN COURSE: LENTIL BURGER

YOU WILL NEED:*vegan recipe
150g of cooked green lentils
NOTE: A can of green lentils in water (265g drained weight) works well.
2 whole eggs
Half chopped aubergine
Half chopped red onion
1 grated carrot
A couple of garlic cloves
Extra virgin olive oil or olive oil, to taste
Bread crumbs
White flour
Ground cumin, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
Sesame seeds (optional)
Cheese slices /*vegan cheese slices (optional)

LET´S COOK!
1. Put the dried lentils into a pot and add 3-4 cups of water. Boil it vigorously at high heat for 10 minutes, then turn it down to minimum heat and boil it for another 20 minutes. Drain the lentils and let them cool.
NOTE: You can soak the lentils soaked for about 12 hours in cold water. It will be faster to boil them later.
2. Once they are cooled, put them on the base of the blender, and add a handful of bread crumbs.
3. Mix everything with the blender, until obtain the desired texture (creamy). Put the mix into a big bowl.
4. Wash the vegetables well. Chop the red onion, aubergine, and garlic.
5. Put into a frying pan on a medium heat, add a little bit of olive oil. Saute the onion and garlic until transparent.
6. Add the aubergine. Stir for several minutes with the rest of the ingredients.
7. Add the ingredients to the big bowl. Mix it with a wooden spoon.
8. Grate the carrot. Beat an egg and add it into the bowl. Add salt/black pepper/ground cumin, to taste. Mix everything well. Add bread crumbs as necessary until the mix is not sticky.
9. Divide the mix into small balls. Flatten each ball to get a burger shape.
10. Beat an egg in a bowl. Put the flour on a plate. Put the breadcrumbs on a different plate. First, batter the burger into the flour. Second, dip it into the beaten egg. Third, batter it into the breadcrumbs with sesame seeds. It is a triple action.
NOTE: If you make lots of burgers, you can freeze them. It is always a good moment for homemade lentil burgers.
11. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan. Fry the burgers, one by one, until golden brown on each side. Remove them from the pan and drain with kitchen towels.
12. Serve the burgers on burger buns with lettuce leaves, sliced tomato, sliced cheese, ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise.
NOTE: The best way to eat a burger is with chips.

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DESSERT: PANCAKE CAKE

YOU WILL NEED:

• PANCAKE *vegan recipe 

1/2 cup of milk /*soy milk

1/2 cup of white flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 tablespoon of cane sugar

1 whole egg /*2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

A pinch of salt
A pinch of ground cinnamon (optional) 

50g unsalted butter, cubed /*vegan butter

• FILLING *vegan recipe

Chocolate spread /*vegan chocolate hazelnut spread

1 or 2 bananas

Whipped cream (optional) /*coconut whipped cream

NOTE: The recipe is for 4 units (small-size pancake)

LET´S COOK!

1. Place the flour, milk, egg or vegetable oil, baking powder, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Whisk to a smooth batter.

2. Add a small cube of butter to a small nonstick pan over medium heat. Wipe it with kitchen paper.

3. Add a ladleful of batter, tilting the pan to spread when the pan is hot. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until lightly golden. Set aside.

4. Repeat until use all the batter (4 or 6 units). Stack the pancakes on a plate.

5. To build your cake, spread some chocolate spread over the pancake and evenly spread the slices of banana on the pancake surface. Top with another pancake. Keep doing this, until use all the pancakes.

6. Decorate the top of the pancake cake with whipped cream. The smiling face is the best yummy, yummy decoration.

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DRINK: CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE

YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe
A cup of milk /*soy drink
A scoop of chocolate ice cream /*vegan chocolate ice cream
1 teaspoon of cocoa powder /* vegan-friendly cocoa powder
1 tablespoon of honey /*agave nectar, maple syrup, or molasses (optional)
Whipped cream /*coconut whipped cream (optional)
NOTE: The recipe is for one glass. Double the amount if you want more than one glass.

LET´S COOK!
1. Put a scoop of chocolate ice cream, cocoa powder, and milk into the measuring cup of the blender.
2. Mix everything well with the blender, until foaming. Sweeten by adding honey.
3. Serve it in a glass with a straw.
NOTE: Put whipped cream on the top of the glass and sprinkle cocoa powder.

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• OCTOBER MENU

• DECEMBER MENU

• HALLOWEEN MENU

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• CALENDAR: 12 MENUS (PLUS HALLOWEEN + EASTER)

SCARY TAPAS / HALLOWEEN SPECIAL | 8 RECIPES

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WIKI NOTE: Halloween is a celebration on the night of October 31st. It is most practiced in the United States and Canada. Children wear costumes and go to people's homes saying "Trick or treat!" to ask for candy and people give it to them. The suggestion is: "Give me a treat or I will play a trick on you." People often dress up as ghosts, witches, or other scary things for Halloween.

The pagan holiday Samhain, which the All Saints holy day replaced, was also known as the Day of the Dead. Many Wiccans and modern pagans celebrate the Day of the Dead. This is a happy holiday (even though it celebrates death). It is the day that some believe the souls of dead people come back to Earth.

People have worn costumes at Halloween for centuries. Early costumes were usually scary. They were often supernatural beings or from folklore. Wearing a costume may come from the Celtic festivals of Samhain and Calan Gaeaf. It could also be from the Christian Allhallowtide. Scary costumes are still popular.

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• SCARY TAPAS / SAVOURY RECIPES

• 1. Sausage mummies / vegan-friendly

• 2. Pumpkin vomit: guacamole / vegan

• 3. Spides eggs / vegan-friendly

• 4. Bloody carrot fingers / vegan

• 5. Terrifying field of zucchini skulls & carrot pumpkins / vegan

• 6. Cheese witches' brooms / vegan friendly

• SCARY TAPAS / SWEET RECIPES

• Trick or fruit: Banana ghosts & pumpkin mandarins / vegan

• 8. Spooky drinks: monster & vampire veggie smoothies / vegan-friendly

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• Publication / Article WHM: Halloween for little foodies (spooky treats + recipes)