ZUCCHINI/COURGETTE CAKE | VEGAN RECIPE

WIKI NOTE:  Zucchini or courgette, like all squash, has its ancestry in the Americas. However, the varieties of squash were developed in Italy, many generations after their introduction from the Americas. In all probability, this occurred in the very late 19th century, probably near Milan; early varieties usually included the names of nearby cities in their names.

ZUCCHINI/COURGETTE CAKE

YOU WILL NEED:
DRY INGREDIENTS:
1 and 1/2 cups wheat flour (plain or all-purpose) 
2 cups panela sugar or unrefined cane sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
A pinch of salt
1 and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
WET INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup cranberry sauce or 2 mashed ripe bananas
1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup sunflower oil (or veggie oil, any neutral flavored)
1 and 1/2 cup grated courgettes

NOTE: Homemade measurement units



LET´S BAKE!

1. Preheat the oven to 180 º C. Oil and line the base and sides of a bread pan or square cake tin with baking parchment.
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, ground cinnamon and salt. Mix them well with a wooden spoon.
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.
4. Wash the courgettes well. Grated it. Add it to the wet ingredients and mix it well.
NOTE: Put grated courgettes in a bowl with a dash of alcohol (to taste, I like with Cachaça) for an adult cake.
5. Combine wet ingredients in a bowl: cranberry sauce, vanilla extract, vegan margarine, and grated courgettes until well-mixed.
6. Pour the wet mix into the dry bowl. Mix everything slowly with a wooden spoon.
7. Pour the mix into the bread pan. Sprinkle brown sugar on the top.
NOTE: Arrange the thin pineapple slices around the cake decoratively. Drizzle over some syrup if using (optional presentation).
8. It´s a moist cake. 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. Put slices of courgettes on the top. Sprinkle a little bit of vegan icing sugar and ground cinnamon.

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• RELATED POSTS

• Zucchini soup / +vegan version

• Field of skulls and pumpkins / vegan

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• MAY MENU

STRAWBERRY GAZPACHO (SPANISH COLD SOUP) | VEGAN RECIPE

WIKI NOTE: Gazpacho has ancient roots. There are several theories of its origin, including as an Arab soup of bread, olive oil, water, and garlic that arrived in Spain and Portugal with the Moors, or via the Romans with the addition of vinegar.

STRAWBERRY GAZPACHO (SPANISH COLD SOUP)

YOU WILL NEED: 
400g strawberry
1 small cucumber
2 ripe tomatoes
A quarter of onion
A quarter of red pepper
50g stale bread
A splash of extra virgin olive oil
A splash of vinegar (optional)
A splash of cold water
salt, to taste
NOTE: The recipe is for a jug of gazpacho.

LET´S COOK!
1. Cut the stale bread into thick slices. Put into a bowl. Cover with water and wait for a while. Strain the contents and put them into a jug.
2. Wash the vegetables well. Peel the tomatoes and chop them into cubes. Chop the cucumber, onions, and red pepper into cubes. Add the chopped veggies into the jug.
3. Wash the fruit well. Chop the strawberries. Put it into the jug. Add a splash of cold water and mix it well with a blender.
4. Add a generous splash of extra virgin olive oil and a splash of vinegar. Add salt / black pepper, to taste. Mix it with the blender and at the same time gradually add water, until it forms a fine pulp texture.
5. Cover the jug with cling film and put it in the fridge for a while. The gazpacho has to be cold to serve.

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• RELATED POSTS

• Strawberry milkshake / vegan-friendly

• Watermelon Gazpacho (Spanish cold soup) / vegan

• Cheesecake / +vegan version

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• MAY MENU

MAY MENU | 4 RECIPES

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STARTER: ENSALADILLA (RUSSIAN SALAD)

YOU WILL NEED:  *vegan recipe
3 or 4 medium potatoes (approx. 450g)
4 carrots
2 eggs /*sweet corn
A tin of pitted green olives (approx. 180g)
3 tablespoons of peas
2 small cans of tuna chunks (2 x 160g) /*tuna-less or 2 handfuls of mashed cooked chickpeas
4 tablespoons of mayonnaise /*egg-free mayonnaise
NOTE: recipe: homemade mayonnaise / + vegan version: egg-free mayonnaise
Black pepper, to taste
A bunch of fresh parsley (optional)
NOTE: There are tons of different recipes for Russian salad in Spain. Every house has its own recipe! It´s time to cook your own recipe!

LET´S COOK!

1. Wash all the vegetables well. Peel the carrots.

2. Put the carrots and potatoes into a pot. Cover with cold water bring to a boil and simmer the vegetables for approx. 25 minutes. When the veggies are tender, turn off the stove and remove the pot from the heat. Strain the vegetables.

3. Put the eggs into a small pot and wash your hands. Cover with cold water bring to a boil and simmer the eggs for approx. 10 minutes. Turn off the stove and remove the pot from the heat. Strain the eggs. Peel and chop the eggs.

4. Peel the potatoes and chop them into cubes. Chop the carrots into small cubes. Put carrots and potatoes in a big bowl. Add green olives, tuna chunks, and peas. Mix everything with a wooden spoon.

5. Add several tablespoons of mayonnaise, and mix everything with a wooden spoon until it forms a creamy texture. Add salt and black pepper, to taste.

6. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave it in the fridge. The Russian salad should be served cold.

• LET´S MAKE SOME TAPAS!

1. Fill the silicone cupcake wrappers with the Russian salad. Use a spoon, start in the middle of the cupcake, and spread the mayonnaise evenly over the top. The icing is done with mayonnaise.

2. Sprinkle the top of the Russian salad tapa with chopped parsley. Put on the peak an olive or a tomato cherry.

NOTE: The cupcake silicone container is a perfect unit for a kid.

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MAIN COURSE: PISTO (SPANISH RATATOUILLE)

NOTE:  It is a stewed vegetable dish, similar to ratatouille, and is usually served warm to accompany a dish or with a fried egg and bread.

YOU WILL NEED:  *vegan recipe
2 medium size courgettes (approx. 300g)
2 green peppers (approx. 150g)
2 red peppers (approx. 150g)
2 big onions (approx. 300g) 
A can of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice (approx. 500g) or naturally ripe tomatoes (approx. 1 kg)
A pinch of sugar 
Extra virgin olive oil or olive oil, to taste (approx.100ml)
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste

NOTE: There are a million different recipes for Pisto in Spain because almost every house has its own recipe. The basic ingredients are always tomatoes, peppers, onions, and courgettes. Aubergines instead of courgettes is another way to cook the pisto (Spanish ratatouille) . Both recipes are delicious!

LET´S COOK!

1. Wash the vegetables well. Chop the courgettes, onions, and green/red peppers into cubes.

2. Heat olive oil in a big saucepan. Sauté and stir the chopped onion for several minutes. Add the chopped peppers. Cook over a low heat.

3. Add the courgettes and stir, until the vegetables are soft

4. Add a can of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice and a pinch of sugar.

5. Stir it occasionally over low heat for a few minutes. Add salt and black pepper, to taste.

6. Remove from heat and let it cool.

NOTE: Serve it cold or warm.

• LET'S MAKE A VOLCANO MOUNTAIN  - MASHED POTATO AND PISTO!

1. MOUNTAIN - Fill a small bowl with mashed potato *vegan. Cover it with cling film and put it in the fridge for a while. Flip it on a plate and the result will be a small mountain of mashed potato.

2. VOLCANO LAVA - Make a ring with the Pisto around the bottom of the mountain.

3. Fry an egg or tofu in olive oil, and put it on the top of the mountain. Make a small ring on the top of the mountain surrounding the egg or fried tofu.

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DESSERT: CHEESECAKE

YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe

6 cheese wedges (The Laughing Cow) /*4 cups of dried cashew nuts, soak them in water for about 8 hours.

NOTE: 200g cream cheese (Philadelphia) instead of 6 cheese wedges (The Laughing Cow).

2 whole eggs /*eggless

2 units of natural yogurt, small size container /*soy natural yogurt (125g = small size container)

NOTE: The yogurt container - small size is the unit of measure for the recipe.

2 yogurt containers (unit of measure) of panela sugar or unrefined cane sugar

2 yogurt containers (unit of measure)of wheat flour (plain or all-purpose)

2  yogurt containers (unit of measure) of milk /*soy milk

2  yogurt containers (unit of measure) of double cream /*vegan double cream

2 tsp baking powder (optional)

1 tsp baking soda (optional)

Homemade strawberry jam, to taste

Homemade kiwi jam, to taste

NOTE: You can use any flavor of jam depending on seasonal fruits and kids' tastes.

LET´S COOK!

1. Preheat the oven to 180 º C. Grease a baking pan with butter or sunflower oil.

2. Empty 2 units of natural yogurt into a big bowl. Using the yogurt container as a measuring unit, add sugar, flour, milk, and double cream. Mix everything with a wooden spoon.

3. Add the eggs, cheese wedges, and cinnamon into a big bowl.
*vegan recipe: eggless and 4 cups of dried cashew nuts instead of cheese wedges. First, soak cashew nuts in water for about 8 hours. Then drain cashew nuts well and crush them in a mortar until obtaining a creamy texture. Add cashew nuts creamy texture into a big bowl.
4. Mix everything well with the blender, until it forms a smooth liquid.

5. Pour the mix into the baking pan. Sprinkle sugar on the top.

6. Bake for around 30 minutes, or until browned.

NOTE: Open the oven and prick the cake in the middle with a needle. You can check it many times until the needle comes out clean. It means that the cake is well done. It´s flat cake because there is no baking powder.

7. Remove the baking pan. Leave the cake to cool for a while.

• LET'S MAKE AN ISLAND GROUP!

1. Press a small glass into the cake to make a circle (each circle is an island).
2. Cover each island with fruit jam on top, using different jam flavors to make different islands.

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DRINK: LECHE MERENGADA (MERINGUE MILKSHAKE)

YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe

A pint of milk /*almond milk

1 egg white /*1 tbsp plain agar powder

75g of icing caster sugar /*icing panela sugar or unrefined cane sugar

Grated rind of half a lemon, to taste

Cinnamon powder, to sprinkle 

NOTE: The recipe is for approx. 3 glasses.

LET´S COOK!

1. Grate the rind of half a lemon.
2. Put the milk, egg white, icing sugar, and grated lemon rind into the blender.

3. Mix everything with the blender until foaming.

4. Pour the mix into a Tupperware. Put it in the freezer, until frozen (approx. 4 hours).

5. Take the mix out of the freezer, and wait for a while until the mix is soft.

6. Put it into the blender and mix until it forms a slushie texture.

7. Serve in tall glasses. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.

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• APRIL MENU

• JUNE MENU

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• CALENDAR: 12 MENUS (PLUS HALLOWEEN + EASTER)